Hanoi is studying the extension of its three metro lines by 59 kilometers, helping the city better connect with its satellite urban areas, local media reported.

According to the plan laid out in a report submitted to the Vietnamese National Assembly on October 22, the Ministry of Transport proposed extending the Cat Linh – Ha Dong urban railway line, the first of its kind in Hanoi, by about 20 km, from Ha Dong district to Xuan Mai town, Chuong My district.

Hanoi's Cat Linh – Ha Dong urban railway line. Photo: hanoimetro

Originally, the first stretch of Cat Linh - Ha Dong metropolitan line is under construction with about 13.1 kilometers long and a total of 12 stations and one depot in Yen Nghia ward, Ha Dong district.

The Hanoi government is also considering extending the second metro line, currently planned to run 35.2 kilometers between Noi Bai International Airport and Nga Tu So in Thanh Xuan district. The extension will run 9 kilometers from Noi Bai Airport to Soc Son, a northern suburban district of the capital city.

The city's third metro line, set to run 12.5 kilometers from Nhon in the western district of Nam Tu Liem to the Hanoi Railway Station, may also be extended by 30 kilometers to Son Tay, a district-level town on the western fringe of the capital city.

The Hanoi government is also considering building a number of monorail lines to better exploit the entire urban railway system in the capital city.

According to the government’s report, Hanoi plans to build eight urban railway lines in the central city area with a combined length of 305 km, including three monorail segments, in its development plan for 2030 with a vision towards 2050.

Work on Hanoi’s first metro line, the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway line, commenced in October 2011 and was originally scheduled for completion in 2013. But several hurdles, including loan disbursement issues with China that were only resolved in December 2017, stalled it for years.

The Cat Linh - Ha Dong line has almost been complete but has not been put into operation “due to some internal and external causes,” Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The said in a report sent to the ongoing NA session.

The first urban railway line, which is 99% complete, was originally estimated to cost $552.86 million, partially funded by China’s official development assistance (ODA).

In early 2014, the project’s investment was raised to US$868 million, forcing Vietnam to take an additional ODA loan of US$250.62 million from China.