More than 150 trees in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been trimmed, chopped down or relocated to provide space for the construction of urban railway and metro projects.

In Hanoi, the municipal Department of Construction has allowed the Management Board of Hanoi Urban Railway (MRB) to remove some 109 trees along Kim Ma Street in Ba Dinh District to build a railway section.

As observed by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday, 106 trees planted were removed while two other dead trees were chopped down. A tree with little interference to the construction area was trimmed.

The trees, including lagerstroemia, flamboyant, khaya, and others, are set to be brought to the Van Giang plant nursery in the northern province of Hung Yen for preservation.

The railway project will be eight kilometers long, connecting the Hanoi Railway Station and several locations across the Vietnamese capital.

In Ho Chi Minh City, more than 50 trees at the 23/9 Park in District 1 were also relocated to other parks in Phu Nhuan and Go Vap District to give way to the building of the subway project.

The work was carried out on Wednesday morning by the management board of metro route No.1, connecting Ben Thanh Market in District 1 with Suoi Tien Park in District 9, and the Ho Chi Minh City Greenery Praks Company.