Ho Chi Minh City residents excitedly experience the metro before its official operation date

Hundreds of people in Ho Chi Minh City excitedly experience metro line No. 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien before its official operation date.

Hundreds of people in Ho Chi Minh City excitedly experience metro line No. 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien before its official operation date.

On December 12, the atmosphere at Ben Thanh station - an important hub of metro line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) was bustling with people coming in and out of the station to experience the entire line before the official operation day.

This is the final testing phase of metro line 1 before it officially goes into operation (December 22). In the photo, people move from the ground to the first basement of Ben Thanh station. Currently, the elevator is not in use, so people move down the stairs.

The highlight of Ben Thanh Station is the 6m high skylight with a diameter of 21.6m, designed in the shape of a delicate and beautiful lotus flower. This is where everyone stops to take souvenir photos before boarding the metro.

At around 10:15 a.m., the first metro train departs from Ben Thanh Station to Suoi Tien Station, the journey takes about 30 minutes. During the trip, the train stops at stations for about 30 seconds to pick up and drop off passengers. With such short stops, passengers need to be ready and quick to get on or off the train.

Inside the metro train, two rows of seats are arranged along both sides, creating an airy space for customers standing in the middle. The seats are neatly designed, with bright colors, bringing a modern and comfortable feeling. In particular, the air conditioning on the metro is cool, making people experience it very enjoyable.

During the 20km journey, passengers on the metro train can observe Ho Chi Minh City from a completely new angle, from above. The train passes through many prominent areas of the city such as Landmark 81 building, Suoi Tien amusement park, Saigon bridge, modern urban areas... In the photo, many people take the opportunity to record the moments of their first experience with the metro in Ho Chi Minh City.

Kim Sang (27 years old) said that this was the first time she experienced the metro, so she felt very new and excited. According to her, the addition of a metro line in Ho Chi Minh City not only helps people move more conveniently but also contributes to reducing traffic congestion, creating a modern look for the city. "The metro is really enjoyable, fast, no traffic jams and very cool. I believe that many people in the city will use the metro to move when the line is put into operation," said Ms. Sang.

To Van Tien, metro line 1 driver, said he was very happy to drive the train to take people to experience the line before its operation. Currently, all train drivers of the line are confident and ready to operate the metro line in the best way to serve the people.

According to the plan, from December 13 to 21, Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Company Limited (HURC1) will enter the final test run with 200 trips per day. The test run time starts from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. with a frequency of 8-12 minutes/trip. This is the final comprehensive test before Ho Chi Minh City's first metro line goes into commercial operation.

This final testing phase will evaluate factors such as technical systems, train performance, coordination between operating departments, and smoothness in handling real-life situations, best preparing for the official operation day on December 22.

Metro Line 1 is nearly 20km long, including 11 elevated stations and 3 underground stations, with a total investment of more than 43,700 billion VND. During the first month of operation, people will be exempted from metro tickets and bus tickets connecting metro lines. Ho Chi Minh City also has a policy of supporting 100% of ticket prices for people with revolutionary contributions, people with disabilities, the elderly, and children under 6 years old when using public passenger transport services by train and bus.

---

Original link: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/nguoi-dan-tphcm-hao-hung-trai-nghiem-metro-truoc-ngay-van-hanh-chinh-thuc-192241212150600189.htm

According to Traffic Newspaper

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nguoi-dan-tphcm-hao-hung-trai-nghiem-metro-truoc-ngay-van-hanh-chinh-thuc-post1700194.tpo