Preparations underway to start construction on two metro lines linking Long Thanh Airport

Two urban railway (metro) projects, the Thu Thiem–Long Thanh line and the extension of the Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien metro line to Dong Nai’s administrative center and Long Thanh International Airport, are currently in the feasibility study phase, with construction expected to begin soon.

Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai agree on the project's start and end points, extending the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro to the administrative center of Dong Nai province, Long Thanh Airport. Photo: Pham Tung

These projects are considered vital transport infrastructure, playing a key role in linking Ho Chi Minh City’s center with Long Thanh International Airport.

Thu Thiem–Long Thanh metro line set for June groundbreaking

According to planning, the Thu Thiem–Long Thanh metro line will not only connect central Ho Chi Minh City with Long Thanh Airport but also serve as a strategic link between Long Thanh and Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Once completed, the Thu Thiem–Long Thanh metro line, combined with sections of metro line 2 such as Ben Thanh–Tham Luong and Ben Thanh–Thu Thiem, will enable direct rail connectivity between Tan Son Nhat Airport and Long Thanh Airport.

Regarding the Thu Thiem–Long Thanh metro line, in March 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee approved the proposal of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance to assign Dai Quang Minh Real Estate Investment Joint Stock Company to organize research and prepare a feasibility study report for the project, along with a capacity profile and a draft research contract, within 4 months, ensuring full compliance with current legal regulations.

The Thu Thiem–Long Thanh metro line, now under study, will run 47.7 kilometers, passing through two wards in Ho Chi Minh City and three communes in Dong Nai. Its starting point will connect with Thu Thiem Station on Ho Chi Minh City urban railway line 2, Ben Thanh–Thu Thiem section, in Binh Trung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. The line will end at Cam Duong depot in Xuan Duong Commune, Dong Nai Province. Under the plan, Ho Chi Minh City is expected to break ground on the Thu Thiem– Long Thanh Metro Project in June 2026.

Recently, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Bui Xuan Cuong signed a notice of the conclusions of the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee at the working session on the results of implementing the tasks of the inter-local traffic connection working group held at the end of March 2026. Accordingly, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee proposed that Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee report to the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee to agree on the policy and implement compensation, support, and resettlement for the approximately 30km section of the project passing through Dong Nai province.

Alignment finalized for the extended Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien metro line

In March 2026, during a working session between the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City's People's Committee and those of Dong Nai's Provincial People's Committee, the two localities agreed to align the extended Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien metro line. Accordingly, the extension will begin at Suoi Tien Station and end at Long Thanh International Airport.

Regarding the project to extend the Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien metro line to the new administrative center of Dong Nai province, Long Thanh Airport, in Notice No. 107/TB-BXD, dated March 27, 2026, on the conclusions of Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh at the working session with the leaders of Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee, the Ministry of Construction agreed on the necessary policy to study the connection plan for this project with Long Thanh Airport. At the same time, it proposed that the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee direct the provincial functional agencies and consulting units to coordinate with ACV and relevant agencies to review and carefully calculate the route direction, technical plan for arranging the underground railway line and station (high-speed railway and metro) in the Long Thanh Airport area to ensure consistency, synchronization between the plans in the area.

At the same time, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee also assigned the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction to coordinate with the Management Board of Urban Railways and Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Company Limited No. 1 to provide full technical documents for the Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien metro line to Dong Nai province, ensuring synchronous connection.

The leaders of the two localities also agreed to assign the Departments of Construction of the two localities to advise the People's Committees to issue a plan for the synchronous implementation of the project, including site clearance, coordination with the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), and the Ministry of Construction to unify the scope of investment for the lines at Long Thanh Airport.

Earlier, in late 2025, the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Council passed a resolution assigning the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee as the competent authority to implement the investment and construction project to extend the Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien metro line to the new provincial administrative center of Dong Nai Province and Long Thanh Airport. The project will be carried out under the public-private partnership (PPP) model and will pass through two provincial-level administrative units, Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City. In Dong Nai, the metro line will have a total length of 41.4 kilometers, comprising three main sections: a 6.1-kilometer section from S0-Tan Van Station to the new provincial administrative center of Dong Nai Province (SC); a 28.2-kilometer section from the administrative center (SC) to Station SA (the Thu Thiem–Long Thanh railway); and a 7.1-kilometer section running into Long Thanh Airport.

According to Ho Van Ha, Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, with the project to extend the Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien metro line to the new administrative center of Dong Nai province, Long Thanh Airport, Dong Nai aims to start construction in 2026.

By Pham Tung – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho