500 employees ready for Metro Line 1's opening day

At Long Binh Depot (Thu Duc City) - the "brain" of Metro Line 1, the atmosphere of preparation for the commercial operation day on December 22 is very urgent.

Technicians inspect Metro Line 1 train at Long Binh Depot. Photo: Minh Quan

This is where the Control Center (OCC), train parking lot, repair and maintenance system of equipment and rails are concentrated. High-pressure tasks In the central control room, a working day of team leader Le Van Vinh and his teammates begins with checking operations on the computer screen. The large room has 5 rows of computers and large screens displaying the operating status of the entire system. "All information from the train driver, stations and electrical systems must be fully checked and confirmed before creating the train schedule. On time, the first train will leave Long Binh depot, heading to Ben Thanh station" - Mr. Vinh shared.

Inside the Control Center of Metro Line 1 located at Long Binh Depot. Photo: Minh Quan

In the control center there are 5 rows of computers, each row has 1-2 staff in charge of each stage. Photo: Minh Quan

Sitting next to Vinh, Nguyen Thi Mong Tuyen - a traffic controller on the entire route - did not take her eyes off the computer screen. She closely monitored the distance, speed, and direction of the train through the camera system. "When there is any problem, I have to handle it immediately to ensure that it does not affect the entire system," Tuyen said. Although she is used to this job, Tuyen was still nervous when she first performed the operation on the test train. "At that time, my heart beat fast, but the greatest joy was that everything ran smoothly and safely," Tuyen laughed.

System of total screens to monitor remote components and equipment such as: rails, electricity, signal lights, traffic... Photo: Minh Quan

Dedicated people A few hundred meters from the control center, Pham Xuan Tu - a train driver - starts his working day by reporting the train number, running plan and checking for alcohol concentration. Then, he receives the key, necessary equipment and goes to the train yard. Before departure, Tu meticulously checks each wheel, signal light, and joint of the train cars. This process lasts about 40 minutes. "If even one light bulb doesn't work, we immediately change to another train," said Tu. A shift of Tu includes 4 trips from Long Binh to Ben Thanh and vice versa, each trip takes about 60 minutes. Although he can't remember exactly how many trips he has made during the training and testing process, he always keeps in mind the biggest goal of ensuring safety and satisfying passengers.

Maintenance staff must check each part of the ship in detail to ensure there are no problems. Photo: Minh Quan

Located in the middle of Long Binh Depot is the Metro No. 1 Train Maintenance and Repair Center. After each trip, trains are brought back for a detailed inspection. Technicians not only focus on checking the parts under the train, but also conduct a thorough inspection inside and on the train roof, ensuring that all equipment is working perfectly and without problems.

Panorama of Long Binh Depot. Photo: Minh Quan

Ms. Van Thi Huu Tam - Deputy Director of Urban Railway Company No. 1 (HURC1) - said that all 500 employees including: 291 station staff, 9 station managers, 61 train driving technicians, 24 dispatch technicians, 64 maintenance staff... have been thoroughly trained. According to Ms. Tam, after the trial run at 100% capacity (from November 11 to 17), all train service staff are still working to be truly proficient when officially serving customers.

Metro Line 1 will be divided into two phases of operation. In Phase 1 (first 6 months), Metro Line 1 will operate 200 trips/day with 9 trains, from 5am to 10pm. Train intervals during peak hours are 8 minutes, and 12 minutes during normal hours. In Phase 2, it is expected to increase to 276 trips/day. Operating hours last from 5am to 11:30pm, with 5-8 minute intervals during peak hours and 10 minutes during normal hours, and 15 minutes during off-peak hours. Each train trip lasts 29 minutes, with a route of 19.7km from Ben Thanh Station (District 1) to Suoi Tien Station (Thu Duc City). Source: https://laodong.vn/cong-doan/500-nhan-su-san-sang-cho-ngay-metro-so-1-lan-banh-1432281.ldo