HCM City (VNA) - As the Dong Nai-based Long Thanh International Airport is set to open in 2026, Ho Chi Minh City has proposed an integrated metro network that would form a seamless transit corridor linking the new hub with its Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
The municipal Department of Construction said priority projects for 2026-2030 and through 2035 are being finalised with a focus on connectivity and urban expansion. By 2030, the city targets completion of three key routes: Metro Line 2’s Tham Luong–Ben Thanh and Ben Thanh–Thu Thiem sections, plus the Thu Thiem–Long Thanh urban railway.
For the Ben Thanh – Tham Luong route, the municipal People’s Committee issued a plan directing relevant agencies and investors to accelerate appraisal and submit adjustments for approval so that construction can start before January 19, 2026.
It is also advocating for the inclusion of the Thu Thiem–Long Thanh route in the list of projects under Resolution 188, which grants pilot special policies and mechanisms for metro development in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Both projects aim for early groundbreaking and completion by 2030.
The Department of Construction noted that major hurdles remain, including land clearance, funding mobilisation, technology transfer, and railway industry development.
Transit-oriented development (TOD) along metro corridors will also require tight coordination among urban planning, transport and finance authorities, and investors. With TOD still new to the city, officials are studying global models while launching pilot zones.
To accelerate progress, the city is making full use of the special mechanisms provided under Resolution 188 and the Railway Law to slash preparatory timelines. It is reviewing and updating TOD planning around stations and depots, with priority given to the Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien and Ben Thanh – Tham Luong lines.
It is also finalising a capital raising plan for the metro network, expanding training courses to cultivate a skilled railway workforce, and reviewing land reserves to submit to the municipal People’s Council for approval as counterpart assets for PPP projects, particularly BT contracts.
Earlier on October 29, the Prime Minister approved adjustments to the national master plan on railway network for 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050, reclassifying the Thu Thiem–Long Thanh line from national railway to urban rail line and handing full planning authority to Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province./.
