Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has asked Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to strive to put the elevated sections of the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station and the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro lines into operation ahead of schedule.

He made the request while chairing the second meeting of the task force overseeing the progress of urban railway projects in both cities, held on July 17.

The elevated section of the Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line is expected to be completed and operational by the end of July 2024, according to Vice Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Duong Duc Tuan.

Meanwhile, the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line in HCM City  has finalized the timeline adjustments and submitted investment capital allocation requests to the appropriate authorities.

The city is expediting the completion of the remaining construction tasks, conducting trial runs, operating system tests, ensuring fire safety compliance and obtaining environmental approvals for operational status by December 2024.

Regarding the two urban railway network development proposals for the two cities, Deputy PM Ha emphasized the need for a unified perspective on objectives, tasks, solutions and general policies, while also considering local characteristics such as construction planning, development space, economic growth forecasts and population size.

The urban railway networks in the two cities must be integrated with the North-South high-speed railway, including stations, technical design standards, locomotives, carriages, and control systems, he said.

Hanoi and HCM City should choose top design consulting firms to complete and evaluate the urban railway network plans with a long-term vision, he said.