– The Ministry of Transport held a ceremony to hand over the Cat Linh – Ha Dong metro line to the authority of Hanoi on November 6.
The event saw the attendance of member of the Party Central Committee (PCC), Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, and leaders of relevant ministries and ministerial-level sectors.
Among Hanoi officials attending the ceremony were Politburo member and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung; PCC member and Permanent Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thi Tuyen; PCC member, Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee and Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh; Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party Committee and Chairman of the municipal People’s Council Nguyen Ngoc Tuan; and Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Duc Tuan.
Giving a report on the progress of the project, Vu Hong Phuong, Director of the Transport Ministry’s Railway Project Management Board, said that the line is one of eight metro routes connecting the central urban area of Hanoi with satellite cities.
According to him, the project, which runs from Cat Linh in Ba Dinh district to Ha Dong district, is the first urban railway put into operation in the country.
With total investment of approximately US$886 million, funded by Chinese ODA, the elevated line is more than 13km long and has 12 stations and a rolling stock of 13 trains. Each train, whose designed speed is 80 km per hour, has four carriages capable of carrying over 900 passengers.
Centrally controlled by a center placed at the Ha Dong Depot, the railway is set to operate trains with a frequency of 6 to 7 minutes, which can be shortened to 2 to 3 minutes during rush hours.
The city announced the price of the tickets for the metro, with the lowest one being VND7,000 (US$0.31) for a trip and VND30,000 for a day pass. A monthly pass for a passenger is priced at VND200,000.
During the first 15 days after the line is put into operation, Hanoi offers free travel for all passengers.
On behalf of the Hanoi leaders, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Duong Duc Tuan said the city has proactively worked with the investor and relevant agencies of the Ministry of Transport to put the project into operation.
The city has made thorough preparations to receive and operate the line effectively, he added, urging the Hanoi Railway to work hard to promote efficiency of the project, meeting people’s demand.
Tuan also asked the Transport Ministry’s Railway Project Management Board to continue supporting the Hanoi Railway in management and operation of the metro line.
Source: Ha Noi Portal