Vietnam’s First Metro, Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Line 1, Opens to Traffic

– Contributing to the Resolution of Traffic Congestion, Air Pollution, and Other Social Issues –

Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Line 1 (MRT: Mass Rapid Transit Line 1), in which ID&E Holdings (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Hiroaki Shinya) and its subsidiary Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Haruhiko Kanai, hereafter referred to as “Nippon Koei”) participated as a consultant, officially began operations on December 22, 2024.

The Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Line 1 has been designated as the top-priority line to address social challenges including severe traffic congestion and air pollution exacerbated by rapid population growth. Development of the line began in 2008 with Japanese ODA loans. As the first urban railway in Vietnam to include underground sections, it features 3 underground stations in the central area and 11 elevated stations. The line spans 19.7 kilometers, connecting Ben Thanh Station in the city center to Suoi Tien Station in the northeastern area in approximately 30 minutes.

For Nippon Koei, this is the first large-scale project that marks its full-scale entry into the urban railway sector. As the lead company in the consultant joint venture, Nippon Koei has been involved in the entire project since its inception in 2008. This included basic design, detailed design (one station), tender assistance, construction supervision, and pre-opening training for all aspects of the line, from civil engineering, architecture, electrical systems, tracks, signaling, to communications and rolling stock. Following the opening, Nippon Koei will serve as an operational advisor to the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Line 1 Operating Company (HURC1) for five years, continuing to ensure safe and comfortable operations of the railway.

To commemorate the opening, an inauguration ceremony was held on December 22 in Ho Chi Minh City. The event was attended by Mr. Naoki Ito, Japan’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Vietnam; Mr. Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the People’s Committee; Mr. Yuichi Kanno, Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam Office; and numerous other stakeholders.

Nippon Koei will continue leveraging its expertise and knowledge to contribute to the development of public transportation systems in Vietnam and around the world.

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