Vietnam’s Chinese-built metro line opens as Hanoi seeks to cut traffic, pollution
- The capital city is known for its dense crowds of motorbikes that make life perilous for pedestrians and are a major source of air pollution
- The Cat Linh-Ha Dong line took 10 years to complete, with its construction delayed several times due to safety issues and spiralling costs
After years of delays and a near-doubling of construction costs, a train eased out of Cat Linh station, close to the centre of the city, to begin its 13-kilometre journey towards the densely populated east.
“I decided to give this a try because I was curious,” Nguyen Thi Thu said inside a busy carriage of the Chinese-made train. “I am very happy to be able to take a ride after all the postponements.”
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Vietnam rolls out first urban railway in Hanoi to reduce traffic and environmental pollution
Other passengers showed up early to strike a pose in front of the shiny new train, while young children on board stared in wonder out of large windows at the Hanoi skyline rushing past.
The buzzing capital of 9 million people is known the world over for its dense crowds of motorbikes that fill the city’s streets and make life perilous for pedestrians attempting to cross.
The number of bikes on the roads has soared from 2 million in 2008 to 5.7 million in 2020, according to police.
The figure for cars has also rocketed in the same period, from 185,000 to 700,000.