The metro will start from the Nam Thang Long area, run through streets such as Hoang Quang Viet, Thuy Khue, Phan Dinh Phung, Hang Giay and Hang Duong and then link Tran Dung Dao Street. It will have 10 stations, including seven underground and three elevated above street level.

The project investor has also asked that resettlement work is speeded up.

The project has a total investment of VND19.56 trillion (USD9.31 billion), using Japanese-funded ODA and local government reciprocal capital. By 2020, trains on the route are expected to transport around 535,000 passengers daily, with the figure expected to rise to 777,000 by 2030.

Nguyen Van Doanh, Deputy Head of the Vietnam Railway Administration, admitted that there were some outstanding problems with urban railway projects, including lack of management expertise and the implementation of related technological and EPC contracts.

In a recent intereview with DTiNews, Toshio Nagase, Senior Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said JICA is willing to lend its support to the city in carrying out routes No. 1 (Giap Bat-Gia Lam) and No. 2 (Nam Thang Long-Tran Hung Dao), which have received Japanese ODA. They have co-operated with the Ministry of Transport and Hanoi People’s Committee on a feasibility study of metro No. 5, which would link the southern part of West Lake to Ba Vi District under a public-private partnership.

Hanoi plans to build eight metro lines included in its transport development plan by 2020 under the capital city’s master plan by 2030 with a vision to 2050.