Cát Linh–Hà Đông metro line. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội's metro operator carried nearly 21 million passengers in 2025, exceeding its business targets as ridership and ticket revenues rose sharply.

The company, Hà Nội Metro, reported at a year-end conference held Wednesday that passenger volume reached more than 20.68 million trips, up 7.13% from its annual plan.

The Cát Linh–Hà Đông line (Metro Line 2), the first one to be up and running in the city, accounted for over 13.68 million passengers, beating its target by 7.4 per cent and rising 15.3 per cent from 2024 levels, according to the company.

Ticket revenue totalled more than VNĐ143 billion (about $5.4 million), surpassing the plan by 29.09 per cent and helping reduce the city’s operating subsidy by over VNĐ31 billion. Revenue from the Cát Linh–Hà Đông line alone reached nearly VNĐ98 billion, up 26.6 per cent from plan and almost 29 per cent year on year.

Hà Nội Metro said operations were maintained with “absolute safety”, with more than 161,600 train services running a combined distance of nearly 1.76 million kilometres over the year, without interruption across all 365 days. Scheduled maintenance and servicing were completed almost entirely as planned.

Average monthly income for employees rose to VNĐ13.5 million, an increase of 26 per cent from 2024, the company said, citing improved living standards and motivation for staff.

In 2025, the operator identified three major breakthroughs: strong growth in ridership and revenue, restructuring of its organisational apparatus, and implementation of Resolution 57-NQ/TW (on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation) through the upgrade of its electronic ticketing system using biometric technology, digital identification and cashless payments.

The digital transformation included the successful rollout of electronic identification, authentication and biometric recognition on the Cát Linh–Hà Đông metro line from December 5, 2025. The technology has since been piloted on the Nhổn–Hà Nội Station line (Metro Line 3) from January 1, 2026, with the two lines expected to operate in an integrated manner from February 1.

Looking ahead to 2026, Hà Nội Metro said its priorities include safe and efficient operation of existing lines, gradually mastering core technologies, streamlining its organisational model in tandem with digital transformation, and improving infrastructure utilisation while preparing to receive new lines.

The company aims to increase passenger volume and ticket revenue by more than 11 per cent this year, with service revenue expected to exceed VNĐ30 billion, as it works towards becoming a modern, professional and sustainable metro operator in the capital city. —VNS