Ministry of Transport endorses Metro Line 5

The Ministry of Transport has accepted plans for Metro No.5 and put them up for appraisal

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has submitted a document to the Ministry of Planning and Investment to collect opinion for the pre-feasibility report of Metro Lline 5 linking Van Cao district to Hoa Lac area.

According to the MoT, the project aligns with Hanoi's master plan by 2030 with a vision to 2050.

“In the context of traffic jams and heavy environmental pollution, developing the metro line to complete the urban transport network is necessary and will contribute to completing the public transport system for Hanoi,” the document noted.

The MoT asked Hanoi People’s Committee to clarify whether land funds can be allocated for stations, and evalue the impact of these stations on their surroundings.

The MoT commented to Hanoi People’s Committee that based on the implementation process of the existing metro lines, which have been delayed for a long time, the proposal to develop Line 5 is unfeasible.

According to the plan, the project is estimated to have a total investment capital of VND65.4 trillion ($2.84 billion) from Hanoi’s budget, including VND24.84 trillion ($1.08 billion) for construction and VND16.6 trillion ($721.74 million) for equipment and other costs.

The route would include 21 stations, six underground at Van Cao, Lieu Giai, Nguyen Chi Thanh, and Tran Duy Hung streets, as well as Ring Road 3, before moving above-ground for the remaining 15 stations.

Under the proposal, up to 40 trains would run on the line, each consisting of 4-6 carriages and hitting speeds of 120 kilometers per hour above-ground and 90 kilometers an hour underground.

Officials hope to begin construction in 2022 and wrap up work in 2026. However, Hanoi's first two metro lines have been under construction for years and still have no clear visibility on an opening date, with the Cat Linh-Ha Dong route being 99 per cent complete for well over a year now due to ongoing administrative issues and safety personnel not being able to enter Vietnam.

Hanoi’s Urban Transport Master Plan until 2030 with a vision to 2050 outlines the development of a core urban zone and additional satellite cities.

The metro system would serve as the backbone of this plan by connecting the inner zone to satellite cities, as well as other modes of public transport like the bus system.

According to the plan, the Hanoi metro system will run a total length of 417km, of which approximately 76km will be underground.