HCMC – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has told nine provinces and cities to accelerate compensation and resettlement for the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong railway project, with a completion deadline set for August to ensure construction begins on December 19.
The PM signed an official telegram requiring all relevant localities and the Ministry of Construction to coordinate and fulfill their responsibilities promptly, according to the Government news site (baochinhphu.vn.)
The Ministry of Construction has been tasked with working closely with local governments to hand over the railway centerline and land clearance boundaries by June 2025. Project management boards and consultants must execute tasks in parallel to avoid delays, with the option of mobilizing additional personnel from Hanoi’s urban railway management board if necessary.
The ministry must also finalize and submit a proposal to the National Assembly for a special mechanism to facilitate the project, with a deadline for government reporting set for May 5.
Provincial and municipal authorities have been instructed to establish land clearance steering committees, headed by the Party Secretary of each locality, also by May 5. These committees will oversee compensation, support, and resettlement work, which must be completed by August 2025 to prepare land for construction.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is to collaborate with local authorities and the Ministry of Construction to accelerate procedures for the conversion of forest land, forestry land, and rice-growing land, and to provide guidance in resolving issues related to compensation, support, and resettlement.
The Ministry of Finance has been tasked with reviewing the 2025 expenditure savings to allocate capital for the project and will report to the Prime Minister later this month. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha will oversee and address challenges arising during implementation.
Approved by the National Assembly on February 19, the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong railway project includes a 390.9-km mainline and three branch lines totaling nearly 30 kilometers, with a total investment of VND203.2 trillion. Of this, VND35.7 trillion is allocated for compensation and resettlement. The project will feature 18 stations and 13 technical service posts.
