Ho Chi Minh City's first metro line is expected to start commercial operation in July 2024, Nguyen Trung Hieu, deputy chief of the metro line management board, said at a press conference on Thursday.

Hieu reported that the project is now some 96 percent complete and was expected to be completed at the end of this year.

Ho Chi Minh City authorities will check some items, make payments for completed components, train personnel for the metro commercial operation, assess the system’s safety, install electromechanical systems, and complete footbridges linking to elevated stations of the route between January and June next year.

Thus, tickets for the metro line will be offered from July next year.

Earlier, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport had planned a fare of VND12,000-18,000 (US$0.5-0.7) per single trip for the metro line.

In particular, tickets would cost VND12,000 for passengers traveling less than five kilometers, and VND18,000 for over 15 kilometers.

Long-term fare cards will also be available at VND40,000 ($1.6) per day, VND90,000 ($3.7) per three days, and VND260,000 ($10.6) per month.

Metro line No. 1, including 2.6 kilometers of underground railways and 17.1 kilometers of elevated tracks, carries a price tag of VND43.7 trillion ($1.8 billion).

The line has 17 trains, each consisting of three cars and designed to run at up to 110 kilometers per hour above the ground and 80 kilometers per hour underground.

Each Japanese-manufactured train is 61.5 meters long and can carry 930 passengers, including 147 seating and 783 standing guests.

Work on the project started in August 2012 and was initially scheduled to be completed in 2018.

The project was delayed many times before the prime minister required Ho Chi Minh City to complete it by the last quarter of this year.

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