Maintaining the national railway network's connection through Hanoi.

Solutions will be found to expedite the implementation of the Eastern Ring Railway Project, specifically the Ngoc Hoi - Kim Son section, and the Phu Xuyen - Ngoc Hoi Railway Construction Project, including Thuong Tin station and the National Railway Operations Center, valued at 37,198 billion VND.

North-South railway trains pick up passengers at Hanoi station.

New order

The plan for investing in alternative infrastructure to hand over the existing national railway line to Hanoi City, as per the master plan, has just received important guidance, following the latest directive from Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc.

Earlier this week, the Government Office issued Official Letter No. 3448/VPCP-CN to the Ministries of Construction, Finance, Justice, and the People's Committee of Hanoi, conveying the directive of Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc regarding the assignment of the People's Committee of Hanoi as the managing agency for several national railway projects in the city.

Accordingly, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Construction to study and fully incorporate the opinions of relevant agencies and units, especially the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice; and at the same time clarify the political and legal basis, authority, and procedures for assigning the Hanoi People's Committee as the managing agency for the implementation of the projects.

In addition, the Ministry of Construction must fully assess the impact on transportation, costs, and the risk of traffic congestion if passengers and goods have to be transferred between major railway stations and the central area when the connecting infrastructure is not yet fully developed; and at the same time propose solutions to preserve the historical value of the Hanoi railway station area. The assessment results must be reported to the Prime Minister before April 24, 2026.

Previously, on April 16th, the Ministry of Construction sent Official Letter No. 5655/BXD-KHTC to the Prime Minister reporting on the current status of the national railway network in the Hanoi hub area; the planning of the national railway network in this area; the investment plan for alternative infrastructure projects to hand over the existing railway line to Hanoi City according to the plan; and clarifying the legal basis for the proposal to assign the Hanoi People's Committee as the managing agency for investment.

Official document No. 5655/BXD-KHTC was sent after the meeting on March 12th, chaired by the Secretary of the Hanoi City Party Committee and the Minister of Construction, to direct the acceleration of several projects in Hanoi, including important railway projects such as the Eastern Ring Road section from Ngoc Hoi to Kim Son; the relocation of the existing North-South railway line from Phu Xuyen station to Ngoc Hoi station, the construction of a new Thuong Tin station and the National Railway Transport Operations Center; urban railway lines No. 1 and No. 6 and some related projects.

A notable highlight in Official Document No. 5655/BXD-KHTC is the Ministry of Construction's affirmation of the necessity and urgency of immediately investing in the Eastern Ring Road railway line section from Ngoc Hoi to Kim Son; simultaneously, relocating the existing North-South railway line from Phu Xuyen station to Ngoc Hoi station, constructing a new Thuong Tin station and a National Railway Transport Operations Center.

"This is a prerequisite for Hanoi to be able to implement investment in urban railway lines No. 1 and No. 6 in 2028," stated Official Document No. 5655/BXD-KHTC signed by Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh.

Specifically, the Eastern Ring Railway Project, specifically the Ngoc Hoi - Kim Son section, is approximately 31.3 km long (main line), with a preliminary total investment of 25,675 billion VND. The project is currently undergoing a pre-feasibility study, with approval expected in 2026, construction to begin in 2028, and completion in 2032.

Meanwhile, the project to reroute the railway line from Phu Xuyen station to Ngoc Hoi station, build a new Thuong Tin station and a National Railway Transport Operations Center, with a length of approximately 26.5 km, runs entirely within Hanoi city limits and is invested according to single-track standards, 1,000 mm gauge. The project also includes two new stations (Thuong Tin and Phu Xuyen), a freight car factory, a locomotive factory and the National Railway Transport Operations Center (relocated from Hanoi station) located at Thuong Tin station. The preliminary total investment is approximately 11,523 billion VND.

"Because the Ministry of Construction's medium-term public investment plan has not allocated funds for these two projects, even under the fastest implementation scenario under an emergency order, it is difficult to complete the projects before 2030," a leader of the Ministry of Construction stated.

Also in Official Letter No. 5655/BXD-KHTC, the Ministry of Construction assessed that, in the event that replacement projects are not yet completed, but the national railway infrastructure must be immediately handed over to Hanoi City and the operation of the Ngoc Hoi - Yen Vien section must be stopped, many serious consequences will arise.

First, the Transport Operations Center was forced to cease operations, leading to the disruption of all trains running between North and South Vietnam and on northern routes, potentially reducing revenue for the entire railway industry by up to 90%, and directly impacting national defense, security, and special missions.

Furthermore, the disruption of the railway transport supply chain will shift the volume of goods transported, especially bulk cargo, oversized and overweight goods, and passengers, to road transport, increasing pressure on infrastructure and the risk of traffic congestion and accidents.

Furthermore, Vietnam Railways Corporation will have to operate at a reduced capacity while awaiting the completion of the replacement infrastructure, directly affecting approximately 22,000 workers, as well as the maintenance and development of human resources for future railway projects.

Transfer of investment management agency

To avoid disruption to the national railway transport axis when handing over the entire Yen Vien - Ngoc Hoi line to the Hanoi People's Committee for urban renovation and reconstruction in the southern area, the Ministry of Construction proposes that the Prime Minister assign the Hanoi People's Committee as the managing agency for the investment of the two aforementioned projects in accordance with the Law on Public Investment, Resolution No. 258/2025/QH15 of the National Assembly, and other relevant legal regulations, using central government budget funds.

According to the Ministry of Construction's leadership, Resolution No. 258/2025/QH15 has established special and superior mechanisms to accelerate progress and mobilize resources for important projects in Hanoi. Assigning the city as the managing agency will create conditions for proactive application of these mechanisms, including implementation under emergency orders, thereby ensuring the goal of completing railway projects by 2028 as proposed.

Regarding the responsibility for implementation, the Ministry of Construction will coordinate and support the Hanoi People's Committee and relevant units in the process of transferring and implementing the project.

The handover of the existing Ngoc Hoi - Yen Vien railway section will only take place after Hanoi completes investment in two replacement projects, in order to avoid disruption to the national railway transport chain and minimize the impact on the production and business activities of Vietnam Railways Corporation.

Regarding this proposal, in Official Letter No. 4734/BTC-PTHT sent to the Ministry of Construction on April 16th, the Ministry of Finance stated that Hanoi is a locality directly affected and benefiting from the projects, therefore it has an advantage in accelerating progress and flexibly handling arising issues, especially in land clearance, resettlement, and urban spatial organization associated with railway infrastructure.

At the same time, assigning Hanoi as the managing agency will create conditions to ensure unified and synchronized management of investment and construction between national railway projects and urban planning, public transport planning, and development according to the TOD model, thereby improving the efficiency of land use and increasing socio-economic value.

Furthermore, decentralization to local authorities is consistent with the policy of strengthening decentralization and delegation of power, enhancing the autonomy and accountability of urban governments. "Therefore, overall, assigning Hanoi as the managing agency for these projects is not only consistent with practical management but also meets the requirements for reforming the urban government model towards efficiency and modernity," a leader from the Ministry of Finance assessed.

However, the Ministry of Finance's official document clarifies that, since the aforementioned railway projects are national railway projects under the investment responsibility of the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Construction needs to report to the competent authority for consideration and decision. This report should clarify the political and legal basis, procedures, and processes for assigning the Hanoi People's Committee as the lead agency; and simultaneously assess the impact of the transfer on the implementation process, as well as propose a management and operation plan after completion, ensuring efficiency and consistency.

Hanoi Regional Railway Transport Organization

The North-South railway line handles over 80% of the entire industry's transport volume; starting at Hanoi station, it connects with northern lines; approximately 86 passenger and freight trains pass through the area daily.

The Hanoi railway hub transports approximately 3 million passengers and 2.9 million tons of goods per year; averaging 9,000 passengers per day, with peak periods (Tet, summer) reaching nearly 20,000 passengers per day.

Passenger transport is concentrated at Hanoi Station, serving passengers arriving, departing, and transiting through the area.

Freight transport is carried out at Giap Bat and Yen Vien stations; international intermodal and transit transport passes through the Ngoc Hoi - Yen Vien and Western Ring Road (Bac Hong - Van Dien) routes.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/giu-mach-ket-noi-duong-sat-quoc-gia-qua-ha-noi-d575833.html