VietNamNet Bridge – It is expected that in 2016-2017, the two first elevated light-rail routes in Hanoi will be put into operation to transport around 50,000 passengers per hour.
According to deputy director Hoang Kim Anh of the Hanoi railway project management unit, the two first elevated light-rail routes in Hanoi are Nhon – Hanoi railway station and Nam Thang Long – Tran Hung Dao.

The 12.5km Nhon – Hanoi railway station route or No. 3 route will use 1.435m wide rail. This route will have 4km running underground and 12 stations.

Total investment for this project is estimated at Eur783 million in 2008. Site clearance is underway, with nearly 700sq.m of land to be revoked to build three stations (Hanoi National University, Ha pagoda, Cau Giay) on the ground and nearly 9,000sq.m for building four underground stations (Kim Ma, Cat Linh, Van Mieu, Hanoi railway station).

This project will be kicked of later this year and be completed in 2016. In the first phase, this route will serve 18,000 passengers per hour.
The second route, Nam Thang Long – Tran Hung Dao, will be 11.5km long, including 8.5km underground, with seven stations. The route will start from Ciputra residential zone through Hoang Quoc Viet, Thuy Khue, Hang Ngang, Hang Bai and finish at Tran Hung Dao road.

With over VND19.5 trillion ($1.1 billion) of investment capital estimated in 2008, using Japanese loans, this project is scheduled to complete in 2017. By 2020, this route is expected to serve over 30,000 passengers per hour.

Anh said that the total investment for these projects will increase but he could not tell the specific number because his agency and consulting firm Systra are working on this.

PV