Good news for the Yen Vien - Cai Lan Railway Project

Due to insufficient funding, the Yen Vien - Pha Lai - Ha Long - Cai Lan Railway Project, under the Ministry of Transport, has been temporarily suspended and delayed since 2011. For over a decade, the project has been stalled, leading to numerous negative consequences affecting the lives of people in the project area. However, a positive sign is that the Vietnam Railway Authority has recently proposed to the Ministry of Transport to review and approve the planning for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh railway line. This could be a "way out" for the Yen Vien - Pha Lai - Ha Long - Cai Lan Railway Project.

According to a proposal from the Vietnam Railway Authority, the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh railway line will have its starting point at Lao Cai Station and its end point at Ha Long Station (part of the Kep - Ha Long railway line). The total length of the line is approximately 427km, including 41 stations along the route. The line passes through 10 provinces and cities: Lao Cai, Yen Bai , Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh.

The planning consultancy consortium, TRICC-TEDI, divided the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh railway line into two main lines and two branch lines. The main line is 391.06 km long, from Lao Cai to South Hai Phong and Lach Huyen Port; the main line is 50.59 km long, from South Hai Phong to Cai Lan; the branch line is 12.632 km long, from South Hai Phong to South Do Son Port; and the branch line is 7.418 km long, from South Dinh Vu to Dinh Vu.

The estimated total capital requirement for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh railway line is VND 179,126 billion, of which land acquisition costs are VND 23,448 billion; construction and equipment costs are VND 107,260 billion; and the remainder is for consulting, project management, and contingency costs.

The Yen Vien - Pha Lai - Ha Long - Cai Lan railway project has been halted. — The Yen Vien - Pha Lai - Ha Long - Cai Lan railway project has been "suspended" for more than a decade.

According to calculations, the demand for rail transport on the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh railway network is projected to reach 12.77 million tons of goods and 4.65 million passengers in 2030; 14.94 million tons of goods and 6.22 million passengers in 2040; and 17.48 million tons of goods and 8.31 million passengers in 2050. This project aims to meet the demand for rail transport; connect the national railway network with seaports, concentrated industrial zones, and tourist areas, thereby maximizing the efficiency of rail transport and contributing to the country's industrialization and modernization.

The fact that the Vietnam Railway Authority has requested the Ministry of Transport to review, appraise, and approve the planning for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh railway line is good news for households affected by the Yen Vien - Pha Lai - Ha Long - Cai Lan railway project.

Previously, due to insufficient funding, the Yen Vien - Pha Lai - Ha Long - Cai Lan railway project was temporarily suspended in accordance with Government Resolution No. 11/NQ-CP dated February 24, 2011. The project's suspension directly affected residents living along both sides of the railway line.

The Yen Vien - Pha Lai - Ha Long - Cai Lan railway line was approved by the Ministry of Transport in Decision No. 2181/QD-BGTVT dated July 24, 2008. The project has a length of 131 km and a total investment of over 7,600 billion VND. In Quang Ninh province, statistics show that nearly 3,000 households are affected by the project in the localities of Ha Long, Uong Bi, and Dong Trieu. These households within the project area are prohibited from building or repairing houses, subdividing land, transferring land use rights, or obtaining new land use certificates. This also leads to wasted land resources, hinders socio-economic development, and negatively impacts people's lives.

Hopefully, the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh railway line will soon be approved and implemented, thereby creating a "solution" for the previously "suspended" Yen Vien - Pha Lai - Ha Long - Cai Lan railway project, helping people in the affected areas to feel secure in their lives and develop their economy.

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