The North-South high-speed railway project development is heating up internet forums these days. The existing railway system is outdated by hundreds of years and cannot create momentum for development in a country 2,000 kilometers in length.

In early October, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed Decision 1143 on the establishment of the steering committee on the elevated high-speed railway on the North-South route and other important national railway projects.

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) plans to work on the two priority railway sections, Hanoi - Vinh and Nha Trang – HCM City, by 2030 at the latest, and complete construction by 2050.

MOT has sent invitation letters to nine experts and scientists specializing in transportation, construction, economics, finance, railway transport exploitation and engines, inviting them to join the advisory council.

The members of the council include Prof Dr Tran Chung, Nguyen Ngoc Dong, who was former Deputy Minister of Transport, Prof Dr La Ngoc Khue, also former Deputy Minister of Transport (experts in transportation); Nguyen Van Phuc, former deputy chair of the National Assembly’s Economics Committee, Dr Nguyen Dinh Cung, former head of the Central Institute of Economic Management – CIEM (economists); and Le Xuan Nghia, a member of the National Advisory Board for Financial and Monetary Policies (financial expert).

Prior to that, in March 2023, the Politburo decided that procedures for the North-South high-speed railway project approval would be completed by 2025 and construction would begin prior to 2030.

Of the railway sections, Hanoi - Vinh and HCM City - Nha Trang would kick off first, slated for 2026-2030. The entire railway linking the north and the south is expected to be completed by 2045.

There are two options for consideration.

Plan 1: building the North-South railway with a double track, 1,435 mm rail gauge, 1,545 km length, 320km/h operating speed. The railway would be used for passenger transport only. Meanwhile, the existing railway will be upgraded for cargo transport. The total expected investment is about $58.71 billion.

Plan 2: building the North-South railway with a double track, 1,435 mm rail gauge, which would be used for both passenger and cargo transport. The maximum speed for passenger trains 180km/h, and for cargo 120km/h. The total expected investment is about $64.9 billion.

Associate Prof Dr Tran Chung, chair of the Association of Investors and Transport Projects, voted for the plan to build the high-speed railway route using the most modern technology to achieve a train speed of over 300km/h. 

The technology for high-speed railway requires special and complicated techniques. If Vietnam builds the railways with the low speed of 200-250km/h only, it will have to rebuild the railway in the future if it wants to increase the speed. This would be very costly. 

Strategically, building a high-speed railway system with the speed of 350km/h with the long term vision for 50-100 more years is reasonable. With the current conditions, the option is feasible.

Experts pointed out that learning about the experiences of other countries is a must when implementing the mega project. MOT has organized tours for an inter-sectoral delegation of officials and specialists to four countries (China, Spain, Japan and Germany) to learn about their high-speed railway systems.

The experiences from the trips will be analyzed and reported to the government before a final plan is submitted to the Politburo.

Of these countries, China has the railway network with the highest speed, while Spain has the largest railway network in Europe and the second largest in the world. Japan and Germany have both mastered high-speed railway technology.

At a recent meeting with Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung on October 19, CHECC and CCCC, two Chinese construction corporations, expressed their willingness to implement the North-South high-speed railway project.

Vietnam will choose contractors later and draw lessons from problematic projects implemented so far. The tardiness in site clearance was the reason behind the fines imposed on the Vietnamese side.

Nguyen Dang Tan