Passengers disembark at Bến Thành station in District 1. — VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

HCM CITY — HCM City’s first metro line will extend its operating hours during the upcoming Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday to better serve visitors during the festive season.

The Department of Transport has announced from January 24 to 28, the metro will operate from 5am to 11pm instead of 10pm as normal.

On New Year’s Eve (January 28), it will extend its operating hours until 2am the following day to facilitate visitors watching fireworks and celebrating the Lunar New Year holiday.

From January 30 to February 2, the metro will revert to its standard operating hours from 5am to 10pm.

The Bến Thành – Suối Tiên metro line, linking Bến Thành Market in District 1 with Suối Tiên Theme Park in Thủ Đức City, officially commenced operations on December 22, 2024, and is currently in a fare-free phase.

At present, the metro line operates an average of nine trains daily, with intervals ranging from eight to 12 minutes between services.

In recent weeks, ridership on the metro has surged, peaking on January 1 with over 275,000 passengers.

Fare collection for the metro line is scheduled to begin on January 21.

In addition to these adjustments to the metro operating schedule, the city’s bus system will also modify the number of trips to accommodate travel demands during the Lunar New Year holiday.

Among these modifications, bus route No. 109 (Saigon Bus Station - Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport) will provide 24-hour service during the holiday period.

Numerous other bus routes connecting to interprovincial bus stations will also maintain operations to serve passengers travelling to and from these locations.

This year, city will host fireworks displays at 15 locations, up seven locations compared to previous years, including two high-altitude sites and thirteen low-altitude locations distributed throughout the city.

The two high-altitude fireworks displays will take place at the Saigon River Tunnel entrance in Thủ Đức City and the Bến Dược Martyrs’ Memorial in Củ Chi District.

Meanwhile, thirteen low-altitude displays will occur at various venues across the city, including the Thảo Điền urban area (Thủ Đức City), the Rạch Dĩa Bridge area (Nhà Bè), the Saigon river area near Rạch Chiếc Bridge (conducted from barges), Đầm Sen Cultural Park (District 11), and Bến Nọc Memorial Temple (Thủ Đức).

These displays will last for 15 minutes and will commence at midnight on January 28 (Lunar New Year's Eve).

On the evening of January 28, the city will also present a 3D light show projected onto HCM City Hall.

Various other activities will take place throughout the city to celebrate the nation's biggest holiday, including the Nguyễn Huệ Flower Street and the Tết Book Festival. — VNS