Vietnam has begun the construction of a 12.5km-long metro rail line in Hanoi.

The $1bn line will run from Nhon in Tu Liem district to Hanoi’s railway station in Hoan Kiem district.

There will be 12 stations along the Nhon-Hanoi railway line, which is designed for a maximum speed of 80km/h with a total travel time of about 20min.

The line is expected to be operational by 2015 and is expected to carry 300,000 passengers a day to ease traffic congestion in the city, according to asianewsnet.net.

The French Government allotted €283m ($384m) for the metro line, and the rest of the funds are being provided by Europe Investment Development Bank and the city’s state budget.