HCMC Metro:Groundbreaker

[jpatokal]

A monorail in Vietnam? (http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/travel/260307/travel_h.htm)
Ho Chi Minh City’s authorities and Berjaya (Malaysia) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 25 to invest in building a monorail in Ho Chi Minh City.

Under the deal, the city’s authorities will employ the Berjaya group to construct the monorail project, including a 24-kilometre route along Highway 50 – Nguyen Van Linh road – district 2 (called the route 2) and another 8.5-kilometre route from Quang Trung software park to Nguyen Oanh Road (the route 3).

In addition, the Berjaya group is also assigned to research and suggest other monorail routes.

Berjaya is a massive property conglomerate in Malaysia that operates hotels, shopping malls and even a small airline (http://berjaya-air.com), but AFAIK they have no links to Malaysia's two monorail developers, Monorail Malaysia or Metrail. Let's see how this pans out, Malaysian monorail companies have a terrible track record when it comes to converting MoUs into actual monorails... in fact, other than the KL Monorail itself (and the perma-stalled Putrajaya one), I'm not aware of a single project that has actually gone ahead.

[jpatokal]

And The Edge (http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.Article_93853de f-cb73c03a-2d59a300-bcbe1ffd) reveals that it's just a feasibility study after all:
Berjaya Corporation Bhd will undertake a feasibility study on the viability of operating, constructing and financing the construction of a monorail system in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

In a statement on March 27, Berjaya Corp said it had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport and Urban Public Works to undertake the study for a six-month period.

[GWR]

Germany finances metro routes in HCM City

21/11/2007 -- 7:29 PM
Berlin (VNA) - The Budget Committee of the German parliament (Bundestag) has approved an 85 million Euro interest-rate subsidy for Viet Nam to build metro routes in Ho Chi Minh City .

The financial aid was tabled for the Budget Committee’s consideration back in 2002.

Members of parliament from German parties, including the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Greens and the Free Democratic Party, hailed the funding as an important assistance to Viet Nam ’s development.

Erich Stather, State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, said Germany has annually provided Viet Nam with 39 million Euros in development assistance for economic development, environmental protection, human resource development and health care projects.-Enditem
http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/224142/Default.aspx

[Yappofloyd]

I was reading this article today in Hanoi and was surprised that the govt. is stating that metro construction will not begin until 2010! By the time the first coupl eof lines are finished, time the traffic and pollution issues will probably be reducing HCM residents lives by a number of years.

HCM City faces up to pollution, traffic woes, (12-12-2007), Vietnam News
HCM CITY— HCM City is concentrating its efforts on curbing environmental and traffic problems to pave the way for the city’s sustainable development.
During an open dialogue with the members of the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) in Viet Nam on Tuesday, the chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, Le Hoang Quan, said in the process of bringing Viet Nam out of poverty by 2010 and turning the country into an industrialised nation by 2020, HCM City also aimed to make itself an environmentally-friendly city.

Traffic problems

The city currently has 3.5 million motorbikes, 2 million bicycles and 150,000 cars. In addition, 400,000 motorbikes and 60,000 cars come into the city from other provinces every day. Quan said in a single day in November and December, 2,300 new motorbikes and 200 new cars were registered in the city. "Transportation is now the biggest problem facing the city," said Quan.
The new residency law allowed 230,000 people from other provinces across the country to register as permanent residents in HCM City this year. The new comers could bring the city’s population to 8.5 million next year.

Quan said the city would invest some $22 billion for medium and long-term projects to develop its transportation infrastructure. In 2009, for example, the city will see the start of construction on a $340 million beltway running from Tan Son Nhat Airport through Binh Loi Bridge to Cat Lai. Construction of projects for elevated trains, the first routes of the subway networks and the monorail system, will also kick off by 2010. Major tranportation infrastructure projects in the next three years include two more bridges linking District 2 with District 4 and District 7.

Quan also spoke about the relocation of ports in inner districts of Hiep Phuoc and Cat Lai, and the plan to dredge the Soai Rap River to accommodate large vessels of more than 50,000 tonnes. — VNS
Note: Edited

[GWR]

Interesting to compare this with the previous post, but in fairness there is a fairly graphic illustration in this article of why this project needs to be started earlier rather than later!:

Ho Chi Minh City readies for building of metro rail

03/01/2008 -- 10:52 AM
HCM City (VNA) – Construction of route No. 1 of the city’s underground rail system will begin this month, an official from the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Project Management Unit has said.

Tran Thi Anh Nguyet, deputy director of the city’s URPMU, said it would involve construction of the first station on the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien line in District 9’s Long Binh ward.

The 19.7 km route will run from Ben Thanh Market in District 1, along Dien Bien Phu street in Binh Thanh district and the Ha Noi Highway , to Long Binh station. The first 2.6 km from Ben Thanh market in the downtown area would be built underground, she said.

Nguyet said construction of the actual line would begin next year and the work would be completed in mid-2013.

According to the official, test runs were scheduled between July and December 2013 with the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien route becoming operational in early 2014.

She revealed that district agencies had begun paying compensation for houses and land taken over for the project, and the process would be completed this year.

The city’s Department of Transport and Public Works has said the lack of mass transport like metro was the reason for the worsening traffic congestion. With public transport meeting just five percent of the city’s transport needs, private transport, mainly private cars and motorbikes which account for the rest of the traffic, is not only blocking roads but also causing environmental problems.

Ha Noi Highways, which connects HCM City with Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces, faces serious traffic problems. Without a subway system, 5,000 buses are required daily to meet the rising demand for transportation on this route by 2010. This would mean a bus departing every 10 seconds.

Meanwhile, the metro will be able to carry some 526,000 passengers daily.

Nguyet said the metro would only cost a passenger 6,000 VND compared with 9,500 VND (at the current petrol price of 13,000 VND per litre) to travel the 20km between Ben Thanh and Suoi Tien by motorbike.

In April last year the city People’s Committee approved construction of the country’s first metro route between Ben Thanh and Suoi Tien at a cost of 1.1 billion USD, with 83 percent of it coming from Japanese aid.

The Japan Bank of International Cooperation will provide 904.7 million USD, and the city the rest. The city’s transport development master plan for the period until 2020 envisages developing three monorail lines totally measuring 37 km and six metro routes of a total length of 107 km at a cost of 5 to 6 billion USD. The city administration hopes the public transportation system will carry a quarter of the commuters by 2010 and 50 percent by 2020.-Enditem

http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/230248/Default.aspx

[Yappofloyd]

Construction of route No. 1 of the city’s underground rail system will begin this month, an official from the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Project Management Unit has said.

This is indeed great news if true? Whilst I am somewhat doubtful that actual construction will begin this month as I do not think that the line has been tendered, (I think designs are still being worked out and the official is being hopeful), any work on the ground thus year is surely better than waiting until 2010.

The growth of traffic has been huge in the last few years, especially motorbikes, and progression on the mass transit front should be prioritised. However, similar to Thailand, there is little vision on this front and different policy makers give differing infomation so it is hard to work out exactly what is going on.

[Yappofloyd]

Seem certain that the VNA story from 03/01 was incorrect as a number of Vietnam skyscraper member state that nothing has started and that land aquisition for the corridor has not even been completed.

Sound familiar?

[GWR]

HCM City subway plans get ODA

31/01/2008 -- 12:02 PM

HCM City (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has announced priority for five subway projects in Ho Chi Minh City to be built with Official Development Assistance (ODA).

The Government has assigned HCM City People’s Committee to co-operate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to raise additional funds for the projects.

The Prime Minister has also required the Ministry of Transport to work with HCM City on the project.

Until 2020, HCM City plans to build five subway routes with a total investment of more than 5 billion USD, aiming to reduce traffic congestion on city roads at a time when the city population is expected to be 13.5 million.

The first 19.7km Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien Route will be built with ODA funds from the Japanese Government.

The subway system is expected to cost a total of 5 billion USD, with six routes and 22 stations with the central station located at 23/9 Park, district 1.

Two routes will begin operation in 2010, which are expected to reduce the number of motorbikes on the streets by 25 percent.

The entire project will be finished by 2020, and should halve the number of motorbikes on the road.-Enditem
http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/234396/Default.aspx

[GWR]

Construction nears for HCM City’s first metro route

04/02/2008 -- 10:48 AM
HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City Chairman Le Hoang Quan has ordered preparations be made to break ground for the city’s first metro route on February 21 in Phuoc Long Ward, District 9.

The 19.7 km line, to stretch from Quach Thi Trang roundabout in District 1 to Suoi Tien bus station in District 9, will have 2.6 km developed underground and 17.1 km overland and cost more than 1 billion USD to be built.

It is expected to be put into service by 2013.-Enditem

http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/234830/Default.aspx

[GWR]

http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/234830/Default.aspx

Work to start on first metro route in HCM City

19/02/2008 -- 11:33 AM

HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City will kick off construction of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro route on February 21, said an official from the city’s Urban Railway Project Management Unit (URPMU).

According to URPMU Deputy Director Tran Thi Nguyet Anh, the 19.7 km route, which is the first among six metro lines to be built in the city, will run from the Ben Thanh Market in District 1, along Dien Bien Phu Street in Binh Thanh district and the Ha Noi Highway, to the Suoi Tien Station.

The first 2.6 km from the Ben Thanh Market in the downtown area will be built underground, she added.

The project has a total investment capital of nearly 1.1 billion USD, with 83 percent, close to 905 million USD, coming from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC).

Once operational in early 2014, the metro will be capable of carrying some 526,000 passengers per day.-Enditem


http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/236377/Default.aspx

[GWR]

http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/236377/Default.aspx

First metro project in Vietnam gets underway
Posted at 14h55, day 19 February, 2008

http://www.hanoitimes.com.vn/images_upload/small_1510.jpg
[Artist's impression: Hanoi Times]

Hanoi Times - Under the project, the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien route will run through district 1, Binh Thanh, district 2, Thu Duc, district 9 and Di An (southern Binh Duong province) with 14 terminals in the itinerary.

According to Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan, o*n February 21, HCM City will officially break the ground o*n the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro project with the construction of the first depot of 24 ha in area located in Long Binh ward, district 9.

Deputy Head of the HCM City Urban Railway Management Unit Tran Thi Anh Nguyet said that the depot is a complex, which includes centers for staff training and for repair and maintainance services.

The start of Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro project is of great significance for HCM City and the whole country as this is the first time Vietnam has developed a modern transport means called the urban railway system or metro.

The project costs around nearly US$ 1.1 billion with the first terminal beginning from Ben Thanh and ending up at Suoi Tien terminal No 14, 2 km from the Suoi Tien Tourism Resort.

Of the total 19.7 km long Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro route, 2.6 km is an underground section and 17.1 km is above ground.

Metro users can go from home by bicycle; bus and motorbike to the metro terminals buy their tickets and then use the bus system to get to their final destinations.

Within the design, metro terminals will have parking areas, markets and service centers and will be equipped with elevators for people with disabilities, the elderly and children.

As planned the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien route will be officially put into operation as of February 2014.

http://www.hanoitimes.com.vn/newsdetail.asp?NewsId=3336&CatId=29

[GWR]

Construction begins on HCM City’s first Metro

22/02/2008 -- 11:25 AM
HCM City (VNA) – Ground was broken in Ho Chi Minh City on February 21 for its first metro, which will link the downtown area with District 9.

The 19.7 km route was expected to be up and running by 2014, said Tran Thi Anh Nguyet, deputy head of the HCM City Urban Railway Authority.

Starting at Quach Thi Trang roundabout in front of Ben Thanh Market, the route will pass beneath Le Loi Street , Nguyen Sieu Street , and Ba Son Shipyard, emerge above ground to run on elevated track along Nguyen Huu Canh Street , Van Thanh Canal, Dien Bien Phu Street and Ha Noi Highway to end at Suoi Tien amusement park.

With a 2.6 km stretch below ground and 17.1 km above, the route will run through districts 1, 2, 9, Binh Thanh, and Thu Duc and Di An district in neighbouring Binh Duong province.

The project is estimated to cost 1.1 billion USD with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) providing almost 905 million USD in the form of an official development assistance loan. The rest will come from the city budget.

JBIC experts have helped draft the master plan for the route and Japan ’s Nippon Koei are advising on the details of the design.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Transport Minister Ho Nghia Dung said the project once put into service, would help ease traffic congestion and boost socio-economic development in the country’s biggest city. The ministry would work with the city and neighbouring provinces to develop a mass rapid transit system in the region, he added.

A depot will be built on a 28 ha site in Long Binh Ward in District 9 at an estimated cost of 28 million USD.

Nguyet said following ground-breaking for the depot, four other components would be put up for bidding and their construction would start early next year.

To ensure safety at depths of 20-30 m underground considering the city’s weak foundation, consultants had studied there were technologies to handle the problem.

The Urban Railway Authority would keep a close eye on the construction of the subway to minimise problems caused by the poor soil, she assured.

“The city authority will also instruct its agencies to closely watch the planning and licensing of high-rise buildings and underground projects along the metro route.”

Authorities had already banned construction of sky-scrapers near the proposed route, she said.

The 14 stations along the route, three beneath the ground and 11 above, will be made accessible to disabled people, as would ticket vending machines, restrooms, subway doors and bulletins, she said.

The trains, fitted with six cars, will be able to carry 162,000 passengers a day in the first phase between 2014 and 2020, and this will go up to 630,000 by 2030.

The entire trip will take around 29 minutes and tickets will cost 9,000 VND. There will be a train every five minutes for 20 hours a day.

Nguyet said parking lots bus stations and shopping centres would be built along the subway, and this proposal had drawn interest from Alstom, a leading French energy and railway equipment firm, and Japan’s Nippon Koei and Sumitomo.-Enditem
http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/236943/Default.aspx

[Yappofloyd]

So finally work does begin but it seems that major work will not really get under way until next year.

Interesting caption under the photo in Vietnam bridge article posted above. The photo appears to show the BTS intersection just west of Siam station and the caption reads, A metro depot in Thailand! I'll put it down to a poor translation.

[Yappofloyd]

The Vietnam news site carries the same VNA press release but with a good summery of the 6 lines;

The plan to develop a HCM City urban railway network by 2020 was approved by the Government last year. It includes six subway routes and three monorail routes at a total cost of $5-6 billion. The following are their details:

1. Ben Thanh Market-Suoi Tien park: 19.7km long. Estimated cost $1.1 billion, 83 per cent funded by JBIC.
2. An Suong bus station – Thu Thiem new urban area: 19km long.
3. Highway 13-Tan Kien: 24km long.
(The second and third route was first planned by Germany’s Siemens but has now been replaced by the Asian Development Bank. Cost: unavailable).
4. Ben Cat Bridge-Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard.: 24km. Estimated cost: $1.04 billion, with China’s SFECO being the design consultant.
5. Sai Gon Bridge-Can Giuoc Bus Station: 17km. Estimated cost: $900 million.
6. Ba Queo crossroads-Phu Lam: 6km. Estimated cost: $320 million.

http://vietnamnews.vnanet.vn/showarticle.php?num=07BUS220208