Saigon’s second metro line held up by seven-year delay

By Huu Cong   September 12, 2017 | 07:24 pm PT
Saigon’s second metro line held up by seven-year delay
An underground part of Saigon's first metro line, which is scheduled to complete in 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Vu Doan
Under the new schedule, the city may have to wait another decade before the line is up and running.

Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have asked the prime minister for permission to push back the construction of its second metro line to 2020.

The reason for the delay, the second since construction was scheduled to start in 2013, has not been revealed, but the request comes at a time when the city's first metro line is already struggling with funding.

A recent report by the city’s Urban Railway Management Board said that ground clearance for the second line, which will affect 679 families, will only be completed in August next year.

The Ben Thanh-Tham Luong line will run nearly 20 kilometers (12 miles) between District 1 and District 12.

The line was initially scheduled to go into operation in 2018, but the only evidence of progress remains on paper.

The estimated cost of the line has also ballooned from $1.3 billion to more than $2.1 billion. Funding is expected to come from the Asian Development Bank, German bank KfW, the European Investment Bank and the city’s budget.

Under the new schedule, the city may have to wait another decade before the line is up and running.

The Ben Thanh-Tham Luong line is part of the megacity's plans for a modern public transport network which will have eight lines.

The city's first line has been delayed several times since construction started in 2012. The latest completion date has been set for 2020.

 
 
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