Hyundai Rotem to supply driverless trains for Ho Chi Minh City metro

Hyundai Rotem to supply driverless trains for Ho Chi Minh City metro

Hyundai Rotem has signed a $360 million contract with THACO Group to supply a driverless train system for Ho Chi Minh City Metro Line 2.

The agreement was signed on April 23, with Hyundai Rotem also expressing interest in transferring technology to domestic firms developing railway projects in Vietnam. THACO Group will oversee project execution and local infrastructure development.

Ho Chi Minh City Metro Line 2 is scheduled to open in 2030. The line will span 64km with 36 stations and is considered a key rail infrastructure development in Vietnam. Construction began in January and will proceed in phases.

Hyundai Rotem will also carry out partial local production. Some train units will be manufactured at a rail vehicle plant being built by THACO Group, a move aimed at fostering local industry and establishing a foundation for long-term cooperation.

The two companies also signed an MoU on signalling systems on the same day, with plans to expand collaboration to include driverless train control systems.

On the same day, Standing Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc received Lee Yong-bae, president and CEO of Hyundai Rotem, at the government headquarters in Hanoi. At the meeting, Lee Yong-bae reported on some significant results in production, business, and technology transfer cooperation of Hyundai Rotem Company in Vietnam when participating in the urban railway scheme in Ho Chi Minh City, and the plan to invest in building a railway industrial complex in Vietnam.

The company expressed its intention to continue participating in urban railway schemes and the North-South high-speed railway by providing technology transfer for locomotive and carriage manufacturing, integrated systems, human resource training, localisation of production, and maintenance during operation.

Standing DPM Tuc said, “The investment and business activities of South Korean enterprises in Vietnam have made a significant contribution to economic growth and development over the past many years. Many large corporations have been investing effectively and continuing to expand their production and business; more and more Korean businesses are interested in and seeking investment opportunities in Vietnam.”

Standing DPM Tuc highly appreciated Hyundai Rotem's commitment to technology transfer and increased localisation when participating in urban railway projects, which is consistent with Vietnam's railway industry development policy and orientation.

Regarding the progress of the North-South high-speed railway and urban railway projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the DPM requested Hyundai Rotem and other Korean businesses to continue researching and seeking opportunities for cooperation with Vietnamese localities and businesses in this field.

Having exported high-speed trains to several countries, South Korea is now looking to expand its collaboration with Vietnam, specifically by proposing to supply trains for Metro Line No.2 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Besides that, at the bilateral talks on April 21 between the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Construction, the South Korean delegation expressed a strong interest in expanding cooperation into road infrastructure, seaports, and aviation. This includes mobilising financial resources, implementing official development assistance and public-private partnerships models, policy formulation, and specialised personnel training.

VIR