Urgently preparing to start construction of Lao Cai - Hanoi

On the evening of September 7, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a meeting to review and continue promoting the implementation of the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis and the Lao Cai- Hanoi -Hai Phong railway route, including the construction, appraisal and announcement of high-speed railway standards and regulations, and the allocation of capital for railway projects.

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the efforts of ministries and agencies with positive progress after the meeting on August 30.

The Prime Minister directed the arrangement of capital sources for the project, including proactive public investment sources and proposed loan sources. Photo: VGP.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to proactively carry out work related to land, forests, and the environment for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Construction are coordinating with the Chinese side to prepare for the meeting of the Vietnam-China Joint Railway Cooperation Committee. The preparations must be very specific, including the selection of consultants.

The Ministry of Construction was assigned to urgently prepare a feasibility study report to start the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project on December 19; coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology to complete the announcement of standards and regulations in October according to the law.

The Ministry of Construction coordinates with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in work related to route orientation, land, forests, and environment, and coordinates with localities to proactively clear land according to the National Assembly's resolution.

The Prime Minister also gave instructions on allocating capital for the project, including proactively sourcing public investment and proposing loan sources, including capital from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Emphasizing the spirit of "nothing is impossible", the Prime Minister requested ministries and agencies to report weekly on assigned tasks; any difficulties or problems must be resolved within their authority; if beyond their authority, they must be reported to competent authorities for consideration and decision.

The Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway line is proposed to be invested with a total length of more than 403 km, from Lao Cai to Hai Phong. Preliminary calculations show that the project has a total investment of nearly 195,000 billion VND (equivalent to more than 8 billion USD).