PM attends groundbreaking of Hanoi-Quang Ninh high-speed railway
VOV.VN - Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on April 12 attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Hanoi-Quang Ninh high-speed railway project in Quang Ninh province.
The project was launched by the People’s Committee of Quang Ninh in coordination with the People’s Committees of Hanoi, Hai Phong and Bac Ninh.
Also present were former Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc, and Minister of Public Security General Luong Tam Quang.
The Hanoi-Quang Ninh high-speed railway is designed for a maximum speed of 350 km/h and is expected to cut travel time between Hanoi and Quang Ninh by five to seven times, to about 23 minutes. The project is developed by VinSpeed, with total investment of more than 147 trillion VND (over US$5.6 billion), excluding site clearance costs.
The 120.2-km line will pass through Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh. It is designed as a double-track, standard-gauge (1,435 mm), fully electrified railway, with a maximum speed of 350 km/h, except for the section in Hanoi where the maximum speed is 120 km/h. The line runs from Co Loa station in Hanoi to Ha Long station in Quang Ninh, with intermediate stations at Gia Binh (Bac Ninh), Ninh Xa (Hai Phong) and Yen Tu (Quang Ninh). The project is scheduled for completion and commercial operation in 2028.
Nguyen Viet Quang, Vice Chairman and CEO of Vingroup, said the project will form an efficient transport corridor linking the capital with industrial, logistics and tourism centres in the northern key economic region, thus contributing to trade, investment and the mobility of high-quality labour, and supporting stronger regional linkages.
The project will use the latest generation of high-speed trains and high-end signalling and communication systems supplied by Siemens Mobility, with technology transfer to VinSpeed during operations.
As the first inter-regional high-speed railway project in Vietnam, the Hanoi-Quang Ninh line is expected to create a strong driving force for the northern key economic region and contribute to improving national competitiveness.
Bui Van Khang, Deputy Secretary of the Quang Ninh Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the four localities will focus on site clearance, compensation, resettlement and handover of cleared land, while coordinating to ensure the project is implemented in line with legal requirements and on schedule, and dealing with arising issues to ensure uninterrupted construction.
At the ceremony, Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and other current and former Party and State leaders performed the groundbreaking ritual to launch the project.