Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on Monday attended a groundbreaking ceremony for five urban railway lines and three rental housing projects in Hanoi, marking what city authorities described as the capital’s largest-ever combined infrastructure and social welfare initiative.

The five newly launched metro lines - numbered 1, 2, 8, 10 and 14 - will span approximately 303.5 kilometers. The network is designed to connect central Hanoi with Noi Bai International Airport, Hoa Lac, Co Loa, Ocean Park and surrounding satellite urban areas.

The projects are expected to lay the foundation for a high-capacity public transport system, helping reduce traffic congestion while supporting transit-oriented development (TOD), a planning model that integrates housing, commercial activities and public transport around major transit hubs.

The simultaneous launch of the projects is being viewed as a shift from isolated infrastructure investments toward the synchronized development of a comprehensive urban transport network.

The five routes form part of Hanoi’s long-term plan to develop 18 urban railway lines with a combined length of approximately 979 kilometers.

The Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board has been assigned as the project investor. The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) package will be undertaken by a consortium comprising Vinhomes Joint Stock Company and VinSpeed High-Speed Rail Investment and Development Joint Stock Company, both members of Vingroup. Authorities said the consortium was selected based on its technical capacity and access to partnerships with leading international companies.

Alongside the metro projects, Hanoi also launched three rental housing developments following directives from Prime Minister Le Minh Hung aimed at expanding affordable housing options for workers and middle- and low-income households.

The Hanoi People’s Committee has approved the use of public investment capital generated from social housing obligations paid by commercial housing developers to finance two rental housing projects.

The first project is located in the Phap Van - Tu Hiep residential area in Yen So Ward. It will provide 1,176 apartments with a total investment of approximately VND1.396 trillion (about USD53.7 million).

The second project is located in the old-quarter resettlement housing area in Viet Hung Ward. It will include 1,166 apartments with total investment of VND3.563 trillion (about USD137.1 million).

At the Phap Van - Tu Hiep development, three residential towers - A2, A3 and A4 - are planned. Towers A2 and A3 are being converted from student accommodation into rental housing and are expected to be completed this year. Tower A4 will be newly constructed and is scheduled to enter operation in 2027.

The Viet Hung rental housing project is being built by Vinhomes and is expected to be completed between this year and 2028.

In addition, Him Lam Joint Stock Company has proposed the Him Lam Long Bien mixed-use housing project. More than 11 hectares of land will be allocated for approximately 6,000 apartments with total investment estimated at VND29 trillion (about USD1.12 billion).

Around 4,000 units within the development will be designated for long-term rental. The rental housing component is expected to be completed and put into operation by the fourth quarter of 2028.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has identified rental housing as a strategic segment of Vietnam’s housing market. He has called on Hanoi to take the lead in developing rental housing solutions to meet the needs of a broad section of the population.

If the pilot mechanisms prove effective, the government is expected to consider expanding similar policies nationwide.

Thanh Hue