EU grant backs preparations for Hanoi Metro Line 3 extension
The €10 million grant covers studies and planning, not construction, for an approximately 11 km underground route to Hoang Mai.
The EU has assigned AFD to manage €10 million in grant funding for preparatory work on Hanoi’s planned Metro Line 3 extension, according to the project’s international partners. The proposed route would link Hanoi Station with Hoang Mai.
Signed in 2024 with the Hanoi People’s Committee, the support programme is being carried out by MRB. Preparations are expected to finish by the end of 2027. The planned extension would run underground throughout its approximately 11 km route in southern Hanoi.
The funding covers a feasibility study, planning for transit-oriented development, research on traffic arrangements and connections between transport modes, and work to strengthen project delivery capacity. It does not cover the extension’s construction costs.
The funding partners said construction investment is expected to be explored through Team Europe, involving Germany’s KfW Development Bank and cooperation with ADB. Whether construction proceeds will depend on study results, approvals and plans to raise capital under the applicable regulations.
The existing Metro Line 3 spans 12.5 km across 12 stations. Its elevated Nhon–Cau Giay stretch opened for commercial service in August 2024. Hanoi Metro figures cited by the partners put first-year ridership at approximately 6.4 million passenger journeys, with 99% on-time performance.
Work continues on the four-station underground stretch linking Cau Giay and Hanoi Station. A schedule in the partners’ October 19 statement puts its expected completion and entry into service in 2027.
