On 22nd December 2024, the 19.7 km metro line 1 in Ho Chi Minh City was opened for commercial operation. Construction work on the line, which runs from the Ben Thanh Market in the city centre to the densely populated suburb of Suoi Tien and serves 14 stations, began in August 2012 and was originally scheduled for completion within six years. Due to delays, partly caused by financing difficulties on the part of the Vietnamese government, the total cost of the project, at €1.6 billion (US$1.7 billion), exceeded the government's original estimate of €1.1 billion. Financing was provided by the Official Development Assistance and preferential loans from the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JACA). For the operation, Hitachi Rail supplied 17 three-car metros, as well as track, electrical and mechanical systems under a contract worth €200 million (JPY 37 billion) signed in 2013.
