As downtown progress on the Saigon Metro inches along, Dong Nai officials are hoping to extend Line 1 beyond the city limits.
The Dong Nai People's Committee recently proposed to extend Saigon Metro Line 1 to reach its Vung Tau intersection in Bien Hoa, reports Vietnam News, tacking another 4.7 kilometers onto the 19.7 kilometers Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien line.
The current path of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien line.
The extension, officials argue, would connect other parts of Vietnam's south-central region, as well as the Central Highlands, with the southern hub. Dong Nai is also home to 29 industrial parks, and a metro line would result in more efficient transportation between its industry-heavy areas and downtown Saigon.
Officials in the province also claim to have already arranged funding for their proposed portion of the line. The site of the potential metro stop, too, would be relatively small, making for easy site clearance, Dong Nai officials argue.
Though there has been no word yet on the ministry's response, the city's transport development plan already mentions the possibility of extending Metro Line 1 to meet the crossroads at Bien Hoa's Sac Market.
This wouldn't be the first extension proposed for Saigon's metro system. Last June, city officials submitted a plan to the Ministry of Planning and Investment to add a spur off Line 5 that would connect the system to Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
