HCMC – Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR) has written to the relevant ministries and agencies proposing spending nearly VND2.4 trillion repairing and upgrading 41 railway stations in the 2022-2023 period.
The repairs and upgrade sourced from the socio-economic recovery and development program are aimed at boosting the capacity and effectiveness of the railway system and helping the system recover quickly after the Covid pandemic.
VNR proposed upgrading and rehabilitating warehouses, cargo yards, railway tracks and some components at nine key freight stations such as Song Than, Dong Dang, Kim Lien and Dieu Tri, the local media reported.
Besides, it is necessary to repair and upgrade station buildings, railway tracks, fences, pedestrian bridges and other components at 32 passenger rail stations to offer better services to passengers.
The national railway system has 297 freight and passenger train stations, with most of them deteriorating, according to VNR.
As many as 220 stations are outdated or considered unsafe for use. Twenty-five of them were built during the French-domination period. Only Ninh Binh and Halong stations have been newly built in a modern manner.
In 2021, as the number of rail passengers dropped due to the Covid pandemic, the railroad authorities focused on the operation of freight trains to help ease the burden on roads and reduce losses from railway operations. However, due to the limited capacity of train stations, the railroad system failed to utilize its potential and advantage to transport commodities.
