Passengers can enjoy free rides on Hanoi’s first metro line for 15 days after it officially comes into service, which, after numerous delays, is scheduled for late April.

The train runs on elevated tracks between Cat Linh Station and Yen Nghia Station. (Photo: Zing) 

The final touches are being put on Line 2A, where trains will run on 13.1 kilometres of elevated tracks between Cat Linh Station and Yen Nghia Station, said head of Hanoi Metro Vu Hong Truong on March 19.

He said the base fare between the two adjacent stations is VND7,000 (US$0.3), with each additional kilometre costing VND600.

The fare for the entire 13.1 kilometres is VND15,000 (US$0.65).

Passengers can take as many rides as they like with VND30,000 (US$1.29) for a single day and VND200,000 (US$8.6) for a month.

Truong said the fares will be discounted by half for students, workers at industrial parks and senior citizens, and by 30% for public servants and office workers when buying in collective tickets.

National contributors, people with disabilities and children under six years old are exempt from fares.

Hanoi’s transport regulation authority is also planning to alter a number of bus routes overlapping parts of Line 2A in order to maximise the capacity of the capital city’s first urban rail link.

At any rail station, there will be at least two bus routes to transport passengers to other areas of the city.

At the terminal station of Cat Linh, there are connections with bus routes 18, 23, 50, 99 and BRT01 while Yen Nghia Station is connected with routes 01, 37, 57, 62, 72, 89, 91, 102, CNG02, BRT01, 75 and 213.

Five more bus routes have also been planned with terminus at Yen Nghia station to serve passengers travelling to Hanoi’s suburban districts.

Nhan Dan