Passengers ride on HCM City’s first metro line. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Đạt

HCM CITY — In order to meet the growing travel needs of residents, HCM City’s metro line No.1 on July 1 increased its daily trips by 26, bringing the total to 226 trips per day.

The line connects Bến Thành Market and Suối Tiên Theme Park. Its operating hours are from 5am to 10pm, Monday through Friday.

During peak hours, the interval between trips is 7 minutes.

On weekdays, excluding Saturdays and Sundays, peak hours are defined as 6-8am, 10:30am-12:30pm and 3:30-6:30pm.

Passengers travelling on metro line No. 1 can use smart cards (IC cards) for automatic payment at all stations from July 1.

The automatic fare collection system has been deployed throughout the entire line, including four types of cards such as single-trip cards, one-day cards, three-day cards, and top-up cards.

Outside of peak hours, the interval between trips is 10 or 12 minutes per trip.

Tickets are available for purchase at automated ticket vending machines using cash in amounts ranging from VNĐ1,000-200,000 (US$0.04-7.6).

After completing their journey, passengers can return their cards at fare adjustment machines to obtain a refund of their deposit.

Ticket prices are determined by the municipal People's Committee.

Single-ride ticket costs VNĐ7,000-20,000 ($0.3-0.8), based on the distance traveled while one-day pass costs VNĐ40,000 ($1.5) per person.

The metro line No.1 began commercial service on December 22, 2024 after years of delays.

With a total investment of VNĐ43.7 trillion ($1.7 billion), the line spans 19.7 kilometres and is comprised of 14 stations, three of which are located underground in the city centre.

It has seen a significant spike in ridership using the service, far surpassing targets set by the project's investor and operator.

HCM City is now preparing to initiate construction of its second metro line in 2026. — VNS