The Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line, the first of its kind in Hanoi, is scheduled to start 20-day safety evaluation in early December as a requirement for commercial operation, Kinh te & Do thi reported.

A representative of the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB) under the Ministry of Transport on November 18 said the trial run would be vital to help French consultants assess the line's safety.

When its construction completed at the end of 2018, the then test run was inconclusive and involved just few staff. The forthcoming trail run would mobilize about 800 staff members, including 200 of China Railway Sixth Group - the EPC contractor.

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line, the first of its kind in Hanoi, is scheduled to start 20-day safety evaluation. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn

Based on the trial run results, in the first quarter of 2021, the French Apave-Certifier-Tricc (ACT) consultancy consortium will carry out the safety evaluation before the transport ministry takes control of the project, according to the MRB.

The MRB representative informed that the general director of the French consultancy had arrived in Hanoi and seven experts from the firm would come to Vietnam in the coming days for the trial operation of the Cat Linh - Ha Dong line.

Besides, the EPC contractor has brought 100 Chinese technical experts to the country.

The French and Chinese experts had returned to their home countries during the Lunar New Year break in late January and have been unable to re-enter Vietnam due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The metro route began a test run for inspection purposes on October 29, 2019 and Vietnam’s transport ministry hopes to begin operation of the metro by the first quarter of 2021.

The MRB added that the overall acceptance of the project will include both the test for pre-acceptance of the project and the qualifications of the operating staff. The general contractor will have to repair any items that fail to meet the requirements.

Accordingly, the consultants will evaluate and issue a certificate for the safety and quality system of the project and submit to the Vietnam Register for appraisal and certification. After that, the investor will accept and hand over the project to the Hanoi People's Committee for official running. The process is predicted to be protracted.

Work on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line began in 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, have stalled it for years.

Project costs have more than doubled from the original VND8.8 trillion (US$378 million) to VND18 trillion (US$774 million), according to state auditors.

When complete, the country’s first metro line will run 13 kilometers from Cat Linh station in downtown Dong Da district to Yen Nghia station in southwest Ha Dong district. It is one of eight key public transport lines planned for Hanoi.