Vietnam: The 19.7 km line with 14 stations has been put in operation in country’s largest urban centre. Initially, the route will be served by nine three-car trains.
A total of 17 LRVs with aluminium bodies have been supplied by Hitachi Rail. Each trainset of 61.5 m can accommodate 930 passengers, 147 of them seated. The vehicles are designed to operate at a maximum speed of 110 km/h on the elevated section and at 80 km/h on the underground section. Under the $340 mln contract signed back in 2013, the Japanese manufacturer has also constructed a new depot and equipped the line with various systems and platform screen doors.
Passengers in the Hitachi Rail train for Ho Chi Minh City. Source: AFP
The project worth $2.5 bln has been implemented since 2008. The line was to be launched in 2018, but there were numerous delays due to financial and technical issues as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. JICA, Japan International Cooperation Agency, has provided substantial loans for the project.