National Assembly delegates propose opening more high-speed railway stations between Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces

Delegate Tran Quoc Thuan - Photo: GIA HAN

On November 13, during the discussion, delegate Tran Quoc Thuan (standing member of the National Defense and Security Committee) expressed his support for the investment policy of the North-South high-speed railway project.

But it is recommended to calculate to ensure safety for the whole economy , avoid focusing too much on this project which affects economic development goals.

Avoid dependence on foreign technology and fall into debt traps

He added that he did not know what technology would be used but suggested the Government research it to avoid dependence on foreign technology.

"Choose a contractor that is both reputable and experienced but avoid falling into the debt trap and being too dependent on their technology," Mr. Thuan said, and wishes to sign a contract with a partner in the direction of investment and technology transfer, which is best to gain experience and be proactive in technology.

One point that Mr. Thuan is concerned about is that according to the railway route plan, there are 23 passenger stations. But the distance from Vinh station to Thanh Hoa station is too far – about 140km.

“Railways mainly serve passenger transport, and Thanh Hoa and Nghe An are two provinces with large populations and high travel demand.

It is recommended that the Government consider opening another station between the two provinces in Hoang Mai (Nghe An) or Nghi Son Economic Zone (Thanh Hoa). With Nghi Son, that station can be both a passenger and cargo station…”, Mr. Thuan suggested.

Delegate Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh (HCMC delegation) also proposed to study the extension of the high-speed railway line to the western provinces, including Can Tho.

According to Ms. Hanh, these are provinces that do not have many highways, so traffic jams during holidays and Tet are very serious. With Can Tho being the capital of the West, delegates suggested considering extending the high-speed railway to this area.

Delegate Leo Thi Lich (Bac Giang) agreed with the necessity of the investment policy but expressed concerns about whether the 10-year project implementation period would be feasible. She suggested that the Government consider…

Delegate Tran Van Lam - Photo: GIA HAN

Don't worry too much about resources.

Also giving his opinion in the discussion group on the investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway project, delegate Tran Van Lam, standing member of the Finance and Budget Committee, said that the construction is reasonable and can be said to be "heavenly time, favorable location, and harmony of people".

“We have enough potential, capacity, determination and the urgent need to implement the socio-economic needs. Some even say that the current implementation is a bit slow.

If we don't do it, we will miss the opportunity and long-term development potential of the country," Mr. Lam said.

According to Mr. Lam, the most worrying issue is capital and it may impact a slight increase in public debt, a slight increase in deficit, and an increase in debt repayment obligations.

“But through research and assessment, it is completely within our capabilities. According to the Government's report, the resources for implementation are public investment but have not yet been used or exploited to some of the resources that have been seen.

As estimated, 22 billion USD of TOD land fund at the main stations has not been used yet. Or economic growth of 1% each year creates a huge GDP, increasing budget revenue - this resource has not been taken into account. Therefore, we should not worry too much about the resource", Mr. Lam clearly stated.

Regarding technology, Mr. Lam said that many countries currently want to transfer technology because transferring can still earn money, but if it takes too long, the price will "go down", but if Vietnam does not do it, it will miss the opportunity.

Mr. Lam also emphasized that the effectiveness of the project has been clearly seen when it comes into operation, it will have an impact on promoting economic growth. At the same time, when large public investment capital is implemented, it will spread, helping to promote growth, create jobs and income for other sectors.

However, according to Mr. Lam, there are some issues that need more attention, such as the controversy over stations (stops). Some places have demand but are right on the planned route, not taken into account, even though it is very long. But there are places that require a little detour.

“This needs to be clarified. Not many people wonder why we can go around Nam Dinh without going around Hung Yen. Or why we can’t go around Hoa Binh, because Hoa Binh doesn’t have a railway yet.

The Government should explain thoroughly, and if it is effective, the delegates will support it. But clearly the viewpoint is to make the route as straight as possible to reduce investment costs, but here the plan is to go around in circles, winding around, with soft curves…”, Mr. Lam stated.

Why go around Nam Dinh?

Previously, in the November 10 report sent to the National Assembly, the Government explained the route through Nam Dinh city instead of going straight from Ha Nam to Ninh Binh.

According to the Government, during the research process, 3 options were proposed for analysis and comparison: station 5km from the city center; station 12km from the city center; route going straight from Ha Nam to Ninh Binh, not going through Nam Dinh.

However, Nam Dinh City has a planned population of about 600,000 people by 2040, is the southern center of the Northern coastal region, and is a traffic hub with Thai Binh and Hung Yen provinces... with about 4 million people.

It is forecasted that by 2050, the demand for travel to and from Nam Dinh station will be approximately 3 million passengers per year. If calculating the investment and operating costs for 30 years for the section through Nam Dinh (12km from the city center), it will be approximately 1.66 billion USD, while the benefits will be estimated at 2.06 billion USD.

Thus, exploiting the high-speed railway route through Nam Dinh city has an estimated benefit of about 400 million USD within 30 years, compared to the route going straight through this area.

Experience in Japan, Korea, China... also has high-speed railway lines that go around major centers to attract passengers instead of going straight.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dai-bieu-quoc-hoi-de-xuat-mo-them-ga-duong-sat-toc-do-cao-giua-2-tinh-thanh-hoa-nghe-an-20241113144519249.htm