HCMC – The Ministry of Transport is set to present an investment proposal for the US$8-billion Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong railway project to the National Assembly (NA) before February 10.
During a meeting on February 3, Deputy Director of the Planning and Investment Department Luu Quang Thin confirmed that a pre-feasibility study had already been submitted to the prime minister.
A National Assembly delegation is scheduled to conduct a site inspection on February 4 and 5. The project file is expected to be finalized and sent to the Government by February 7, ahead of its submission to the NA.
Lawmakers will review the proposal and are expected to pass a resolution by February 17. If approved, the feasibility study will be finalized by the third quarter of 2025. Technical design work and contractor selection for the initial construction phase will follow, with groundbreaking anticipated by the end of the year.
Spanning 403 kilometers, the railway will pass through nine provinces and centrally governed cities, including Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, and Haiphong. It will start at the new Lao Cai station, connecting with China’s Hekou North station, and end at Lach Huyen Port in Haiphong City.
The project is designed to boost transportation links between northern Vietnam and China, aligning with China’s “Belt and Road Initiative” and Vietnam’s “Two Corridors and One Economic Belt” framework. It aims to enhance freight and passenger services while reducing emissions.
The Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to create new trade routes connecting China with the rest of the world, was first introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visits to Central Asia in September 2013 and Southeast Asia in October 2013.
