Ethnic, religious, intellectual representatives take trial ride on HCM City’s first metro line

A group of 200 distinguished delegates, including representatives from various ethnic groups and religions, intellectuals, expatriates, and incumbent and former officials of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) in Ho Chi Minh City, visited and took a trial ride on the city's first metro line from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien.

According to Pham Minh Tuan, Vice President of the municipal VFF Committee, the event was organised to welcome the upcoming 12th congress of the municipal VFF for the 2024-2029 term in the lead up to the 10th national congress of the VFF for the 2024-2029 tenure.

It also aims to help citizens across the city appreciate the value of significant infrastructure projects being developed, while creating an environment conducive to strengthening the great national unity bloc, he said.

Solymah, a respected figure in the Cham community of ward 17 in Binh Thanh district, expressed her hope that many Cham people will come to experience the metro.

Venerable Danh Lung, Secretary of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) and Deputy Head of the VBS chapter in HCM City, meanwhile, highlighted the metro project as a major one and a testament to the city's development.

The 19.7km Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien comprises 2.6 km of underground track and 17.1 km of elevated track. The line features 14 stations, including three underground and 11 elevated ones, with a revised total investment exceeding 43 trillion VND (1.72 billion USD). It traverses D=districts 1, 2, and 9, Binh Thanh district, Thu Duc city in HCM City and Di An city in the neighbouring province of Binh Duong. The construction phase of the project is nearing completion, with preparations underway for commercial operation by the end of this year.