HCMC metro to have maiden trial run across entire line this month

The upcoming trial will mark the first time ever that a train will operate on the entire 19.7-km-long line.

According to a plan submitted to the Management Authority for Urban Railways of HCMC, which manages the metro’s construction and operation, the Japanese contractor, Hitachi, said to ensure safety, the number of passengers on board the test run would be limited to under 20.

Line No.1 has had three trial runs so far, all were conducted on elevated sections of the track.

The first test run late last year was a trip of nearly nine kilometers with the train stopping at five stations. The second was on April 15 with government officials and the third was on April 27.

All trains used on metro line No.1 are manufactured in Japan.

Each train with three cars is 61.5 m long and can carry 930 passengers at speeds of 110 kph on the elevated section and 80 kph in the underground section.

However, for the upcoming test run, it will run slower than the top speed.

HCMC's first metro line costs over VND43.7 trillion ($1.89 billion) and connects Ben Thanh Station in District 1 to Long Binh Depot in Thu Duc City. It has three underground and 11 elevated stations.

After many delays, the project is more than 95% complete and is expected to finish late this year for commercial operation next year.