900,000 passengers ride HCMC’s first metro line in opening week

December 30, 2024 | 04:44 am PT
900,000 passengers ride HCMC’s first metro line in opening week
People wait to get on a train at the Binh Thai Station in HCMC's Thu Duc City, Dec. 29, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran
HCMC’s Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line welcomed over 900,000 passengers during its first eight days of operation, with a peak of 201,000 riders on Sunday, according to the HCMC Urban Railway Company No. 1 (HURC1).

From Dec. 22-29, the metro completed more than 1,560 train trips, serving an average of 113,500 passengers daily. This figure significantly surpasses the initial projection of 39,000 daily riders and exceeds the first-week passenger counts of Hanoi’s Cat Linh-Ha Dong and Nhon-Hanoi Station metro lines.

During the initial days of operation, passengers enjoyed free rides and did not require tickets. Station staff were on hand to guide passengers onto the trains, which run from Suoi Tien Station in Thu Duc City to Ben Thanh Station in District 1.

The metro operates from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., with trains running at intervals of 8 to 12 minutes. Service schedules may be adjusted to accommodate increased demand on weekends and holidays.

Free rides on the metro line will continue until January 20, after which ticketed services will begin. Fares will range from VND7,000 to VND20,000 (27 cents to 79 cents) per trip, with monthly passes available for up to VND300,000. Students will receive a 50% discount on monthly passes, while elderly and disabled passengers can travel for free.

The 20-kilometer metro line, which connects downtown HCMC to its eastern gateway, is the city’s first.

 
 
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