Ho Chi Minh City Metro: A brief history

The HCMC Metro is a rapid transit project that has been in the works since 2001. Over the years, it has attracted international attention due to construction accidents and budgeting issues that have delayed construction of even the first line, which broke ground in 2008. At the time of my survey in the summer of 2018, the first line of the subway was still being constructed and the estimated completion date had been pushed to 2020.

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Photo of raised tracks under construction in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Courtesy of AIRINC surveyor, Eugene Kobiako.

The On-site Perspective

Currently, most expatriates in HCMC drive their own cars, hire a driver, or use taxi companies or rideshare applications to get around the city. During my survey, I observed that traffic rules are rarely followed and driving can be difficult, to say the least. Because of this, the subway is a beacon of hope to ease congestion in this ever-expanding metropolis.

I did see visible progress as I moved about the city and an elevated bridge has already been constructed in District 2. Most expatriates and local sources I spoke to, however, are not optimistic about the project and believe it will be delayed even further, although the Prime Minister recently asked for the project to be accelerated.

In the meantime, driving around this already difficult city has become more challenging due to the increased amount of idle construction equipment and dusty fences that encircle future metro stations, like the one below.

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Photo of metro station construction in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Courtesy of AIRINC surveyor, Eugene Kobiako.

Is Transportation important to you?

Transportation is an important component of an international assignment package and can be handled in a variety of ways, including: subsidy programs for the purchase and sale of automobiles by expatriates, automobile allowances to provide an assignee with enough money to own and operate a new vehicle in the host location, and public transportation allowances. Click below to explore our transportation data and offerings:

This post is taken from On-site Insight, AIRINC’s in-house global mobility blog. On-site Insight provides AIRLinc subscribers with an exclusive “behind-the-surveys” insight into new and existing expatriate locations based on commentary and photos from our global research team. Included is information on general living conditions as well as changing costs for both goods and services and housing and utilities, along with much, much more! To find out more, click here. 

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