The directive comes from Resolution 09, which orders the city to make infrastructure its breakthrough priority and to finish a fully connected urban rail network by 2045.
The city now runs a single line, the 20-km Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien, which opened in late 2024.
Several of the lines meant to close that gap to 200 km are already under construction. They include the second line's Ben Thanh-Tham Luong section, at more than 11 km, and its Ben Thanh-Thu Thiem section, a 6 km fully underground stretch that will tunnel beneath the Saigon River.
The largest is the 54 km Ben Thanh-Can Gio line, which broke ground in December 2025 and is being built and financed by VinSpeed, a unit of the conglomerate Vingroup. Designed for speeds up to 350 kph, it will connect the city center to the coastal Can Gio, site of a major Vingroup resort project, and is targeted for service in 2028.
An airport line is next in the queue. The nearly 48 km Thu Thiem-Long Thanh rail link is being pushed to break ground before July 2, the 50th anniversary of Saigon being renamed Ho Chi Minh City, and is designed to carry passengers from the center to the new Long Thanh International Airport, Vietnam's flagship aviation project now nearing the opening of its first phase.
