On August 30, the Urban Railway Management Board (MAUR) coordinated with Urban Railway Company No. 1 (HURC1), NJPT Consulting Joint Venture and contractors to organize a test run of the entire metro line No. 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) directly operated by Vietnamese train technicians.

There are a total of 12 train drivers, 6 dispatchers, 9 managers and 74 station staff operating 6 trains, running a test run from Ben Thanh station to Suoi Tien bus station with a length of 19.7km and vice versa.

According to MAUR, this is the first time Vietnamese train technicians have directly operated trains on the entire route under the supervision of Japanese experts from the NJPT Consulting Joint Venture.

"This is a milestone marking a step closer to the official operation of metro line 1" - MAUR representative emphasized.

z5781960958067_6759b7a00a864da82a3209aaeb273e85.jpg
Vietnamese train driver technician first operated metro train No. 1 running the entire route. Photo: HS

Metro Line 1 is the city's first urban railway project, so training train drivers, operations, maintenance and repair staff requires a lot of time.

Previously, HURC1's train technicians had 17 months of theoretical training at the Railway College, short-term study in Japan, and on simulators and operating procedures.

"This practical training on the ship is an opportunity for students to practice the knowledge they have learned and gain practical experience on the very ship that will be put into operation," said a MAUR representative.

According to the plan, the practical training process for HURC1 Company employees will end in September with the following contents: driving trains on the main line in ATO and ATP Normal mode; shunting trains in the Depot; handling emergency situations; and checking trains before departure.

On that basis, the staff who have completed the training will participate in the trial run in October and November, with an independent assessment by the French System Safety Consultant (BVT).

MAUR said that based on the results of the trial operation assessment and the System Safety Assessment Report of the BVT Consultant, the investor will submit the dossier to the Railway Authority for safety assessment, and to the State Acceptance Council to complete the acceptance and put the project into operation.

w-metro-311-2.jpg
Metro line 1 is expected to operate in the fourth quarter of 2024. Photo: TK.

Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien Metro is the first urban railway project in Ho Chi Minh City, with a total investment of more than 43,700 billion VND, connecting the city center to the eastern gateway. The entire route has 11 elevated stations and 3 underground stations.

Ho Chi Minh City is making efforts to put metro line 1 into commercial operation by the end of this year.

Proposal to temporarily suspend appraisal of metro line 5 worth more than VND 40,000 billion of Ho Chi Minh City

Proposal to temporarily suspend appraisal of metro line 5 worth more than 40,000 billion VND of Ho Chi Minh City

The Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board has just proposed to temporarily suspend the appraisal of the pre-feasibility study report of metro line 5 project.
Construction status of 5 parking lots along metro line 1 in Ho Chi Minh City

Construction status of 5 parking lots along metro line 1 in Ho Chi Minh City

Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) is expected to be put into commercial operation by the end of this year. Therefore, the implementation of projects to enhance accessibility and organize passenger connections is being accelerated.
Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro train runs through Tet

Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro train runs through Tet

The Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro train will run through the Lunar New Year to complete testing of the remaining system equipment, moving towards commercial operation in 2024.