(VNF) - The operation of the Ho Chi Minh city-Di An urban rail route will stop once works on new Ghenh bridge in Dong Nai province is completed, said the Sai Gon Railways Company.

As scheduled, from 00h00 of June 26th, the new Ghenh bridge, constructed parallel with the original Ghenh Bridge, will come into operation, after a fatal accident last February damaged the original structure. Ghenh Bridge is currently shared by both vehicle and train traffic.

With the new bridge, the Thong Nhat rail route will return to full service, thus passengers do not need to transfer by coach from Sai Gon station (Ho Chi Minh city) to Bien Hoa station (Dong Nai province), and vice versa.

Designed by the renowned Gustave Eiffel, the man behind the Eiffel Tower, the Ghenh bridge, which connects the two shores of the Dong Nai River, was built by the French in the 1900s during the colonial period. It plays a crucial role in the operation of the railway system of Vietnam, connecting southern provinces and cities, including Ho Chi Minh city, to the remaining parts of the country.

Earlier, the 30km-round-trip urban rail route connecting Ho Chi Minh city to Di An town (Binh Duong province) had been trial-run from April 15th between 02h55 to 23h11. Passengers should be picked up at Sai Gon, Go Vap, Binh Trieu, Song Than and Di An stations. All full route tickets (over three stations) are VND10,000, while half-route tickets (under two stations) are VND5,000.

Kids under six are free.

The railway sector now operates 22 round-trip rails, transporting over 2,000 passengers each day./.

VNF