HCMC to start construction of metro line 2 in December

TPO - HCMC Metro Line No. 2 (Ben Thanh - Tham Luong) is more than 11km long, passing through districts 1, 3, 10, 12, Tan Binh and Tan Phu, and is expected to start construction in December this year.

The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just issued a plan to invest in 355km of metro within 10 years, implementing Resolution 188 of the National Assembly on piloting specific mechanisms and policies to develop the urban railway system in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In particular, Ho Chi Minh City aims to soon complete procedures to start construction of metro line 2 (Ben Thanh - Tham Luong).

Specifically, it is expected that by June 2025, the relevant units will complete the survey, front-end design (FEED) and feasibility study documents.

The pre-feasibility study report will be appraised in August 2025 and submitted to the City People's Committee for approval in September 2025.

The selection of the construction contractor will take place in October 2025 and construction will start in December 2025.

HCMC to start construction of metro line 2 in December photo 1

Perspective of technical infrastructure project of metro line 2, Ho Chi Minh City.

The total investment of HCMC Metro Line 2 project is estimated at nearly 48,000 billion VND. The project is over 11 km long (of which the underground section is over 9 km long; the elevated section is nearly 2 km long) with 10 stations (9 underground stations, 1 elevated station) passing through districts 1, 3, 10, 12, Tan Binh and Tan Phu.

According to the initial plan, the HCMC metro line 2 project will be invested with ODA loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the German Reconstruction Bank (KfW), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and counterpart funds from the budget. ODA loans account for the majority, with nearly VND37,500 billion.

However, due to the slow implementation of the project, the arrangement of ODA loans for the project changed compared to the original plan because the sponsors adjusted the conditions and funding process.

In November 2024, the Party Committee of the City People's Committee agreed on the policy of using the city's budget to continue implementing the metro line 2 project; at the same time, adding synchronous connection works of metro line 1 and metro line 2 at Ben Thanh station area to the metro line 2 project.

Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board (investor) has sent a document requesting the City People's Committee to invite representatives from relevant ministries and branches to participate in the appraisal team to select foreign consulting contractors and EPC contractors (design, construction, equipment supply) for metro project No. 2.

According to the investor's plan, the project investment preparation procedures will be completed by the end of 2025. On December 20 this year, Ho Chi Minh City will start the initial infrastructure construction package at Tham Luong depot. By April 2026, the EPC package (design, construction, equipment supply) for the entire project will be deployed.

Ho Chi Minh City's second metro project is expected to be completed in October 2030 and put into operation by the end of 2030.