Line 1 of the HCMC Metro officially opened at 10:00am on 22 December 2024. Line 1 is the first urban railway in Ho Chi Minh City, and more lines are planned in the future.

[Traditional congratulatory flowers for businesses in Vietnam.]

Thousands of people turned out to see the metro line that was under construction since 2012. I have been watching the metro being built since it began, so I made sure to be in the city on the opening day.

There have been test runs over the previous month that have included some public passengers, but today marks the official opening to the public.

There is no charge for the first month of operation, so it’s expected that the line will be busy with curious Saigonese and visitors alike.

[Ticket machines are closed for the first month of Line 1 operations.]

I got in the queue to enter Ben Thanh Station at 9:30, and there was already a large crowd waiting to enter.

[Crowd waiting to enter Ben Thanh Station on opening day.]

The gates opened at 10:00 am to let in the first passengers, though the gates were frequently closed to keep the station from being overwhelmed with visitors.

Passengers were let into the station slowly while the trains were being filled up. In addition to the crowd at Ben Thanh, other stations also had large crowds. Some trains went through other stations without picking up passengers, and thee were delays across the line.

Another large line was inside the station while we waited to be let into the paid section. It felt chaotic to see so many people in the station, but everyone was in good spirits and there was no pushing and shoving.

I have seen similar crowds at other stations after a large sporting event. Maybe this is what the metro will look like on future New Years Eve events. It must have been an intense day for the workers of the station, but they managed the crowd well.

Ben Thanh is a big underground station with 6 platforms. The station will be an interchange for Line 1 and Line 3A (the extension of Line 1), Line 2, and Line 4. It’s a rare to see a new station with three lines prebuilt into the station, so it’s great to see that Ho Chi Minh City are preparing for future growth.

[Line 1 Platforms at Ben Thanh Station.]

After 2 hours and 45 minutes of queueing, I was finally onboard the train for my first ride on the HCMC Metro.

[Crowd inside Line 1 Metro.]

Even though I’ve been on countless metro systems around the world, it was a special moment to be onboard a metro in a city that I have called home for many years. It was surreal to see the route map with local places lit up.

[Happy to be finally on the HCMC Metro.]

I was planning to spend more time on the train, but it was too busy on this inaugural day. I got off at An Phu Station to have lunch.

[Trains at An Phu Station.]

I walked from An Phu Station back to the previous station at Thao Dien. The crowd was more managable here, though the trains were still packed with passengers.

[Train at Thao Dien Station.]

I went back to Ben Thanh Station, and this time I was able to walk around the station and admire the central skylight.

[Skylight at Ben Thanh Station.]

The stations include a map of the proposed future metro system. Line 1 is in blue while the future stations are in grey.

[Future map of the HCMC Metro.]

As this was the inaugural day, I just wanted to be part of the crowd and savour the moment of the new metro. I will be coming back for more trips to make notes for the station guides.

News coverage of the opening day

Local news

Thousands flock to ride HCMC’s first metro line on opening day – [VN Express]
“Thousands of excited residents gathered in downtown Ho Chi Minh City Sunday morning to ride its first metro line, Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien, which marks a milestone in the city’s mass transportation.”

Landmark moment: Ho Chi Minh City’s metro begins service – [Tuoi Tre News]
“Metro line No. 1 in Ho Chi Minh City has come into official operation on Sunday morning after 12 years of construction, marking a historic milestone in the urban transport development of the southern metropolis of Vietnam.”

Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro line runs 200 daily trips – [Tuoi Tre News]

Ho Chi Minh City’s metro line debuts with packed stations and excited passengers – [VietNamNet Global]
“On December 22, thousands of Ho Chi Minh City residents and tourists flooded the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line to experience its first official day of operation.”

Over 50,000 passengers ride HCMC’s Metro Line 1 within hours of launch – [VietNamNet Global]
“HCM City’s Metro Line 1 debuted successfully on December 22, transporting 55,000 passengers in just six hours and offering free rides for the first 30 days.”

Thousands thrilled to experience HCMC’s first metro line – [The Saigon Times]

Long-awaited Ho Chi Minh City’s metro line begins operation – [VOV World]
“A historical milestone was marked in urban transport development of Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday when its first metro line was inaugurated at Ben Thanh central station, District 1.”

HCM City’s first metro line launched after years of delay – [VietnamPlus]
“Ho Chi Minh City marked a significant milestone in its long-awaited mass transit development on December 22, with the official launch of its first metro line after years of delay.”

HCMC’s first metro line officially operational after nearly 2 decades – [The Investor]

Ho Chi Minh City residents are proud to experience Metro Line 1 – [Lao Dong]
“Having lived in HCMC for many years, many people could not hide their joy and emotion on the first day Metro Line 1 officially operated.”

Ho Chi Minh City Metro Line No. 1 officially opens – [Vietnam Investment Review]
“The Metro Line No. 1 of Ho Chi Minh City running from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien will be open for free for one month after its official inauguration ceremony on December 22.”

Historic milestone: HCM City’s first metro line launches after years of delay – [Viet Nam News]

International news

Inauguration of Vietnam’s first underground urban metro line in Ho Chi Minh City – [Japan International Cooperation Agency]

‘Historic achievement’: Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro line opens – [Al Jazeera]
“Huge queues spilled out of the stations as the $1.7bn project officially opened after years of delays.”

Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro line opens after more than a decade of delays – [CNN]

Ho Chi Minh City opens first metro line after years of delay – [Bloomberg]

Vietnam’s first subway opens with help from Japan – [The Japan Times]

Songs and selfies ring in Ho Chi Minh City’s $1.7bn inaugural metro line – [Nikkei Asia]
“After 17 years in the making, Japanese-led project is ready for riders.”

‘So beautiful’: After years of delays, Ho Chi Minh City opens first metro train line – [The Sydney Morning Herald]

‘Finally, we made it!’: Ho Chi Minh City celebrates first metro line after years of delay – [The Straits Times]

Historic milestone: HCM City’s first metro line launches after years of delay – [The Star] (Malaysia)

HCM City’s first metro line launches after years of delay – [The Nation] (Thailand)

Ho Chi Minh City gets its first ever metro line after a decade of delays – [The Independent]
“While residents celebrate launch of its first metro line, experts say short-term impact on traffic may be limited.”

Vietnam opens Ho Chi Minh City metro after years of delays – [South China Morning Post]
“Vietnam’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, opened its first metro line on December 22, 2024 after years of delay. Long queues were seen at every station along a line that runs nearly 20km (12 miles) from the city centre. The metro, which was funded largely by loans from the Japanese government, is expected to see 200 trips a day. Construction broke ground in 2012, some five years after funding began, and it took another 12 years to complete the project. The city has plans for six more metro lines in the future.”

Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City celebrates its first-ever metro line – [VOA]

Ho Chi Minh City launches first metro line, plans to fast track 7 more by 2035 – [VOA] (Singapore)
“Vietnam’s southern metropolis eyes bond issuances to partially fund upcoming projects with less reliance on official development assistance.”