Ho Chi Minh City’s Management Board of Urban Railways (MBUR) has confirmed that South Korean consultants have completed a pre-feasibility study on the Metro Line No. 4B-1 project (the branch line to Tan Son Nhat International Airport).

“The project will be submitted to the government for investment policies by the first quarter of 2017, with the feasibility study to be conducted next year and approval sought from the government,” a representative from MBUR told VET.

It is estimated that construction of the project may begin by the first quarter of 2019 and be completed by 2024. The route stretches 2 km underground from Hoang Van Thu Park to Tan Son Nhat and includes underground stations at both ends.

The project has total investment of around $250 million, in which loans from South Korea total about $224 million, with the remainder being reciprocal capital from the State budget.

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee previously sent a document to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) proposing technical support from the South Korean Government for the branch line from Cong Hoa Station (Metro Line No. 5) to Tan Son Nhat.

The 4B-1 branch line is excluded from the city’s planning for urban metro lines. Because of increasing numbers of people heading to the airport, the city has had to conduct new research on build the branch line. Once operational it is expected to meet high demand among passengers for travel from urban districts to Tan Son Nhat.

Metro Line No. 4B-1 is connected to Metro Line No. 5, which in turn is connected to Metro Lines No. 1, 2 and 3A.

According to the city’s metro line planning, to be approved by the government, there will be eight metro lines: Metro Line No. 1 from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien (20 km and perhaps extending to Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces), Metro Line No. 2 from Thu Thiem to the Cu Chi Urban Area (48 km), Metro Line No. 3A from Ben Thanh to Tan Kien (20 km), Metro Line No. 3B from Cong Hoa Intersection to Hiep Binh Phuoc (12 km), Metro Line No. 4A from Ben Cat Bridge to Hiep Phuoc Urban Area (36 km), Metro Line No. 4B from Gia Dinh Park Station to Lang Cha Ca Station (5.2 km), Metro Line No. 5 from Saigon Bridge to Can Giuoc Bus Station (17 km), and Metro Line No. 6 from Ba Queo to the Phu Lam Roundabout (6 km).

It was recently announced that Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has agreed to support Ho Chi Minh City in conducting research on extending Metro Line No. 1 to neighboring Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces. 

MBUR and a group with METI consisting of the Nippon Koei Company Limited and the Tokyu Corporation have proposed a detailed plan for the extension to the provinces.

VN Economic Times