Hanoi metro safety evaluation nears completion

A spokesperson of Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB) said Friday French consultancy Apave-Certifer-Tricc has finished most of its safety evaluation on Cat Linh-Ha Dong Metro Line.

The only outstanding report is a safety evaluation on trains, which will need safety certification from Vietnam Register, he said.

A 20-day test run is being planned for final inspection, it was confirmed.

The test run was originally scheduled for February, but canceled due to over 100 Chinese experts and engineers unable to enter Vietnam due to the coronavirus outbreak.

So far, only four experts have arrived on-site. One has completed the compulsory 14-day isolation, while the others work remotely.

Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line runs 13 km from Cat Linh in downtown Dong Da District to Yen Nghia in Ha Dong District.

Work on the line began in 2011 and was originally scheduled for completion in 2013, but loan disbursement issues with China, only resolved in December 2017, and other issues stalled progress for years.

Construction was completed in December last year, with the original estimated cost of $553 million ballooning to over $868 million.