The Cat Linh-Ha Dong city train line in Hanoi, Vietnam entered service on November 21. It is Vietnam’s first metro train. People are saying good things about the train line. But others are questioning the project. The 13-kilometer-long line has 12 stations. It starts at Cat Linh railway station in north-central Hanoi and ends in the southwestern area of Ha Dong. The train can travel at up to 80 kilometers an hour. The trip along the whole line takes about 24 minutes. It is designed to be able to carry 1 million passengers a day when finished. The line is expected to ease traffic and reduce private vehicle use in Hanoi. Citizens in Vietnam’s capital said the quality of the service is good. They are hopeful about the metro line. A Hanoi office worker who asked that her name not be used noted that she cannot use the new line to get to work. But, she said she hopes it will help reduce traffic, shorten travel times, and reduce transportation pressures. “Since I care about the environment, people’s use of public transport will make a significant contribution to reducing dust and noise pollution,” she told VOA. During two-weeks of free trial service at its opening, crowds gathered to ride. But, Vietnamese media last month reported a lack of passengers. Reports from the first days of ticket sales suggest that the number of passengers was low, at about 12,000 a day. That is equal to only eight percent of capacity.
