HANOI, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- More than 7.2 million passengers have used the China-built Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi after nearly a year of operation, local media reported.
The country's first metro line sees on average 32,000 passengers daily, of which 70 percent use monthly tickets, local newspaper Vietnam News reported on Thursday.
The metro line helps to contribute to the city's increasing public transport capacity which has reached over 30 percent, deputy director of Hanoi Public Transport Management Center Thai Ho Phuong said.
According to local transport expert Le Trung Hieu, following a year of official operation, the metro line has achieved four major goals of safety, attracting passengers and reducing the use of private vehicles, gaining experience in urban railway management and operation, while clearing all doubts on urban rail lines.
There are now 65 bus stops along the metro route and 34 lines at the two ends of the railway line, the newspaper reported.
The Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line measures 13.05 km and consists of 12 elevated stations and 13 trains.
While its maximum speed is 80 km/h, the trains run at 35 km per hour during normal operation. The average waiting time for passengers is between six to 10 minutes. ■