Ground has been broken in Hanoi’s Tu Liem District for the section of Nhon-Hanoi railway station, the capital’s 3rd suburban route.
The 12.5-kilometer route, which will pass through densely populated areas of the capital like the districts of Hoan Kiem, Dong Da, Ba Dinh, and Cau Giay, will meet the burgeoning transport needs of suburban dwellers, encouraging them to use public instead of private transport.
It will take 20 minutes to cover the distance including the time taken for ticketing procedures.
The route will also be linked with other rail and bus routes.
It will have a capacity of 900-1,200 and travel at a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour.
There will be four stations in the four-kilometer underground section.
The main depot will be built on a 15.5-hectare area on the road leading to the Hanoi University of Industry.
The VND18 trillion (US$925.5 million) project, funded partly by foreign loans and, will use European underground construction technology, while the tunnels will be built using prefabricated concrete blocks that will not harm houses in the vicinity, Nguy Nhu Nguyen, the head of the project, said.
It is expected to be operational by 2015.
The first train route in Hanoi will run between Ngoc Hoi in the northeast and Nhu Quynh the south, passing through Yen Vien and other downtown areas.
The second, from Noi Bai to Thuong Dinh through the downtown area, will be the most vital route.
The fourth will run between Dong Anh and Me Linh, connecting other urban railway development projects.
The fifth will run between the southern part of West Lake to Lang-Hoa Lac to connect downtown with areas located along the Lang-Hoa Lac corridor.
