A train in Ninh Phuoc District, Ninh Thuan Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

The high-speed line, inter-provincial, inter-regional and urban railway networks must also be added to the strategy, he said.

He was speaking at a Government meeting on Wednesday on the development strategy for Vietnam’s railway towards 2050.

PM Phuc highlighted the need to upgrade and expand railway networks in Vietnam while ordering careful preparations for investment and collecting feedbacks of scientists and people on the projects.

“It is necessary to develop Vietnam’s railway system because the networks have been outdated and need upgrading or build new ones to develop the country,” he told the meeting.

He cited the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong Railway as one that needs upgrading, adding that urban railway systems must continue to be constructed as planned including those in Hanoi, HCM City, railway lines connecting the Central Highlands and central region and HCM City and the southwest region.

There is still a lot of space to expand the railway system. A country with a coastline stretching more than 3,000km must develop the railway system, he said, highlighting the importance of building the North-South high-speed railway.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the railway is one of the socio-economic infrastructure sectors that need to be prioritised for rapid development. By 2030, the ministry will continue to upgrade existing railway lines, giving priority to the North-South route, and accelerate construction progress of metro projects in Hanoi and HCM City.

The ministry will conduct research and develop new routes connecting seaports, industrial parks and study a high-speed railway line connecting the northern and southern parts of the country, aiming to complete the high-speed train by 2050.

PM Phuc urged ministries and sectors to have new thinking in selecting technology to develop railway in Vietnam, propose investment plans to make a comparison before making decisions and seek different investment sources to develop important infrastructure projects.

Railway projects can be invested by State budget or under the public-private partnership model, he said, asking sectors to make careful preparations for land.

He requested the Ministry of Transport take the lead in building the railway network strategy.

The ministry should propose solutions to develop Vietnam's railway networks, especially new technologies and capital mobilisation plans, he said.  VNS

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