Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro line, which runs from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City, a district-level administrative unit of the southern metropolis, is set to begin commercial operations in December, now fueling locals’ eagerness to take a ride.

The municipal Department of Transport, the Ho Chi Minh City Management Board for Urban Railways (MAUR), the investor of the metro line project, and other units have stepped up their efforts to complete all relevant procedures and tasks to put the highly-anticipated link into service.

Huynh Thi Thanh Thuy, a local living near Hanoi Highway in Thu Duc City, said that she had witnessed the day-and-night test run of trains on an elevated section of the metro line over the past few days.

“My family members are looking forward to riding the metro trains to school and the workplace,” she said.

“My children are eager for the modern and safe mode of transportation.

“They kept asking me when they could board those metro trains."

Phan Cong Bang, head of the MAUR, said that the first metro line is over 99 percent complete.

The remaining tasks include fire safety inspection, system safety assessment, and the approval from the State Council for Acceptance of Construction Projects.

All the components and procedures related to the project will be completed by December 15 so that the link can start its commercial operations no later than the end of the month, said Bang.

Trains embarked on a test run at full design capacity through 14 stations between November 11 and 17.

All the stations and utilities of the line currently are ready for its operations.

Hundreds of university students and residents became special guests on these trains during a recent test run.

The trains feature free Wi-Fi and a notification system that alerts passengers as they approach or arrive at each station, with all station doors fully automated.

The metro system operates 17 trains, each with a capacity of 930 passengers, including 147 seated and 783 standing.

The fleet of trains, with each consisting of three carriages, were manufactured in Japan and were designed to have the maximum speed of 110km per hour along the elevated section and 80km an hour along the underground section.

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