All main parts of the HCMC National University Station are nearly completed. — VNA/VNS Photo

Engineers and workers are installing and finishing the station elevators, including metal frames, ticket offices and glass balustrades at the main entrances of the stations.

The MAUR said that it was cooperating with the Hitachi Company to complete automatic and safety systems at the stations.

Ho Tran Cong Trieu, from the NJPT consultants, said that about 600-700 workers were finishing construction.

It is scheduled that the workers will be off for the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday from Thursday and back to work next Friday.

The Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro project was initially scheduled for completion in late 2021 to run commercially in 2022. However, it has been delayed several times due to the pandemic and procedural problems.

With an expected investment of more than VND43.7 trillion (US$1.89 billion), the metro line is funded by Japanese overseas development assistance and Vietnamese counterpart funds.

It is about 19.7km in length with three underground stations, including Ben Thanh, HCMC Opera House, Ba Son, and 11 flyover stations, including Van Thanh, Tan Cang, Thao Dien, An Phu, Rach Chiec, Phuoc Long, Binh Thai, Thu Duc, High-tech Zone, HCMC National University and Suoi Tien Terminal.

After 10 years of construction, around 94 percent of the metro line has been completed.

The first test ran on nine kilometers of elevated track between Suoi Tien Station and Binh Thai Station on December 21 last year.

The elevated section is designed for trains to run at a speed of 110 kilometers per hour, but during the test run the train ran at a speed of 40kph.

All 17 trains have 147 seats and a capacity of 930 passengers. They can run at speeds of up to 80km underground.