Ho Chi Minh City to Extend Metro Line 2 to Tay Ninh Province

Ho Chi Minh City has decided to extend Metro Line 2 (Tham Luong - Northwest Urban Area section) and its branch line 2S by approximately 10 km from its current terminus in Cu Chi district to Tay Ninh province. This extension is expected to strengthen regional connectivity between the northwestern part of Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh province. The plan was approved by Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc during a working session on investment plans. It is one of the projects the city prioritizes for implementation, with Viet Him Lam Company having proposed to participate as an investor. Under the previous plan, Metro Line 2 and 2S were part of a larger project extending from the former Thu Duc City, through the city center and Ben Thanh, to the northwest urban area, following the Tham Luong - An Ha - Northwest Urban Area axis. The current decision aims to enhance regional connectivity. The extended section will run along National Highway 22 towards the border with Tay Ninh province. The investor has been instructed to review the route, station locations, depots, total investment cost, land acquisition, and traffic connectivity in the area. The extension is envisioned with the metro line positioned in the middle, flanked by parallel roads. The city requires coordination from all units involved in the railway, road, and other infrastructure development from the research and design phase to avoid conflicts during implementation. Potential urban development models like TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) along the route will also be reviewed and updated into the planning. Relevant departments have been tasked with calculating the budget for compensation, support, resettlement, and land acquisition. To expedite the project, the investor must complete the feasibility study report by October for appraisal and submission to competent authorities. Ho Chi Minh City aims to commence construction in the fourth quarter of this year and complete the project by 2030. According to the metro network plan for Ho Chi Minh City by 2030, which accounts for expanded administrative boundaries, the total length is planned to exceed 1,000 km. Currently, the city operates only about 20 km of Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien). The goal is to expand the metro network to approximately 255 km by 2030. Since the beginning of the year, Ho Chi Minh City has commenced or broken ground on three projects: Ben Thanh - Tham Luong, Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem, and Ben Thanh - Can Gio. In addition to the metro line being studied for extension to Tay Ninh, other priority projects include the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh railway, the Binh Duong New City - Suoi Tien metro, and the Thu Dau Mot - Tao Dan and Tan Son Nhat - Phu Huu lines.