While no sections of Hanoi's metro system are operational yet, city officials are already planning massive extensions for future lines.
According to VnExpress, municipal leaders presented ambitious plans in a report sent to the National Assembly earlier this week. The law-making body is currently in session.
Under the proposal, the Cat Linh-Ha Dong Line, which is currently 99% complete, would be extended farther west to Xuan Mai Town. This would lengthen the line from 14 kilometers to 34 kilometers.
Elsewhere, the line set to run from Noi Bai International Airport to Ha Dong District would be extended by nine kilometers to Soc Son District, on the northern outskirts of Hanoi. Finally, the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station Line would be a whopping 30 kilometers longer under the proposal, reaching all the way to Son Tay.
The above extensions would connect to planned satellite urban areas, facilitating easier transit between these regions and central Hanoi. Urban planners are struggling to find ways to reduce population density and congestion in the city's currently developed districts.
The news source also reports that city officials hope to build multiple monorail lines as part of Hanoi's future urban rail network, though no concrete details have made been public. There is also no timeline or budget estimate for the proposed metro line additions.
Meanwhile, Hanoi's two under-construction lines, Cat Linh-Ha Dong and Nhon-Hanoi, have faced repeated delays. This comes amid growing concerns over air pollution, a problem exacerbated by the sheer number of vehicles on the road and a lack of a viable public transportation alternative.
The former, though nearly complete, currently has no estimated opening date, though officials had initially set the launch for this past April 30. The elevated portion of the latter line is also nearly complete, but the delivery of trains for it has been delayed by four months, while the opening date of the full line has been pushed back by a year to December 2022.
