Passengers wait for HCM City’s first metro line train at Tân Cảng station in Bình Thạnh on Thursday evening, experiencing a delay of around 10 minutes, possibly due to a signaling issue at Ba Son station in District 1. — VNS Photo Việt Dũng

HCM CITY — HCM City’s first metro line faced a signaling issue on Thursday evening, causing a ten-minute delay at Ba Son station in District 1, which caused delays to several other stations, just days after its public launch last Sunday.

Passengers at Văn Thánh station and Tân Cảng station in Bình Thạnh District also reported a delay in departure despite the train doors closing on schedule.

After detecting the signaling issue, the HCM City Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) suspended operations until a thorough inspection ensured safety.

"Even minor technical faults are closely monitored and promptly addressed," according to a representative of MAUR.

During the first month of operation, passengers will have free access to the metro, alongside 17 electric bus routes that connect with it.

In its initial operational phase, an average of nine trains will run daily from 5am to 10pm, facilitating some 200 trips.

The interval between trains will range from eight to twelve minutes, with an estimated journey time of around half an hour from the first to the last terminal station.

Each train will stop for 30 seconds at each station.

In the first four days of operation, nearly 800 trips were conducted, serving over 400,000 passengers, with some stations experiencing overcrowding during peak hours. 

At times, this overcrowding led to minor delays in departures, impacting subsequent trains due to spacing requirements enforced between stations. 

The nearly 20-km line connects Bến Thành Market in District 1 with Suối Tiên Theme Park in Thù Đức city.

It comprises 17 trains, each consisting of three carriages, with a total capacity of 930 passengers (147 seated and 783 standing). — VNS