While residents celebrate launch of its first metro line, experts say short-term impact on traffic may be limited

A train of the Line 1 of the HCMC Metro is seen past residential buildings in Ho Chi Minh City on Dec. 22, 2024. When construction began in 2012, authorities promised the line would be up and running in five years.

Hitachi Rail has successfully delivered a comprehensive electrical and mechanical system for Ho Chi Minh City's inaugural urban railway Line 1 in Vietnam, which commenced operations on 22 December. Claimed to be the first urban railway in Ho Chi Minh City,

Ho Con Rua (Turtle Lake) is a popular check-in hotspot for Tet-themed photos in Ho Chi Minh City. Ngoc Huyen and Thu Tham, students at the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, rush to the Reunification Palace for photos. Ho Con Rua (Turtle Lake) in Ho Chi Minh City is a background for Tet-themed photos.

The Metro Line No. 1 of Ho Chi Minh City running from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien will be open for free for one month after its official inauguration ceremony on December 22. In the following days, the stations are open from 5am to 10pm. every day, with trains running every 8 to 12 minutes. There are 31 bus routes connecting to the Metro Line No. 1.

Years of start-and-stop construction means the seemingly new ticket vending machines are partly obsolete: they accept coins that are no longer in circulation.