Le Minh Triet, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway No.1 Company (HURC1), the entity managing the metro's operations, said as it was Sunday, city residents flocked to gain first-hand experience on the line, which took 17 years to complete.
Triet said on the next day, the line ran 124 trips from 5am to 4pm, transporting around 14,000 passengers. Many passengers were commuters travelling work and study purposes.
The municipal Department of Transport anticipates the line will operate 200 trips daily, serving about 40,000 passengers. Ridership is expected to surge on weekends and during upcoming holidays. To accommodate the increased demand, HURC1 has proposed increasing train frequency and collaborating with relevant agencies to ensure security and smooth operations.
Metro Line 1 officially began commercial service on December 22, although its formal inauguration has been delayed until after the 2025 Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.
To encourage ridership, the city is offering free rides for the first 30 days of operation, a programme estimated to cost approximately 15.7 billion VND (617,000 USD). An additional 17.3 billion VND will be allocated to support free rides on 17 bus routes connecting to the metro during this period.
The metro, spanning nearly 20 kilometers, features 2.6 kilometers of underground tracks, three underground stations, and 11 elevated stops. With a total investment of over 43.7 trillion VND, the line is equipped with 17 trains, each capable of carrying up to 930 passengers, including 147 seated and 783 standing.
