Thousands of people queued in the weekend to try HCMC’s first metro line, which took over a decade to complete.
On the mornings of Saturday and Sunday, the Ben Thanh Station in District 1 was filled with passengers, waiting to cross the ticket gates.
The Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Line began, which began operation Dec. 22 after 17 years of approval and 12 years of construction, spans 19.7 kilometers with 14 stations, including three underground. It connects downtown HCMC to its eastern gateway.
Tickets are free of charge for the first month of operation.
Le Van Khanh and his wife in District 10 waited to travel on the city’s first metro line.
“I did not think it would be this busy. Queue time is long, but I am excited to get on board.”
An average passenger had to wait for around 30 minutes to board the train. Tickets ranged between VND6,000- 20,0000 ($0.24-0.79).
A large crowd rushed on the train whenever the doors were opened. Staff had to use speakers to ensure order.
Each car was completely filled.
Nguyen Thi Thuy (in white) traveled by motorbike for nearly 15 kilometers to board the train.
“It is so crowded, but the ride was smooth. I plan to use the metro line frequently.”
The line has 17 trains, each of three cars capable of carrying a total of 930 customers.
There are around 200 trips per day between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. Trips are 8-12 minutes apart.
It takes around 30 minutes to travel between the beginning and the end of the line.
Nguyen Tat Dat and his son traveled from the neighboring province of Binh Duong to try the train, taking advantage of the weekend.
Tickets cost between VND6,000 and VND19,000 per trip.
Many parents held tight to their kids amid a large crowd.
Thanh Lam traveled 20 kilometers from southern Dong Nai Province.
“I want to see if I can include the metro in my list of daily commute transportation means to rely less on private vehicles.”
An elevated station was seen with a large number of passengers.
Some of them took photos after leaving the train.
Over 175,000 passengers tried the metro line on its launching day, according to the operator Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railways No. 1 Co Ltd.
