HCMC — VinSpeed, the infrastructure arm of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, has asked the Ministry of Construction and the HCMC government to approve a groundbreaking ceremony for the Ben Thanh–Can Gio metro line project on December 19.
The company said the event would coincide with National Resistance Day and activities marking the 14th National Party Congress slated for early next year. The ceremony is planned in Can Gio Commune.
VinSpeed requested that the project be added to the list of major developments scheduled for groundbreaking or inauguration to mark the National Party Congress. It also asked for support from the relevant agencies in carrying out related procedures.
HCMC authorities had earlier said the project meets the conditions for holding a groundbreaking ceremony.
On December 5, the HCMC People’s Committee approved the investment policy for the metro line and endorsed VinSpeed as the project investor. The line would run more than 54 kilometers from September 23 Park in downtown HCMC to a 39-hectare site bordering Vingroup’s Vinhomes Green Paradise Can Gio urban development project. The route will use double tracks with a standard gauge of 1,435 mm and operate on an electrified system designed for trains running at up to 350 km/h.
The project will have two stations in the first phase, at Ben Thanh and Can Gio, and four additional stations in the second phase, depending on demand. These include Tan Thuan, Tan My, Nha Be, and Binh Khanh. A depot and an operations control centre will be located in Can Gio Commune.
The estimated investment cost is VND102.43 trillion, excluding site clearance expenses of about VND12.78 trillion, which will be covered by the state budget.
Land clearance is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025. Once the investor receives the site, construction is expected to take 30 months, enabling partial operation in 2028, excluding the four stations planned for phase two.
