In Vietnam, Hanoi inaugurates its first metro

It took ten years to complete the Cat Linh-Ha Dong line. Hanoi, which has more than five million mopeds, inaugurated its first urban rail line on Saturday, November 6, as authorities strive to reduce traffic and pollution, which increasingly weigh on the Vietnamese capital.

After years of delay and construction costs nearly doubling, a train left Cat Linh station, near the city center, on its first 13-kilometer journey to the densely populated east.

A family commutes in the city's first urban metro along the Cat Linh-Ha Dong Line in Hanoi on November 6, 2021.

Passengers arrived early to strike a pose in front of the shiny new train, before young children on board could gaze in wonder through the large windows at the speeding Vietnamese capital.

Decongest traffic

The buzzing metropolitan area of ​​nine million people is known the world over for its dense mobs of mopeds that fill the city streets and make life perilous for pedestrians attempting to cross.

Police say the number of two-wheelers on the road has increased from two million in 2008 to 5.7 million in 2020. The number of cars has also increased from 185,000 to 700,000 during the same period. Locals often get stuck in traffic for hours, and few choose to take the bus, the only public transport option available so far.

On board Hanoi's first urban metro, November 6, 2021.

According to Hanoi’s environmental protection department, traffic is also a major source of air pollution in the capital. During the winter months, the Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently reaches levels “Unhealthy”.

The railway will “Decongest traffic, limit the number of private vehicles, reduce environmental pollution and help change travel in city centers”, said Vu Hong Son of the Ministry of Transport on Saturday.

Construction of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong line has been repeatedly halted due to safety concerns and spiraling costs that have driven spending to nearly $ 900 million (€ 780,000 million) per compared to the original budget of $ 550 million.

Nine additional lines are planned for Hanoi by 2030.

Read also Alstom won a contract to build a metro line in Hanoi

The World with AFP

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