Submit North-South high-speed railway project to Politburo in March

The Government Standing Committee assigned the Ministry of Transport to urgently complete the investment policy project for the high-speed railway on the North-South axis, submit it to the Government Standing Committee and the Politburo in March 2024.

Building the North-South high-speed railway "as straight as possible"

On February 19, the Government Office issued Document No. 57 announcing the conclusion of the Government Standing Committee at the meeting on the Project on investment policy for the high-speed railway on the North-South axis.

Next March, the Politburo will submit a project to build a North-South high-speed railway. Photo: Shinkasen.

In conclusion, the Government Standing Committee clearly stated the view that the construction of a high-speed railway must ensure modernity, synchronization, and sustainability.

Research on investment in high-speed railways must be placed within the overall development planning and strategic forecast of the needs of all five modes of transport: aviation, road, rail, maritime, and inland waterways in the long term.

In which, the advantages of each method are analyzed, thereby clarifying the advantages of high-speed rail transport which focus on passenger transport, complementing air transport, and only transporting goods when necessary.

Freight transport mainly focuses on current railways; maritime; coastal waterway transport; road. On that basis, evaluate and convincingly explain the proposed investment plan.

Regarding the scope of the study, the Government Standing Committee requested to study the expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho route.

Regarding the investment scenario, the Government Standing Committee requested the Ministry of Transport to continue to research, carefully evaluate, and widely consult experts to choose the most suitable option.

In which, compare the option of transporting passengers and goods at the same time; the option of transporting passengers only. The high-speed railway on the North-South axis transports passengers, while goods are mainly transported by sea (seaports, inland waterways) and upgrading the existing railway line.

Regarding the route, the Ministry of Transport was assigned to study and carefully review the route to ensure the straightest route possible, while creating new space. Further research should be done on reducing the number of stations to reduce costs.

Also in the conclusion, the Government Standing Committee assigned the Ministry of Transport to urgently complete the project, submit it to the Government Standing Committee, and submit it to the Politburo in March 2024.

Urgently complete the project's pre-feasibility study report and submit it to the National Assembly for consideration and decision on investment policy in 2024.

The Ministry of Transport reviews and completes institutions, norms, standards, etc. to promptly amend and supplement them to create a favorable legal corridor for the development of railways in general and high-speed railways in particular; develops and implements a project on the organization and management model for national railway exploitation (including high-speed railways).

The Ministry of Transport proactively coordinates with local ministries and sectors to prepare necessary conditions to prepare for investment and construction, receive technology transfer, and increase the localization rate. Develop a plan to train human resources in the railway sector.

Establishment of the Working Group for the implementation of the North-South high-speed railway

The Government Standing Committee assigned the Ministry of Transport to urgently coordinate with the Government Office to study and establish a Working Group to implement the North-South high-speed railway project, with Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha as Head of the Working Group; the Minister of Transport as Deputy Head of the Working Group; and representatives of some leaders as members. The Working Group has working regulations, and is expected to meet once a month to promptly handle and promote the preparation and implementation of the project.

The Ministry of Transport is required to soon develop a high-speed railway project to report to the Politburo for approval and submit it to the Politburo in March 2024.

The Ministry of Transport is assigned to continue to consult experts, scientists, and experienced officials in the railway industry on many options to select an optimal option to submit to the Politburo. Urgently complete the Project, submit to the Government Standing Committee, and submit to the Politburo in March 2024. Urgently complete the pre-feasibility study report of the Project, submit to the National Assembly for consideration and decision on investment policy in 2024.

The Ministry of Transport needs to proactively coordinate with local ministries and sectors to prepare the necessary conditions to prepare for investment and construction, receive technology transfer, and increase the localization rate. Develop a plan to train human resources in the railway sector.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment, as the Standing Agency of the State Appraisal Council, continues to carry out procedures to promptly complete the appraisal of the Project's pre-feasibility study report according to regulations; coordinate with the Ministry of Transport to proactively develop a cooperation plan with foreign sponsors to mobilize appropriate capital sources for the Project; balance and arrange medium-term and annual capital plans to meet the needs of Project implementation.

The Ministry of Finance shall preside over the calculation of the impact of the Project investment on public debt; prioritize the allocation of annual state budget estimates for science and technology development in the railway sector; coordinate with the Ministry of Transport to analyze the financial model of the Project.

The Ministry of Construction reviews, amends and supplements legal regulations or guides procedures to speed up progress and shorten construction investment procedures.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade builds and implements a project to develop the railway industry and supporting industries to ensure synchronization with other industries.

The Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs direct the promotion of research and specialized training in the railway sector to provide high-quality human resources to serve development needs; develop cooperation plans with other countries to coordinate human resource training; research, build and establish vocational training facilities in the railway sector.

The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities strictly manage the land fund agreed with the Ministry of Transport to facilitate the project implementation process. Prioritize land allocation around the station area to develop urban areas and functional areas according to the TOD model.

Invest in some other national railway lines, strive to start construction of Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong lines in 2025

The Government Standing Committee also requested the Ministry of Transport to preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies to urgently work with the Chinese side to agree on a memorandum of understanding, support plan, and investment cooperation on the three railway lines Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong, Hanoi - Dong Dang, Ha Long - Mong Cai (the Nam Dinh - Thai Binh - Quang Ninh coastal railway line extension).

It is necessary to soon invest in the routes Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong, Hanoi - Dong Dang, Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong, combining freight and passenger transport; the Can Tho - Ho Chi Minh City route is mainly passenger.

In the immediate future, it is necessary to focus on investing in the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong routes (striving to start construction in 2025), researching plans to use preferential foreign loans (clearly defining: preferential loan interest rates, loan value and loan period) and plans to issue bonds for investment.

Restart soon to deploy investment to complete the Yen Vien - Pha Lai - Ha Long - Cai Lan railway line in accordance with Conclusion No. 49-KL/TW of the Politburo.

In addition, soon restart to deploy investment to complete the Yen Vien - Pha Lai - Ha Long - Cai Lan railway line.

According to vov.vn

Source: https://baovinhphuc.com.vn/Multimedia/Images/Id/106932/Trinh-Bo-Chinh-tri-de-an-duong-sat-toc-do-cao-Bac---Nam-trong-thang-3