HCM City People’s Committee chairman Nguyễn Thành Phong visits metro construction sites and met HCM City Management Authority for Urban Railways officials to discuss difficulties related to the ongoing construction. VNA/VNS.Photo Thanh Vũ

HCM CITY — HCM City’s first metro line between Bến Thành Market in District 1 and Suối Tiên Theme Park in Thủ Đức city will start trial operations at the end of this year as scheduled, according to its operator.

The HCM City Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) said construction is 83 per cent complete.  

Huỳnh Hồng Thanh, its deputy head, on Tuesday apprised the city People’s Committee chairman, Nguyễn Thành Phong, who was inspecting a metro construction site, about the situation.

MAUR is assessing the impact of COVID-19 on construction progress and will report to the chairman by June if there is a likely delay.

Thanh said construction is progressing as scheduled, and electricity will be provided to the Bình Thái elevated station by March 27.

Four more trains will arrive in the city by July, he said.

Construction of the City Opera House and Ba Son stations will be 99 per cent finished in June and the central station will be completed in November.  

Bùi Xuân Cường, the head of MAUR, said the city should allow the private sector to invest in projects on building streets near river to link to the Ba Son station.   

Phong instructed the Department of Transport and other relevant agencies to quickly resolve problems related to the construction to ensure the metro operates as scheduled.

It should have comprehensive and concerted plans to exploit the facilities available at stations efficiently, he said.

Engineers will be trained from July 20, with 59 people signed up so far. The No 1 Urban Railway Co. Ltd. is currently accepting applications for other positions.

Built at a cost of US$2.05 billion, the 19.7km line has 14 stations, three underground and some elevated, and runs through districts 1 and Bình Thạnh, Thủ Đức city and neighbouring Bình Dương Province. VNS