The inauguration ceremony was jointly held by the Ministry of Transport, the Hanoi People's Committee and the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam.
The official inauguration of the Cat Linh - Ha Dong route marks an important milestone in the successful implementation of the first urban railway project in Vietnam and Hanoi in particular, which will provide valuable experiences in the construction of other urban railway projects throughout the city.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong said that the operation of the metro line, after ten years of construction, is of special importance in changing the habits of citizens’ participation in public transport, reducing congestion, limiting personal vehicles, and minimising environmental pollution.
He noted that the Transport Ministry also asked Hanoi People’s Committee to continue completing the remaining metro lines, to improve the transport capacity of the city and deal with traffic congestion.
According to Vice Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen, after two months of operation, the Cat Linh – Ha Dong route has served an average of nearly 15,000 passengers per day, with safety ensured, as an advanced and modern means of public transport in Vietnam. Today the metro line has also welcomed the one millionth passenger, Quyen noted.
The project has a total investment of about 886 million USD, sourced from Chinese ODA. The 13km route has 12 stations and 13 trains, with a maximum speed of 80 km per hour.
