Fingers crossed!

VnExpress reports that the Cat Linh-Ha Dong Metro Line is expected to open to the public by the end of this month after years of delays.

Nguyễn Văn Thể, the Minister of Transport, told the news source that the ministry and the Hanoi People's Committee are making final adjustments based on recommendations from Apave-Certifier-Tricc, the French safety consultancy group hired to perform final safety checks on the route.

China Railways Sixth Group, the contractor that built the line, began handing over the project to local officials on March 31, a process that may take up to three weeks. As of this writing, there isn't an exact date for a potential opening, though some news sources reported that the city is aiming for an April 30 start.

As city residents await their first-ever metro ride, more details regarding its operations have also been released. It will run from 5am to 11pm daily, with trains arriving every six minutes and fares starting at VND7,000. During rush hours, trains will reach stations every two or three minutes.

While VND7,000 is the minimum fare for a trip, the cost for riding the whole route will be VND15,000, and a one-month pass will cost VND200,000. A ride from Cat Linh station to Ha Dong station through the line's 12 stations will take 25 minutes. For the first 15 days after the official launch, Hanoians can ride the metro for free, the management team announced.

Signs and other information will be in both Vietnamese and English, while each station includes an elevator for handicapped access. ATMs and food stalls will eventually be added to the stations, while city officials are also relocating 26 bus stops in order to improve connectivity between the metro and public buses.

[Photo via Asset.vn]