Hire consultants to review railway project through Hai Duong

The Government Office has just issued a notice on the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, in which it requested the Chairman of the State Appraisal Council to appraise the Pre-Feasibility Study Report of the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong Railway Construction Investment Project to carefully review regulations related to bidding.

Based on the progress of submitting the project's Pre-Feasibility Study Report, the Council Chairman will decide to hire a consultant to review it or submit it to the competent authority for decision in special cases.

Previously, the Government established an Appraisal Council to carefully review the Pre-Feasibility Study Report of this project. The Council is chaired by the Minister of Planning and Investment, and the Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment is Vice Chairman. Members include leaders of ministries, branches, and leaders of provinces and cities: Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, and Hai Phong.

The Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway construction investment project, with the expected capital sponsor being the Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank), aims to build a new 1,435 mm standard gauge railway, electrified, connecting with the Chinese railway and Hai Phong seaport.

The line starts at the border rail connection point between Lao Cai station (Vietnam) and Ha Khau Bac station (China); the end point is at Lach Huyen port (Hai Phong), with a total main line length of 388 km (the section from Lao Cai station to Lach Huyen port station is 383 km long; the section from Lao Cai station to the rail connection point is 5.11 km long). In addition, the branch line connecting Nam Hai Phong port and Nam Dinh Vu is 7.8 km long; the branch line connecting Yen Thuong station and Yen Vien station is 2.1 km long.

The project has a design speed of 160 km/h on the main section of Lao Cai station - Lach Huyen Port station, 80 km/h for the section of Lao Cai - rail junction and branch lines, 120 km/h for the railway section through Hanoi hub, coinciding with the Eastern belt railway.

The project is expected to be divided into two investment phases. Phase 1 is expected to complete the construction of the entire railway line on a single-track scale by 2030, with complete site clearance. Phase 2 after 2050 will build the entire line on a double-track scale.

The total investment of the project is about VND 211,030 billion, including VND 135,600 billion of preferential loans used for construction cost items; equipment and vehicle costs; design consulting and construction supervision costs; contingency costs for the above items and about VND 75,430 billion of counterpart capital from the Vietnamese Government for project management costs; value added tax; other consulting costs and other costs; compensation costs, resettlement support, loan interest and contingency costs.

The Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway is expected to contribute to improving the transport capacity of the East - West railway axis to meet the demand for railway transport, connecting the national railway with seaports, concentrated industrial zones, tourist areas, meeting the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country.