Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's Largest City, Opens First Subway in 17 Years

The subway has been opened 17 years after the launch of the project in Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam's largest city.

According to AFP, Ho Chi Minh City's Metro Line 1, which connects 20 kilometers between Bentay and Suoitien, officially opened yesterday (22nd).

The construction of the Ho Chi Minh subway, which was promoted by the Japan International Cooperation Organization's official development assistance (ODA) project, continued to be delayed due to problems such as changes in plans due to rising costs.

At the time of approval in 2007, the estimated cost was 17.4 trillion dong (about KRW 990 billion), but the re-established cost in 2009 amounted to 43.7 trillion dong (about KRW 2.5 trillion).

Even after the start of construction in 2012, the air increased due to lack of funds and delay in parliamentary approval.

Sumitomo, a Japanese company in charge of construction, faced several crises, warning of a suspension of construction due to unpaid payments, and it was eventually completed well past the original target of completion in 2018.

On the first day of the subway operation, long lines for free test drives continued at each station, and police were deployed to maintain order.

Citizens celebrated the opening of the subway by taking selfies.

In Ho Chi Minh City, where about 8.4 million motorcycles run on narrow roads, the need for public transportation has been constantly raised.

Ho Chi Minh City is pushing to build six more subway lines.

In Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, the subway opened for the first time in 2021.