As the capital's Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway inches closer to the finish line, construction on the Nhon - Hanoi Station route has once again been prolonged to 2021.
While the metro line was the city's first to be initiated back in 2006, its development has become notorious thanks to numerous delays, reports Sai Gon Giai Phong. As a consequence, total investment for the project has gradually gone up over the past decade, from US$896 million in the beginning to US$1.42 billion in 2016.
The project’s slow pace is due to holdups in land procurement and execution, which further increased the estimated budget, according to the news source. Specifically, as Nguyen The Hung, vice chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, admitted, the project management board suffers from a lack of experience and skills, while the French consultant firm Systra is still struggling with local laws and bureaucratic processes.
To date, only 30% of the overall planned work has been completed, Zing reports.
Once launched, though, the 12-kilometer railroad will connect Hanoi's northwest districts to the city center, with eight above-ground and four underground stations. Meanwhile, take a look at some early renderings of the project below:
1st Station: Nhon.
2nd Station: Minh Khai.
3rd Station: Phu Dien.
4th Station: Cau Dien.
5th Station: Le Duc Tho.
6th Station: National University.
7th Station: Chua Ha.
8th Station: Cau Giay.
9th Station: Kim Ma.
10th Station: Cat Linh.
11th Station: Van Mieu.
12th Station: Hanoi Train Station.
[Photos via Zing]
