Localities in the Southeast region propose many options for connecting transport infrastructure

At a recent conference themed "Exchange and cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and the Southeast provinces", leaders of Department of Transport and Communications of Ho Chi Minh City informed that they are studying a plan to extend Metro line No. 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien connecting with Binh Duong and Dong Nai. On the other hand, leaders of Binh Duong Provincial Department of Transport also said that the province is urgently preparing to execute the railway project connecting Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau, and proposed to adjust the planning of An Binh terminal and add passenger station function to meet demand.

Extension of Metro line 1

At the conference, Tran Quang Lam, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport and Communications, said the extension of metro line No. 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien connecting with Binh Duong and Dong Nai is necessary to increase regional connectivity, stimulate tourism and socio-economic demands. Currently, Metro line 1 has 3 underground stations and 11 elevated stations, reaching 95% of the volume, expected to be tested in September this year.

According to the research plan, section 1 from Suoi Tien station will continue to go overhead on the right of National Highway 1 and then cross to the left to return to station S0 - Binh Thang station, in front of Tan Van intersection, about 8km long, total investment is nearly VND3,000 billion. Section 2, at station S0, will continue to open two independent branch lines passing through Binh Duong and Dong Nai. Specifically, branch 1 towards Dong Nai is about 18.3km long, going overhead from S0 station through Vung Tau junction to Sat market and to Ho Nai area, Trang Bom district. Branch 2 towards Binh Duong is about 29.5km long, go overhead from S0 station to near Binh Chuan intersection and go to Binh Duong Industrial - Service - Urban Complex (New City).

Ho Chi Minh City proposes to expand and extend Metro line No. 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien to Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces

According to Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City, the sections from Suoi Tien bus station to S0 station and the branches going to Dong Nai and Binh Duong are all overhead, do not require complicated construction such as underground construction, helping to improve the urban landscape.  HCMC Department of Transport will consider and advise the City People's Committee on plans to coordinate, support and contribute investment capital. In order to have a good basis for implementation, leaders of HCMC Department of Transport suggested that Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces review the planning of routes, locations of stations and depots, and if necessary, adjust related plans.

Connecting railway lines

Nguyen Anh Minh, Director of Binh Duong Department of Transport, said the total length of railways connecting Di An - Bien Hoa - Vung Tau starting from Bau Bang to Cai Mep - Thi Vai port is about 125.25km. In which the section from Bau Bang - Di An is 41.65km long, the section from Di An to Phuoc Tan intersection is about 19.1km (9.1km through Binh Duong and 10km through Dong Nai), the section from Phuoc Tan to Cai Mep port - Thi Vai is about 42.2km long.

For the section from Di An to Cai Mep - Thi Vai port, the Ministry of Transport has added a route alignment plan from Di An station - Phuoc Tan intersection (the intersection of Trang Bom - Hoa Hung railway with Bien Hoa - Vung Tau railway) into the pre-feasibility study report of the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau railway project. People's Committee of Binh Duong province has assigned the Provincial Traffic Construction Investment Project’s Management Board to coolaborate with relevant departments and agencies to study and prepare a pre-feasibility study report for the railway project from Bau Bang to Di An.

Metro Line 1 extending Binh Duong branch is expected to be built parallel to the My Phuoc - Tan Van route. In photo:  The route My Phuoc - Tan Van passes through the existing Di An city.

Binh Duong also proposed People's Committees of Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Ba Ria - Vung Tau to support the plan to extend the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau railway project to An Binh station; at the same time, jointly propose that the Central Government invests with state budget capital or other lawful capital sources. The railway section from Bau Bang district to Di An city is expected to have a total investment of 34,300 billion VND, divided into two phases. Phase 1 will carry out site clearance about 9,500 billion VND financed by the State budget; Phase 2 invests in railway and station system according to the plan about 24,800 billion VND funded by ODA or PPP capital.

Add function for An Binh terminal

According to the approved plan, An Binh station, Di An city has a strategic location as the main station and the center of all railway lines in the central area of Ho Chi Minh City, with an area of about 64, 6 ha including Song Than station area. However, the current planning location of An Binh station has divided functional areas and urban transport infrastructure network of Di An city. At present, the density of construction and population in the planning area of An Binh station is very high, the implementation of compensation, support and resettlement will face difficulties when implementing the station construction project.

Meanwhile, Song Than 1 Industrial Park has a symmetrical position to the right of An Binh station planning position in the north-south direction of the existing railway line, with a lease period until 2045. In order to continue implementing the transport planning to ensure the role of a hub for freight transport, a regional logistics center and an international inter-modal hub, and at the same time to facilitate the development of a central passenger station, Binh Duong proposed the Prime Minister to adjust the location of An Binh station from left side of the existing North-South railway line to right side of the line.

Currently, the Vietnam Railways Administration is being assigned by the Ministry of Transport to adjust the detailed railway planning in the focal area Ho Chi Minh City, including adjusting the planning location of An Binh station and supplementing the passenger station function.  Regarding this adjustment, People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City agreed with the proposal of Binh Duong People's Committee, proposed the Ministry of Transport to consider adjusting the functional planning of Binh Trieu and An Binh focal stations in line with the development of localities.

According to the plan approved by the Prime Minister in 2021, the metro system connecting the region will have 8 routes, including: Trang Bom - Hoa Hung, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau, Di An - Loc Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Trang, Thu Thiem - Long Thanh, Ho Chi Minh City - Tay Ninh and specialized railway lines connecting to Hiep Phuoc port. By 2030, localities will focus on renovating, upgrading and effectively exploiting existing railway lines, continuing to invest in urban railways with great transport demand...

Reported by Minh Duy - Translated by Ngoc Huynh