The main parts of Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien metro line (metro route No.1) have basically been done, and MAUR is finishing the remaining work to let the route run in 2024, 6 years behind schedule.
The part at Saigon Opera House Station(District 1) is gradually completed (Photo: SGGP)
The HCMC Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) informed that 96 percent of the workload in the Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien metro project is completed, including the auction packages of CP1a (the underground part from Ben Thanh Station to Saigon Opera House Station), CP1b (the underground part from Saigon Opera House Station to Ba Son Station), and CP2 (the elevated part and depots).
The CP3 auction package for buying electromechanical equipment, rolling stocks, the rails as well as performing maintenance tasks finishes 93 percent of the workload.
Deputy Head of MAUR Nguyen Quoc Hien reported that MAUR successfully ran a testing round for the whole route. The operation and maintenance processes, the development of economic and technical norms, the fare identification have all been done.
MAUR plans to complete basic construction work at the end of this year and human resources training in June 2024. It is now cooperating with other contractors and consultants to prepare the project’s quality documents for the assessment task in January 2024. Two months later, the 9 pedestrian bridges to link elevated stations of the route will be done. A system safety assessment and human resources training sessions will be conducted at the same time so that after the project is evaluated, the route can run commercially from July 2023.
Deputy Head Hien stated that to be ready for the operation of metro route No.1, MAUR is preparing the project acceptance papers. It also proposed that the HCMC People’s Committee let it manage the urban railway infrastructure assets in the 2024-2028 period and orders of public services in the urban railway aspect.
The construction project for metro route No.1 started in March 2007 and encountered several administrative obstacles (waiting for the signing of Appendix 19 in the common consultation contract or the issuance of regulations and standards related to safety evaluation). Until now, there are still unaddressed problems regarding the adjustment of the surrounding wall design for the CP1a package.
Another matter that might slow down the commercial introduction of the route is the acceptance procedure, the evaluation task to issue the safety certificate for the system, and the handing over of infrastructure assets to conclude the project. These tasks are expected to be done at the beginning of 2024.
The CP3 package for buying electromechanical equipment, rolling stocks, the rails are in progress as backup devices are on the way to enter Vietnam.
Other parts of the project like paying the remaining expenses, concluding construction and consultation contracts, supporting the operation and maintenance all require multi-step procedures. therefore, MAUR asked that the HCMC People’s Committee allow them to be carried out in 2024, including the greenlight for MAUNT and its contractors to extend the deadline of the list of imported items with tax exemption, to continue the signed contracts, to confirm the volume of bidding packages and then inspect and pay the charge.
The State Inspection Council for accepting construction works has just released its evaluation on the Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien metro line, showing certain problems that need addressing:
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As to the ventilation, air conditioning, and firefighting system in the 1a package, the contractor lacks a technical design and cannot guarantee the legality (no seal of the design consultation unit, assessment consultation unit, acceptance unit, and the investor).
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There is no quality assessment report for the fireproof cables and galvanized steel sheets, nor is there any certificate for the air conditioning system or safety certificate for the refrigeration system under the QCVN 21:2015 Regulation (issued by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs).
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There is no acceptance report after the single and interlock test run of mechanical and electrical systems, elevators, firefighting systems. There is not any report on the pressure test for the water pipeline of the air conditioning, while the firefighting and prevention is not accurate yet.
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The necessary papers to conclude the 1b package are still not enough.
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The tests for the durability of the train’s body structure and for changing direction when running are only done on 2/3 of the total car number, while the door test is carried out on 1/3 of the total car number, which is not in compliance with the technical requirements of the project.
Therefore, the Council proposed that the investors ask contractors to fix the problems, tighten their checking on construction and equipment installation work in accordance with the design requirements and technical directions of the project.