A train arrives at Bình Thái Station on HCM City’s metro line No.1 after conducting its first test run on an elevated section in December last year. — VNA/VNS Photo Tiến Lực

HCM CITY — Construction of nine pedestrian overpasses at flyover stations of metro line No.1 in HCM City will be completed by the end of the year, according to the city Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR).

Nguyễn Quốc Hiển, deputy head of MAUR, said MAUR has urged the relevant units to speed up the construction of the pedestrian overpasses in order for them to be completed in time with the launch of metro line No.1 at the end of this year.

Metro line No.1 runs from Bến Thành Market in District 1 to Suối Tiên Theme Park in Thủ Đức city.

It is about 19.7km in length with 14 stations, including three underground.

The pedestrian overpasses are expected to provide metro users with easier access to the metro stations, including Tân Cảng, Thảo Điền, An Phú, Rạch Chiếc, Phước Long, Bình Thái, Thủ Đức, Sài Gòn High-tech Park and Việt Nam National University-HCM City.

They will link the passenger transit floors of the metro stations to the residential areas or bus stops along the route.

Each overpass will be 78 metres long and 3.5m wide.

According to the MAUR, work on the metro line No.1 project has cost more than VNĐ43.7 trillion (US$1.9 billion) and is around 95 per cent complete.

All 17 Japanese-made trains have 147 seats, each with three cars and a capacity of 930 passengers.

The first test ran on nine kilometres of elevated track between Suối Tiên Station and Bình Thái Station on December 21 last year.

According to the city’s Department of Transport, there will be bus routes connecting the metro stations.

It will build 67 bus shelters, 196 bus stops, pedestrian walkways and other physical assets to enhance accessibility to the metro stations.

Several parking lots will be built in the vicinity of the flyover metro stations.

The city Management Centre of Public Transport has proposed the ticket rates for metro line No. 1 will range from VNĐ9,000 ($0.38) to VNĐ24,000 ($1) per trip for the whole metro line. — VNS