The proposed route map and stations of the city’s Metro Line No 2.— Photo courtesy of the HCM City Management Authority of Urban Railways

Land acquisition, compensation payments and resettlement for affected households should be completed by the end of July so that construction on HCM City’s second metro line can begin, city officials have said.

The Metro Line No 2 will connect Ben Thanh Market in District 1 and Tham Luong Depot in District 12.

Bui Xuan Cuong, head of HCM City Urban Railway Management Board (MAUR), said that construction of the metro line No 2 would start at the end of the year.

Nearly 99 per cent of site clearance has been completed in districts 10 and Tan Binh. Site clearance for the line has reached 78.61 per cent, with 474 out of 603 affected households already vacating their lands, according to MAUR.

More than 250,000sq.m of land is needed for the line. As many as 121 households have to move to make way for the line.

The design of the metro system networks, lines and stations has been selected and will be submitted for authorised assessment.

MAUR will invite bids for contractors and begin relocation of technical infrastructure (such as telecom, electricity and water infrastructure and drains) from now to the end of the year.

Metro Line 2, which runs across districts 1, 3, 10, 12, Tan Binh and Tan Phu, has a total length of 11.3 km, including a 2km elevated section and 9.3km underground section, and 11 stations, including 10 underground and one elevated.

The line will cost VND47.89 trillion (US$2 billion), sourced from Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds and reciprocal capital from the city.

The line is scheduled to be completed in 2026. It will connect with the Metro No.1 line.

About 86 per cent of the work on Metro No.1 has been completed. It is the first of six metro lines planned by the city. It was expected to begin commercial operation by the end of 2021 but has been postponed until next year due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. — VNS