At a meeting of the Steering Committee for key railway projects on the morning of 9/7, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that land clearance had been separated from the investment project and assigned to provinces and cities. Therefore, local leaders must directly manage the implementation. Related agencies are to urgently hand over the planned routes to carry out the next steps.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been tasked with expediting a meeting of the Vietnam-China Intergovernmental Committee to resolve issues with rail projects connecting the two countries. Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son will direct the handling of matters related to ODA capital regulations, shifting from pre-inspection to post-inspection.

The prime minister emphasized the need for decisive implementation of each task, proceeding according to the principle of completing each stage before moving on, ensuring scientific rigor, safety, efficiency, and preventing negativity, waste, corruption, and vested interests.

The Ministry of Construction will be responsible for completing the system of technical standards and regulations before 20/7. The Ministry of Science and Technology will appraise and announce these standards before 10/8.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaking on the morning of 9/7. Photo: Nhat Bac

The North-South high-speed railway project was approved by the National Assembly in 11/2024 with a preliminary total investment of approximately 1.7 quadrillion dong (67 billion USD). The 1,541 km line, with a double track of 1,435 mm and a design speed of 350 km/h, will have 23 passenger stations and 5 freight stations, passing through 20 provinces and cities from Ngoc Hoi station (Hanoi) to Thu Thiem station (TP HCM). In addition to public investment, the National Assembly has allowed the project to be implemented through public-private partnerships (PPP) or business investment.

Previously, in mid-2/2025, the National Assembly also approved the investment policy for the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway project with a total capital of over 203 trillion dong (8.37 billion USD). The nearly 391 km main line, with a gauge of 1,435 mm and several branch lines totaling 27.9 km, will pass through 9 provinces and cities. The design speed ranges from 80 km/h to 160 km/h depending on the section, serving both passenger and freight transport. The project is striving for completion by 2030.

Vu Tuan