Delegates kick off the project.
Hanoi on December 19 held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Hanoi Urban Railway Construction Investment Project, with total investment exceeding VND72 trillion (US$2.7 billion). The project is known as Hanoi's Metro Line No. 5, connecting the axis from Van Cao to Hoa Lac.
Attendees included Vice State Auditor General Tran Minh Khuong, Vice Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Trong Dong, representatives of diplomatic missions, international organizations and city departments and agencies.
Organizers held the ceremony at the main site at Son Dong Depot and connected it online to two satellite sites at Station S01 – Quan Ngua and Station S17 – Dong Bai.
Modern technology of safety and environmental friendliness
With a total investment of VND72.3 trillion ($2.7 billion), Metro Line 5 will stretch nearly 39.6 kilometers, built to double-track standards with a 1,435-millimeter gauge and modern electrification.
Vice Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Trong Dong.
The project includes 20 stations, comprising six underground stations, 13 at-grade stations and one elevated station, with eight transfer stations and two depots. Depot 1 sits in Son Dong and Duong Hoa communes, while Depot 2 lies in Hoa Lac Commune.
The line starts near the intersection of Van Cao and Hoang Hoa Tham streets, runs underground along Van Cao, Lieu Giai, Nguyen Chi Thanh and Tran Duy Hung streets, then transitions to ground level along the median of Thang Long Boulevard and the Hoa Lac–Hoa Binh Expressway.
The line ends at Station S20 in Hoa Lac and Yen Xuan communes, with provisions for future extension to the Vietnam Ethnic Culture and Tourism Village in Yen Bai Commune and the Hanoi–Phu Tho interregional railway if demand arises.
The route passes through Tay Ho, Ngoc Ha, Giang Vo, Lang, Yen Hoa, Tu Liem, Dai Mo, Tay Mo and Xuan Phuong wards and through Son Dong, Duong Hoa, An Khanh, Quoc Oai, Kieu Phu, Tay Phuong, Ha Bang, Yen Xuan and Hoa Lac communes.
Six-car Type B trains will operate at a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour, using modern technologies to ensure safety, environmental friendliness and alignment with advanced urban transport trends.
Projected passenger capacity includes nearly 20,000 passengers per hour per direction in the initial phase to 2033, about 28,500 in the short term to 2040 and about 38,300 in the long term to 2055.
Model of the metro.
Once completed, Line 5 will connect and transfer efficiently with Lines 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12 and Monorail M2, enabling fast and convenient travel from suburban areas to the city center, reducing traffic pressure, improving infrastructure and enhancing mobility for residents.
Opening a new development phase for the capital
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Hanoi Party Secretary Nguyen Trong Dong said Metro Line 5 serves as a strategic infrastructure project with major significance for urban spatial development and sustainable transport organization in the capital's new phase.
The city has identified the line as the western backbone, linking the Ba Dinh political–administrative center with the Hoa Lac satellite city, easing traffic congestion, driving socio-economic growth and shaping a modern, multi-polar urban structure.
The project spans about 39.6 kilometers, includes underground, elevated and at-grade sections and features 20 stations and two depots at Son Dong and Hoa Lac. The city expects completion by 2030.
The project will be funded by the city budget under an EPC contracting model, reflecting the city’s strong commitment and sense of responsibility.
The project carries major significance for transport connectivity, environmental protection, emission reduction and implementation of new mechanisms under the 2024 Capital Law, the 2024 Public Investment Law and National Assembly resolutions.
"Along with Line 5, the simultaneous launch of other key projects across the city continues to affirm the principle of action matching words, decentralization paired with accountability in leadership and management," Dong emphasized.
Machines and vehicles ready to work.
On behalf of city leaders, he called on departments, project management units and contractors to uphold the highest sense of responsibility and he urged residents to continue accompanying, sharing and supporting the city during construction to ensure safety, quality and on-schedule delivery, so the project soon becomes a new source of pride for Hanoi.
"Metro Line 5 and the projects launched today will open a new development phase for Hanoi – modern, sustainable and worthy of its role and stature as the capital," he said.
Under the master plan, Hanoi aims to operate 15 urban railway lines totaling 617 kilometers by 2045, with a vision to 2065.