A representative from the HCMC Urban Railway Company No. 1 (HURC1) explained that, until now, passengers have been boarding the trains without tickets, guided by station staff instead. However, starting Jan. 2, passengers can use a variety of methods to access the trains, including QR codes from mobile apps, Mastercard cards and personal IDs.
From Jan. 10, additional payment options will be available, including Visa, JCB, American Express, Union Pay and Napas cards. These methods could be available sooner, according to the HURC1 representative. Starting Jan. 20, passengers will also be able to swipe their personal IDs at booths to enter the trains.
Station employees will assist children under 14 and other special groups in using the service.
Currently, the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line is free to ride, with the free service available until January 20. After that date, passengers will need to purchase tickets, with prices ranging from VND7,000-20,000 (27 cents-79 cents) for one-time tickets, and up to VND300,000 for monthly passes. Students can enjoy a 50% discount on monthly passes, while elderly and disabled passengers can ride for free.
From its opening on Dec. 22-28, the 20-kilometer metro line, which connects downtown HCMC to its eastern gateway, has already seen over 700,000 passengers. The trains operate from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., with intervals of 8 to 12 minutes between each train, running from Suoi Tien Station in Thu Duc City to Ben Thanh Station in District 1.