HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City is rolling out a series of measures aimed at completing three key metro lines before 2030, an official said at a press briefing on economic and social developments on November 20.
Mai Thanh Tung, Deputy Head of the Planning and Investment Division at the municipal Department of Construction, said the city is simultaneously advancing several major urban and national railway projects.
For Metro Line No. 2, the Ben Thanh–Tham Luong section is finalising project-adjustment procedures and is slated to break ground in January 2026, while the Ben Thanh–Thu Thiem segment is under study for the 2025–2030 period. Regarding the Thu Thiem–Long Thanh line, the final pre-feasibility report has been completed, and HCM City has been designated as the lead agency. The city is also coordinating with neighbouring Dong Nai province on necessary procedures, as the route spans both localities.
Given constrained central and local funding, the city views mobilising private capital as essential under the Politburo’s Resolution No. 68 on developing the private economic sector. Several companies have expressed interest, including Thaco Group, which has proposed investing in the Ben Thanh–Thu Thiem and Thu Thiem–Long Thanh lines under a public–private partnership model, he said, adding that the city government has tasked specialised agencies with reviewing the proposal.
The delay on Metro Line No. 1 was attributed to conditions attached to ODA loans, disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges of adopting metro technology for the first time.
Drawing lessons from that experience, the city has developed special mechanisms to increase autonomy in project approval and management. The National Assembly has also approved Resolution 188/2025/QH15 to pilot several special mechanisms and policies to develop the urban railway network in Hanoi and HCM City, allowing the application of breakthrough measures such as contractor appointment and greater delegation of power to the municipal People’s Committee in approving projects and adjusting designs and total investment levels.
The city has issued an implementation plan for Resolution 188/2025/QH15, along with a specific plan for the Ben Thanh–Tham Luong line. The Department of Construction is also working with interested companies to advise the city authorities within its mandate.
Tung said that executing three major metro lines in parallel will inevitably create pressure in terms of timelines, financing and cross-sector and inter-provincial coordination. Even so, the special mechanisms under Resolution 188/2025/QH15 and the 2025 Railway Law will allow the city to shorten investment-preparation processes, speed up contractor selection and address procedural bottlenecks.
He added that the city is also developing frameworks to mobilise resources via the PPP model combined with land-value capture and transit-oriented development around stations to boost private-sector financing./.
