The elevated section of the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station urban railway line is expected to be completed and operational by the end of July. Meanwhile, the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien urban railway line in HCM City is continuing its tasks to be ready for use in December.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Danh Huy reported that Hanoi has set plans to complete the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station line, conduct trial operations of the elevated section, and finalize fire safety approvals and personnel training.

The Ministries of Transport, Construction, and Finance have directed the evaluation and certification of system safety, conducted site inspections, reviewed acceptance conditions, completed procedures, and signed agreements for loan allocations for the underground section. They also established an evaluation council to issue environmental permits.

Deputy Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Duong Duc Tuan announced that the elevated section of the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station line is expected to be completed and operational by the end of July.

Simultaneously, the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien urban railway project in Ho Chi Minh City has completed the necessary procedures to adjust the implementation timeline and secured approval for funding allocation. The city is expediting the completion of remaining tasks, including trial runs, system operations, safety reports, fire safety acceptance, and environmental approvals to be operational by December.

During the meeting, the task force reviewed and provided feedback on the two proposals for developing the urban railway networks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City by 2035. These proposals include specific mechanisms, policies, and resource mobilization plans suitable for the socio-economic development of each city and the nation.

Given the complexity and multi-disciplinary nature of these projects, thorough research, analysis, and evaluation are required. International experiences and past investment practices should be considered to propose goals and solutions for building a modern and synchronized urban railway system.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha acknowledged the progress made since the first meeting, with nine out of sixteen assigned tasks completed, and the remaining seven tasks on track with a scientific, practical, and effective approach.

He urged Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to strive to put the elevated sections of the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station line and the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien line into operation ahead of schedule.

For the two urban railway network development proposals, the Deputy Prime Minister called for a unified perspective, goals, tasks, solutions, and general policies, while considering the specific characteristics of each locality. The Ministry of Transport is responsible for consolidating and submitting the proposals for approval.

The urban railway networks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City must be integrated with the North-South high-speed railway, including stations, technical design standards, locomotives, carriages, and control systems.

Moreover, the two cities should choose top design consulting firms to complete and evaluate the urban railway network plans with a long-term vision. The experience of countries with advanced subway systems should be referenced to develop comprehensive and feasible plans for technology transfer, construction, locomotive, and carriage management, operation, and human resources training, aiming to build a modern and synchronized railway industry.

The Deputy Prime Minister tasked the Ministry of Finance with evaluating the overall economic impact of the urban railway development proposals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as the North-South high-speed railway, and balancing public investment capital.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City need to collaborate closely with relevant ministries to develop policy packages and resource mobilization plans, maximizing socialization through TOD (Transit-Oriented Development), PPP (Public-Private Partnerships), and BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) models.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the mechanisms and policies for developing the urban railway networks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City must be synchronized, feasible, and specific, clearly defining responsibilities, identifying obstacles, and supporting solutions for authorities to address them.

Thu Hang