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Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam, with a population of some 7.5 million.

 Projects

A city-wide subway system (195 km by the year of 2020) is planned for Ho Chi Minh City.

According to the master plan announced in February 2001, the inner metro system will comprise the following routes:

- Northwest-Southeast (46.86km long with 44 stops)
- Inner Belt (43.14km, 45 stops)
- Tan Son Nhat (9.3km, nine stops)
- Hoa Hung-Hanoi Highway-Thu Thiem (21km, 18 stops)
- Ben Thanh-District 2-District 9-Thu Duc (27.5 km, 18 stops)
- Bien Hoa-Binh Chanh-Hoa Hung (46 km, 42 stops)

The master plan for the metro project also includes the development of routes running outside HCM City. These include the 43km Long Binh-Hoc Mon route, the Hoc Mon-Binh Chanh-Tien Giang route, the Thu Duc-Long Binh-Long Thanh-Vung Tau route and the Thu Thiem-Long Binh Vung Tau route.

Two priority lines:

1) Quang Trung - Tan Son Nhat - Ben Thanh Line: 10 km, half surface, half underground

2) Ben Thanh - Binh Tay Market Line: 7 km, 8 stations, all underground

Platform length: 125 m
Average station distance: 700 - 1,300 m
Max speed: 80 km/h
Headway: 4 min. (min. 2 min.)
Gauge: 1,435 mm
Car width: 3 m

Update May 2012:

Construction of the first section of Line 1 awarded to Cienco 6 of Vietnam and Sumimoto Corporation of Japan. The line will connect the Ben Thanh Market to Suôi Tiên Park (19.7 km) in 2018.

Update May 2016:

- Line 1 (19.7 km; 17.1 elevated, (2.6 km underground) now scheduled to open in 2020/21
- Line 2 (12 km; 10.3km underground with 9 stations, 1.7km elevated with one station) construction started Jan. 2015, opening 2020
- Line 3, 4 & 5 under construction but without a set opening date

Full story here (The Saigoneer)!

Update Jan 2023:

Testing on Line 1 started at Suoi Tien Station and went until Binh Thai in Dec 2022, with revenue service expected to begin in late 2023.

MAUR (Project Website)

Ho Chi Minh City Metro at Wikipedia