The first 12 train cars were slowly lifted onto the rails of Hanoi’s first elevated railway line running from Cat Linh to Ha Dong on Wednesday morning. The project had been scheduled for a test run in September but that was canceled due to delayed disbursement of $250 million in official development assistance from China. |
Each train will have four cars measuring 19 meters in length, 2.8 meters in width and 3.8 meters in height (62-9-12.5 feet). |
The 133-ton trains will be able to carry more than 1,000 passengers each. The entire line will run 13 kilometers (8 miles) as part of a planned metro system that will cover 318 kilometers. |
A worker hooks up electricity connections on a car. |
Two cars coupled together. |
Cables that link the cars together. |
The cars are also connected by 108 electrical wires. |
A technician checks a car. |
Air suspension for a smooth ride. |
Many train cars have been left under canvas due to multiple delays. The state-owned China Railway Sixth Group Co. started the project in October 2011 and it was originally scheduled for completion in 2013. Delays have caused the original cost estimate of $552.86 million to balloon to more than $868 million, including $670 million in loans from China. |