Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has required relevant parties to complete the project by September 2, Vietnam's Independence Day.

Prime Minister (grey shirt) and Government officials take a test run on the Metro No.1 project on April 15. Photo: Nhat Bac/VGP

The request was made during the Prime Minister's second inspection of the implementation of the Metro No. 1 project in less than a year.

With the inauguration scheduled for the end of August 2019, the construction of the Metro No. 1 project in HCM City has only reached 95% progress.

The project management unit is working with contractors to complete the remaining works and complete the installation of machinery and equipment for the construction of stations and passenger overpasses.

Prime Minister Chinh said that the completion of the project would be meaningful to celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan.

PM Chinh also asked the HCM City authorities to finalize the development plan for the citywide metro network.

Municipal and local authorities of the southern city must speed up the construction of Metro No. 3a connecting Ben Thanh - Tan Kien based on the experience of the Metro No. 1 project, he said.

The government and people of Vietnam appreciate Japan's support, PM Chinh told Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio.

He said the Vietnamese government expects Japan's utmost support in developing national transportation infrastructure, including high-speed railways, to strengthen strategic bilateral relations.

During his visit, the Prime Minister took a test ride on the elevated metro section, which stretches 11 kilometers from Rach Chiec Station to Suoi Tien Station in Thu Duc City.

The maximum design speed for the elevated section is 110 kilometers per hour, but during the test, the train ran at a maximum speed of 50 kilometers per hour to ensure safety.

The project has a total investment of VND43.7 trillion (US$1.86 billion), of which 87% is Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) capital, and the rest is Vietnam's public investment budget.

The metro line will stretch 20 kilometers from Ben Thanh Station in District 1 to Long Binh Depot in Thu Duc City, through three underground stations and 11 elevated stations.

Construction is scheduled to be completed in Q4 2023. The project is expected to be fully operational in 2024, and the contractors will maintain the project until 2028.