The proposed route map and stations of HCM City’s Metro Line No 2. Photo courtesy of the HCM City Management Authority of Urban Railways

HCM CITY — District authorities in HCM City have been urged to complete land acquisition, compensation payment and resettlement by the end of June for the metro line No 2 between District 1 and District 12.

Bùi Xuân Cường, head of the city Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR), said: “Districts must ensure land is handed over by June so that construction can begin next year.

“District 12 has paid compensation to all affected households and handed over 100 per cent of the lands needed for the project.”

Other districts like 1, 2, 3, 10, and Tân Bình, and Tân Phú plan to complete handover by the end of this month, he said.

District authorities have recently sent detailed compensation plans to affected households, he said. 

The city People’s Committee in March approved compensation rates in districts 1, 10, 12, Tân Bình and Tân Phú. 

According to Trần Lưu Quang, deputy secretary of the city Party Committee, a total of 251,136sq.m of land is needed for the metro, and 602 households will be affected. Of them, 121 will have to move. 

So far, 108 households have received compensation and 53 have already vacated their lands, he said.

Cường said that last month the city People’s Committee approved a proposal by the Department of Construction to relocate telecom, electricity and water infrastructure and drains to make way for the project.

Metro line No 2 will have 10 stations and run more than 11km including around 9.2km underground. 

Once completed, it will connect the Thủ Thiêm new urban area in District 2 with the city’s downtown north-western areas.

It is now expected to become operational in 2026 after being delayed by two years. 

Its cost estimate has nearly doubled from the original VNĐ26 trillion (US$1.1 billion) to VNĐ47.89 trillion ($2.05 billion).

Meanwhile, the final technical inspection of trains that will run on the first metro route between District 1 and Suối Tiên Theme Park in District 9 has been completed in Japan. The trains are now ready to be delivered to Việt Nam, according to MAUR.

Construction of the line No 1 will be sped up this year so that it can begin commercial operation by the end of 2021, according to city authorities.

To run 19.7km, it is expected to cost VNĐ46.3 trillion ($1.97 billion). — VNS