Ho Chi Minh City breaks ground on second metro line after 16 years of planning
Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday broke ground on its second metro line, Ben Thanh-Tham Luong, ending 16 years of planning delays and signaling renewed momentum for the city’s urban rail network.
The 11.3-kilometer line, with a total investment of more than VND55 trillion (US$2.1 billion), is one of several key transport projects launched to mark the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
City leaders say the project signals the start of an acceleration phase that aims to expand HCMC’s metro network to 187 kilometers by 2030.
Unlike previous metro projects, the Ben Thanh-Tham Luong line is fully funded by public investment under special mechanisms approved by the National Assembly, making it the first urban railway in Vietnam to adopt this funding model.
The line runs from Ben Thanh Station in the city center to the Tham Luong depot in the northwest, passing through 14 wards and following major corridors such as Cach Mang Thang Tam and Truong Chinh streets. More than 9 kilometers of the route will be underground, with 10 underground stations, one elevated station and a depot.
Construction is being carried out under an EPC contract by a consortium led by Vietnamese Truong Hai Group (Thaco).
Approved in 2010, the project was originally planned as an ODA-funded line with a completion target of 2016. Repeated delays caused by funding issues, procedures and site clearance pushed the project far behind schedule. In 2019, the total investment was revised upward to $2.1 billion, but further obstacles continued to stall progress.
City authorities later shifted the project from ODA loans to the Ho Chi Minh City budget, a move officials say has helped simplify procedures and give the investor greater control over contractors, technology choices and construction methods.
The Ben Thanh-Tham Luong metro will operate at GoA4 automation, the highest level of rail automation currently available, allowing fully driverless trains. Operations will be monitored and controlled remotely from a central control center, with the system designed to integrate seamlessly with the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro and future lines.
Once completed, the line will initially use three-car trainsets with a maximum operating speed of up to 110 kph. At peak times, it is expected to carry more than 14,400 passengers per hour per direction. The route will connect directly with the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro at Ben Thanh Station and link to future projects such as Metro Line 4 and the planned Ben Thanh-Can Gio rail line.
Vice chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee Bui Xuan Cuong said the project will play a leading role in shaping the city’s urban railway system and serve as a model for transit-oriented development. He noted that metro stations are expected to become hubs for modern residential, commercial, and service areas centered on public transport.
City leaders said the project’s groundbreaking comes at a time when key conditions are finally in place, with site clearance completed and sufficient funding secured. Authorities have urged investors and contractors to maintain progress and quality to ensure the line is completed by 2030.
The Ben Thanh-Tham Luong section is part of Metro Line 2. Another segment linking Ben Thanh to Thu Thiem is being prioritized to connect with the Thu Thiem-Long Thanh railway, forming a high-capacity passenger corridor toward Long Thanh International Airport.
Beyond this project, Ho Chi Minh City plans to complete several other metro and rail lines by 2030, including extensions of Metro Line 1, Metro Line 6, and new rail links to Long Thanh Airport and Can Gio. The city aims to expand the network to around 700 kilometers over the coming decades, transforming how residents move across the metropolitan area.
By Giang Anh – VnExpress.net – January 14, 2026