The People's Committee of Dong Nai Province in southern Vietnam has approved a proposal from investors to study a project to extend the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro line (the metro line 1) in Ho Chi Minh City to the province's Tran Bien Ward and Long Thanh Airport.

Accordingly, Dong Nai has agreed to assign the joint venture of DonaCoop Infrastructure Investment JSC and VinaCapital Group as the investor to propose the project to extend the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro line to Tran Bien Ward (formerly Bien Hoa) and Long Thanh International Airport, under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Previously, the joint venture had sent a document to the provincial authorities regarding the preparation of a report proposing the investment policy for the project to extend the metro line 1 from Station S0 (S-zero) to Long Thanh and develop a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) smart urban model along the route.

The total estimated investment capital is approximately VND65 trillion (over $2.46 billion), excluding compensation for site clearance.

The project has an estimated total route length of approximately 38.5 km and is expected to comprise three sections.

Specifically, Section 1 will run from station S0 to the new administrative center of Dong Nai province (at Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park), approximately 6.5 km long; Section 2 will extend from the new administrative center of Dong Nai province to Long Thanh Airport, approximately 27 km long; and Section 3 will go from the new administrative center of Dong Nai province to the central arterial road of Bien Hoa City (old), approximately 5 km long.