Locals excited on the opening day day of the Nhổn - Hà Nội Station metro line

Passengers at a station to take the train on Thursday morning. —VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hùng

HÀ NỘI — Many city dwellers in Hà Nội lined up early Thursday morning to eagerly experience their first ride on the 8.5 km elevated section of the Nhổn-Hà Nội Station Station urban railway line.

After 14 years of construction and multiple delays, the elevated section of the metro line was officially opened to passengers at 8am Thursday morning in Hà Nội.

Following the Cát Linh – Hà Đông urban railway line, this is the second metro line in the capital to start operating, providing residents with a fast, high-capacity, civilised and modern mode of transport, which it is hoped will help reduce traffic congestion in the city.

Hundreds of people queued at the stations to receive free tickets on the first day of the Nhổn – Hà Nội urban railway line's opening. At the ticket counters, staff enthusiastically guided passengers to the correct boarding areas and assisted them with purchasing tickets quickly and conveniently.

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Thirteen-year-old Đỗ Hoài Nam from Xuân Diệu Street, Quảng An Ward in Tây Hồ District, experiences the first ride on the 8.5 km elevated section of the Nhổn-Hà Nội Railway Station metro line. VNA/VNS Photo

​Excited and thrilled while admiring the spacious and modern train compartments, Bùi Thị Hồng from the northern province of Tuyên Quang, who came to the capital with her husband, said she was eager to come early to experience the metro line.

“It was very crowded on the train. The train ran very smoothly and was well-ventilated, making it very convenient for commuting or leisure,” she said.

“The fare of VNĐ200,000 per month for regular travellers is very reasonable. As a teacher with a modest salary, this is quite affordable,” Hồng added.

Among other passengers enjoying the city views as the train passed various stations, 13-year-old Đỗ Hoài Nam from Xuân Diệu Street, Quảng An Ward in Tây Hồ District humorously remarked: “The railway line has been under construction for more than ten years, which is also how long I’ve been waiting for it to open, so I had to experience it to see how interesting it is.

“The station is very large and impressive, the train is long and can carry many people and it travels at a maximum speed of 80kph. I will invite more friends to experience it and hope that we will have a line like this closer to home,” said the youngster who had taken a bus alone to the Nhổn – Hà Nội metro line station.

Vũ Hồng Trường, General Director of Metro Hanoi Co, Ltd, stated that Hà Nội is implementing a plan to integrate tickets for public transportation, including buses and urban railways, with plans to include taxis and ride-hailing services like Grab in the future. Recently, the city has conducted a trial of this plan.

The tickets for the Nhổn – Hà Nội urban railway line are designed to be flexible and can be integrated with other urban railway lines and other public transport in the future. However, unlike the Cát Linh – Hà Đông metro line, the monthly tickets for this new line are personalised to prevent any misuse, he added.

The Nhổn—Hà Nội urban railway line will offer free rides to passengers during its first 15 days of operation. On the first morning, most passengers tried out the new service.

Nguyễn Thi Huệ, a student at the University of Civil Engineering, said she wanted to try the new railway line to see if it would be suitable for her daily commute.

“Currently, I have to take two buses from Thanh Xuân District to reach Cầu Giấy Station, which is a bit inconvenient. Also, while the train is very cool, the stations are quite hot. I think adding a few fans would improve the service,” she said.

Phương Hà from Hoàng Mai District, who works in Hai Bà Trưng District, expressed her satisfaction with the Nhổn – Hà Nội line.

“I’ve heard that the city’s urban railway system plans to extend to Đông Anh District. I hope this line is developed soon so I can move to Đông Anh and avoid the daily traffic jams and pollution,” she said.

Many passengers praised the line, noting that travelling 8.5 km in just 13 minutes was amazing. However, some people feel that while the VNĐ12,000 fare for a full journey is reasonable, the VNĐ8,000 fare for a single station is a bit high.

The elevated segment, extending from Nhổn area to Cầu Giấy District, consists of eight stations of Nhổn (S1), Minh Khai (S2), Phú Diễn (S3), Cầu Diễn (S4), Lê Đức Thọ (S5), Đại Học Quốc Gia (S6), Chùa Hà (S7) and Cầu Giấy (S8).

In the first three months the line will be operational from 5.30am until 10pm everyday, with trains arriving and departing every ten minutes.

Following that, depending on demand, the operating company will adjust the schedule as needed to best meet the travel needs of passengers. — VNS