HCMC – Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) plans to start work on a metro line connecting Ben Thanh Market and Thu Thiem New Urban Area next month. The line will form a strategic public transit axis linking Tan Son Nhat International Airport and Long Thanh International Airport.
The 6.2-kilometer Ben Thanh-Thu Thiem line is an extension of Metro Line 2, which links Ben Thanh Market and Tham Luong Depot in former District 12. Dai Quang Minh Real Estate Investment Corporation is conducting a feasibility study for the line.
The HCMC People’s Committee has issued a plan to construct the Metro Line 2 section between Ben Thanh and Thu Thiem, accompanied by a detailed appendix outlining tasks with clearly assigned responsibilities, specific duties, and timelines to ensure the line is ready for groundbreaking in April 2026.
Relevant units are currently working around the clock to ensure the line can get off the ground before April 20.
According to the HCMC government, the plan aims to ensure the necessary conditions for the early commencement of the Ben Thanh–Thu Thiem line, contributing to completing the urban railway network in line with the National Assembly’s Resolution 188 which provides special policies and mechanisms for Hanoi and HCMC to develop metro and urban railway networks. The Ben Thanh–Thu Thiem line will form a strategic public transportation axis linking the current Tan Son Nhat International Airport and the under-construction Long Thanh International Airport.
The plan identifies key tasks that need to be prioritized and sets out solutions for implementing them in a scientific, decisive, coordinated, and effective manner, with maximum efforts from all relevant agencies and units to achieve the set objectives.
Under the plan, the city requires all stakeholders involved in the project to recognize it as an important political task, devote time and expertise, and allocate sufficient human and material resources to actively and proactively participate with a high sense of responsibility, contributing to the city’s development.
The city also calls for mobilizing the combined strength of the entire political system, maximizing collective intelligence, and ensuring unified and coordinated action among participating entities to speed up progress, promptly address obstacles, maintain quality, and successfully complete the project in line with its investment objectives.
City departments and relevant units, in accordance with their assigned functions and responsibilities, are instructed to proactively prioritize the processing of project-related documentation.
Agencies and units are also required to strengthen the application of information technology in handling administrative procedures to shorten processing times, avoid delays or overdue cases, and flexibly carry out procedures to ensure the project meets all conditions for groundbreaking as scheduled.
In addition to serving travel demand within the city, the Ben Thanh–Thu Thiem metro line will be a key link in the urban railway connection between Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh international airports—a task that Party and State leaders have repeatedly directed to be implemented urgently.
During the implementation process, HCMC has also identified the project as a key and urgent infrastructure work that must be carried out immediately. Therefore, the city has been making full use of special mechanisms and policies within its authority to accelerate progress.
