HCMC – The prime minister has instructed local authorities to simultaneously begin land clearance on August 19 for two major rail projects: the North-South high-speed rail line and the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong rail line.
At a meeting on July 9, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said land clearance for the major railway projects would be handled separately from the investment process and placed under the authority of local governments.
Therefore, he called on local leaders to take charge of execution and urged agencies to swiftly finalize and hand over route alignments.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been tasked with expediting an early meeting of the Vietnam-China Intergovernmental Committee to resolve obstacles facing cross-border railway projects.
Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son will oversee the handling of issues related to ODA funding regulations, with a shift from pre-audit to post-audit mechanisms.
The Ministry of Construction will be responsible for finalizing the system of technical standards and regulations by July 20. The Ministry of Science and Technology will review and officially issue these standards by August 10.
The North-South high-speed railway project was approved by the National Assembly in November 2024, with a preliminary investment of VND1.7 quadrillion.
The 1,541-kilometer double-track line with a 1,435 mm gauge is designed for speeds of up to 350 km/h. It will have 23 passenger stations and five freight stations between Ngoc Hoi Station in Hanoi City and Thu Thiem Station in HCMC.
In mid-February 2025, the legislature also approved the investment policy for the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong railway project, with total funding of over VND203 trillion.
The main line will span nearly 391 kilometers with a 1,435 mm gauge, along with several branch lines totaling 27.9 kilometers. The project is targeted for completion by 2030 at the latest.
