HCMC – Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh disagreed with a proposal of the Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR) to import and operate 37 used train carriages from Japan, echoing the Transport Ministry’s views on the issue, the Government Office announced.
Deputy PM Thanh also asked the Transport Ministry and the relevant agencies to strictly comply with the Government’s Decree No. 65 on the implementation of the Railway Law, reported Tuoi Tre newspaper.
Earlier, after consulting with the relevant ministries and agencies, the Transport Ministry had collected feedback and reported the VNR’s proposal to the Government.
According to the Transport Ministry, the 37 train carriages manufactured from 1979 to 1982 are second-hand vehicles that were banned from being imported in line with the law. As stipulated in Decree No. 65, these 37 carriages must not be imported into Vietnam as they were manufactured more than a decade ago. They were also not allowed to be operated in the country as they have been in use for over 40 years.
In addition, the VNR proposal did not give a detailed evaluation of the vehicles’ technical safety, conversion cost, investment efficiency, operating and maintenance issues. Further, the proposal did not mention solutions if the carriages fail to meet Vietnam’s requirements on technical safety and environmental protection.
Accordingly, the ministry had opposed the import and operation of the 37 used train carriages in Vietnam, the ministry said.
