Proposed fares for the North high-speed railway.

TPO – According to the proposal, the price of high-speed rail tickets is expected to be about 75% of the price of air tickets under normal conditions, divided into 3 levels; this is to suit the affordability of the people and encourage them to access high-speed rail services.

On average, there will be a station every 67km.

The government has just submitted a draft report to the National Assembly on the pre-feasibility study for the North-South high-speed railway project. According to the report, the North-South high-speed railway will be approximately 1,545 km long, running from Ngoc Hoi station ( Hanoi ) to Thu Thiem station (Ho Chi Minh City), with double tracks and a gauge of 1,435 mm.

The project passes through the territory of 20 provinces and cities including: Hanoi, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien - Hue, Da Nang , Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Dong Nai, and Ho Chi Minh City.

The high-speed railway line has 23 passenger stations spaced 67km apart, located near the economic and political centers of various localities.

High-speed rail lines typically have a station every 67km or so. (Illustrative image.)

According to the Government, the planning for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which has been reported and basically agreed upon by the Politburo, stipulates that each locality will have one station. However, the provinces of Ha Tinh, Binh Dinh, and Binh Thuan will have two stations. This ensures that trains can operate at maximum speed (320 km/h) for 70-80% of the distance between two stations (the acceleration distance is approximately 7.2 km; the deceleration distance is approximately 9.5 km).

In addition, to ensure national defense, security, and cargo transportation when needed, five freight stations are located at major cargo hubs along the route.

Specifically, the planned route will include the construction of 5 depots for the staging, repair, and maintenance of passenger trains (in Hanoi, Nghe An, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, and Ho Chi Minh City) and 4 depots for the repair and maintenance of freight trains (in Ha Tinh, Quang Nam, Khanh Hoa, and Dong Nai).

The ticket price is 75% of the price of a budget airline ticket.

To shorten implementation time and maximize the mobilization of resources, the government plans to divide the project into four component projects and implement them simultaneously, with the participation of domestic contractors.

Specifically, component project 1 includes the section from Ngoc Hoi station (Hanoi) to Vinh station (Nghe An province) with a total length of approximately 281 km; component project 2 includes the section from Vinh station (Nghe An province) to Da Nang station (Da Nang city) with a total length of approximately 420 km.

Component project 3, the section from Da Nang station (Da Nang city) to Dien Khanh station (Khanh Hoa province), has a total length of approximately 480 km; component project 4, the section from Dien Khanh station (Khanh Hoa province) to Thu Thiem station (Ho Chi Minh City), has a total length of approximately 360 km.

If the investment plan is approved by the National Assembly in the upcoming October session, the project aims to carry out land clearance along the entire route and commence construction of component projects by the end of 2027; striving to complete the entire route by 2035 with a total project investment of approximately 1.7 million billion VND (about 67.3 billion USD).

Specifically, the estimated cost items include compensation, support, and resettlement costs of nearly 150,000 billion VND; construction and equipment costs of approximately 974,500 billion VND; locomotive and rolling stock costs of approximately 110,376 billion VND; project management, consulting, and other costs of approximately 162,731 billion VND; contingency costs of approximately 260,783 billion VND; and interest costs during the construction period of approximately 55,438 billion VND.

"The route consists of approximately 60% bridges, 10% tunnels, and 30% earthworks, resulting in an investment cost of approximately $43.7 million per kilometer. This is an average figure compared to some high-speed rail lines worldwide with similar operating speeds when adjusted to 2024," the government's proposal stated.

One of the concerns of the public is the price of high-speed rail tickets, which, according to calculations by the drafting agency, are expected to be about 75% of the price of a budget airline ticket under normal conditions. To suit affordability and attract passengers, high-speed rail tickets are divided into three price levels corresponding to different passenger groups and levels of amenities.

"The proposed fares do not differ significantly from those in countries with similar conditions to Vietnam, or from those on long-distance high-speed rail lines. They are lower than air travel but higher than road transport, offering higher service quality, saving time, and providing greater safety and convenience to encourage people to access high-speed rail services," according to the proposal.

The Ministry of Finance stated that when investing in the high-speed railway line, by 2030 all three criteria – public debt, government debt, and foreign debt – of Vietnam will remain below the permitted levels. Specifically, the highest public debt is 44% compared to the permitted level of 60%; the highest government debt is 43% compared to the permitted level of 50%; and the highest foreign debt is 45% compared to the permitted level of 50%.

The period after 2030, with its growth targets and public debt safety indicators, shows that the project meets public debt targets; government debt, national foreign debt, and budget deficit indicators show a slight increase; direct debt repayment obligations increase but not significantly compared to the scenario without investment.

According to the government, calculations show that during the construction period, the project will contribute approximately 0.97 percentage points per year to the national average GDP growth compared to a scenario without investment. In addition, commercial operation is expected to generate around $22 billion, not including the investment costs for vehicles and equipment, which will be borne by the Vietnam Railways Corporation. These factors will contribute to improving all macroeconomic financial indicators.

In particular, the commissioning of high-speed rail will create momentum for the development of various industries, sectors, and economic regions, laying the groundwork for breakthrough socio-economic development nationwide.

Duong Hung

Source: https://tienphong.vn/de-xuat-gia-ve-duong-sat-toc-do-cao-bac-nam-post1677588.tpo