Ho Chi Minh City will add nearly 100 kilometers of metro lines to its planning if it gets the relevant agencies’ approval, said director of the municipal Department of Transport Tran Quang Lam.

Lam delivered a presentation on the city’s urban railway development plan in the 'Residents Ask-The City Answers' program, centered around 'Special Mechanisms and Policies for Ho Chi Minh City’s Development: Responsibility – Actions,' held on Sunday.

Lam said the city wants to comprehensively develop metro lines. Under the current planning, the southern metropolis has planned 220 kilometers of metro lines.

The figure is expected to rise to 300, Lam added.

“The city will determine new routes and submit the metro line development plan at the end of this year for execution next year,” he said.

Regarding the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) model, the official said that other countries have employed the model for a long time. 

Ho Chi Minh City has targeted the deployment of the model for years but it was not realized until the National Assembly passed Resolution 98 with special policies for the city’s development, allowing it to integrate urban development with high-capacity public transport.

The city can pilot the TOD model near stations of metro lines and road junctions along Beltway No. 3, which connects Ho Chi Minh City and three neighboring provinces—Dong Nai, Binh Duong, and Long An.

The city has also established teams to study and review planned sites for the TOD model development.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has coordinated with districts to review land lots within a radius of 500-1,000 meters from metro stations and road junctions along Beltway No. 3.

The agency and the Department of Planning and Architecture have jointly established criteria for zoning off areas that need adjusting.

The Department of Transport is reviewing possible sites to formulate projects and draw up a plan to take back land to seek the People’s Council’s approval, and set up separate site clearance projects, Lam shared.

At a conference late last year, a representative of the World Bank pledged that the bank was willing to support Ho Chi Minh City in accessing capital for metro line projects and sharing experience from other countries.

Ho Chi Minh City has planned to build eight metro lines and three tramways or monorails. These systems with a total length of 220 kilometers require an estimated investment of nearly US$25 billion.

At present, the city’s first metro line, running from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City, and second metro line, linking Ben Thanh Market and Tham Luong Depot in District 12, are under construction. 

The prefeasibility report for the first phase of the metro line No. 5 project from Bay Hien Intersection in Tan Binh District to the Saigon Bridge in Binh Thanh District is being appraised. 

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