He commended the Ministry of Construction and relevant agencies for their efforts in carrying out assigned tasks and achieving specific results. Accordingly, the project investor has completed the design of the land clearance boundaries, alignment centre coordinates, and station locations, as well as the review and adjustment of the route alignment.

All localities have established land acquisition steering committees and are actively implementing related tasks.

The project investor is currently selecting a consultant to prepare the environmental impact assessment report, initiate forest land-use conversion procedures, draft cost estimates for design consultancy packages, prepare the feasibility study report, and calculate and register capital requirements for discussions with potential partners.

To carry out the project on time, the PM requested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinate with relevant Chinese agencies to facilitate and recommend joint venture consultants to collaborate with Vietnamese firms in the technical design phase. The Ministry of Construction was tasked with working closely with local authorities to finalise the railway alignment, organise site clearance, and hand over the land for project implementation. Regarding land use, he emphasised the need to prioritiae land-related procedures to avoid delays.

He also urged the Ministry of Finance to engage with the Chinese side in securing the most preferential loan terms for the project and proposed the establishment of a VND500 trillion (approx. US$20 billion) fund to support science and technology, railway development, and other strategic infrastructure initiatives. He also requested speeding up negotiations on rail-related agreements, including the rail connection protocol.

The PM stressed the importance of human resource training, noting the need to estimate the number of workers, engineers, and senior technicians required to eventually build a domestic railway industry.

He also encouraged the Ministry of Construction to work with VinSpeed High-Speed Rail Investment and Development JSC to advance the North-South high-speed railway project. The government aims not only to build this key infrastructure but also to lay the groundwork for establishing a robust railway industry in Vietnam in the near future.

According to a report from the Ministry of Construction, the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong rail route will span nearly 419 kilometers, with a total estimated investment of over US$8.3 billion. The railway will pass through nine provinces and cities of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, and Hai Phong.

The starting point is the rail connection at the border between the new Lao Cai Station (Vietnam) and Hekou North Station (China), and the endpoint is at Lach Huyen Port in Hai Phong City.

It is a project of critical strategic importance to Vietnam across economic, political, defence, and international integration dimensions. This railway connects Lao Cai border gate (adjacent to China) with the capital city of Hanoi and Hai Phong - the largest international seaport in northern Vietnam. It forms a continuous logistics corridor from the border to the sea, thus facilitating import-export activities, especially for goods from China’s Yunnan province to the East Sea.

It helps reduce logistics costs significantly compared to road transport; enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese goods, especially agricultural products, minerals, and construction materials; and support the development of major logistics hubs in Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Hanoi, Hai Duong, and Hai Phong along the route.

North–South high-speed railway drives forward Vietnam's infrastructure development goals

VOV.VN - The proposal to adopt special mechanisms allowing Vietnamese enterprises to participate in the North–South high-speed railway project is seen as essential to promoting technological self-reliance and enabling domestic mastery of high-speed rail systems.