The Beijing-based China Railway Fifth Survey and Design Institute Group, the consultant unit that mapped out Vietnam’s Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong rail route project, has proposed two plans for the project’s construction, according to the Ministry of Transport.

A train stops at Saigon railway station in this file photo. A new route with a global standard gauge has been proposed for the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong rail route

The existing railway running from Lao Cai to Hai Phong has an average speed of 50 kilometers per hour and a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour, so it cannot meet the demand for transport over the long term.

Accordingly, the consultant unit proposed renovating existing rail tracks and converting them into mixed tracks, which combine 1,000mm and 1,435mm gauges. Under the second plan, it suggested constructing a new rail route with a global standard gauge, while keeping the old rail route unchanged.

In the end, it suggested the ministry select the second plan after weighing the advantages and drawbacks of each plan. The consultant unit is also in charge of studying connecting rail tracks between China’s Hekou County and the northern province of Lao Cai.

The new rail route, designed as a railway level 1, would allow passenger trains to run at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour and will deploy automated technology to ensure safety.

The railway will start from the current station of Lao Cai, then pass through eight cities and provinces to the east, including Yen Bai, Phu Tho and Vinh Phuc, and end at Lach Huyen Port in Hai Phong City.

With a total length of 392 kilometers, the railway will run across 73 bridges with a total length exceeding 130 kilometers. The railway section linking Hekou railway station with Lao Cai is over five kilometers long. Alongside the railway project, 96 bridges, 25 tunnels and 29 train stations will be built.

Addressing a meeting held on March 1, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong remarked that the Lao Cao-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway route plays an important role in the country’s railway development plan, as well as in transporting freight and connecting trading activities with other countries.

Dong added that the Government and the National Assembly have plans to increase investment in the railway sector in the coming period, including upgrading existing rail tracks and prioritizing building new tracks in line with global standards.

SGT