Experience Hanoi's first elevated train

10 years waiting for a railway

After many days of waiting, on the morning of November 6, the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway trains officially went into operation. This is the moment marking the first urban railway (metro) line in Vietnam to be exploited after 10 years of construction.

This railway line is one of 8 radial and ring urban railway lines connecting the central urban area of ​​Hanoi and surrounding urban areas, designed according to double railway standards, operating on a 13 km long route with a travel time of about 23 minutes. To reach 12 train stations, passengers can use 55 bus routes connecting horizontally and vertically with the metro line. In addition, each train station has a motorbike parking lot for passengers to move more conveniently.

Staff at the stations will guide passengers to buy tickets at the automatic ticket counter. Passengers use cash to enter the cash slot and select the destination station. The machine will dispense tickets with plastic cards and change (if any). In the beginning, passengers can only pay for tickets in cash because the project's automatic ticket machine system has not yet integrated ticket purchase with bank cards.

The price of each ticket ranges from 7,000 - 15,000 VND depending on the number of kilometers the passenger has traveled, the daily ticket price is 30,000 VND with no limit on trips, the monthly ticket price ranges from 100,000 - 140,000 - 200,000 VND/month depending on the group of passengers. Those who are exempt from bus fees such as the elderly, children under 6 years old, people with disabilities, etc. are also exempt from fees when traveling on the Cat Linh - Ha Dong railway.

People are excited to experience the Cat Linh - Ha Dong train

Since it was launched on the weekend, on the first day, the train attracted a lot of attention from Hanoians, from children to young people, or even the elderly. Many people came to line up early, and left positive feedback about the experience.

Most of the passengers enjoyed this experience, they said that the train operated very smoothly, with little vibration, the train was clean, the facilities were good, very cool and airy. Information about the trains and destinations were clearly indicated both at the station and on the train. In addition, passengers could also admire the view of Hanoi streets from above and comfortably check-in while enjoying the atmosphere on the train.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Quynh - one of the first people to experience the Cat Linh - Ha Dong railway, said he had lined up since 7am and was "very excited because he had waited a long time to see the train in operation". He shared that he had been on many trains in Europe, and felt that the trains in Hanoi ran very smoothly, not too different from those in other countries, and at the same time, the waiting rooms, halls, and elevators were arranged reasonably, convenient for passengers.

Mr. Ngo Quang Minh, a long-time traveler, also the first passenger of the train, could not hide his excitement and satisfaction: "The station is spacious, the train is clean, the tickets are beautiful, not inferior to the West." According to him, this is a "must-try" experience, a new "pleasure" for Hanoians: boarding an early train, watching the capital from above, ending the train trip with a cup of coffee on the street... "It's the first time I've seen Hanoi from above, so I feel moved" - he added.

For young people, most people are satisfied and pay special attention to check-in locations and convenient services on the train. Sharing her experience, Phung Thi Huong Giang said that the service staff are very enthusiastic and attentive: "When you arrive, the enthusiastic staff will guide you from disinfection, health declaration to getting train tickets, boarding, getting off the train, and going to the station". In addition, the cheerful and joyful atmosphere on the train on the first day is also what makes Giang feel excited.

Many people who participated in the experience had positive feedback for this new experience. Some people also said that the train would brake suddenly every time it entered the station, for adults this is not a concern, but children need to be a little more careful when sitting on the train.

In addition, many people also expressed their concerns on the first day of the opening of the metro line. The problem is not the service or facilities of the train, but the increasingly crowded trains and the difficulty in ensuring regulations on disease prevention. Initially, on the first trips, the train was quite airy and comfortable, but later on, as more and more people came to experience it, there began to be signs of crowding - even in the context of Hanoi still having Covid-19 infections in the community.

The positive response from passengers on the first day of operation partly brought an optimistic signal in the development of the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway, making this model likely to become more popular in the future. People themselves also feel secure when choosing to use this public service for their trips instead of personal vehicles.

Hanoi Metro leaders said that in the first 6 months, the train routes will start at 5:30 and end at 22:00; after that, the trains will operate until 22:30 every day. Currently, the Cat Linh - Ha Dong trains are still running.free ticketin the first 15 days of operation, from November 6 to November 21.

Khanh Ha