VietNamNet Bridge – The management board of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project has urged authorities in Ha Noi to accelerate land clearance and remove obstacles such as power lines and trees to ensure the project's deadline is hit late next year.

A view of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway system in Ha Noi. The capital authorities will push for faster land clearance to ensure the project's deadline can be met next year.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Nguyen Manh Hung, acting general director of the management board, said that some areas in Ha Dong, Thanh Xuan and Dong Da districts had not completed site clearance work.

Hung said there were 13 graves locating on the management site of the project which had yet to be moved.

Near Cat Linh Station, 17 households had received compensation but had not relocated. A further 37 households in the commune and another 18 in O Cho Dua Ward had also refused to move, claiming they had not received any compensation.

In Thinh Quang Ward, five households had contested the compensation settlement, while nine more had received money but remained in their homes.

He said the removal of power lines and trees had also lagged behind schedule.

Hung said city authorities must work with local authorities to complete these jobs this month so the project was completed next December as planned.

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project will cost VND8.8 trillion (US$419 million) using loans from the Chinese Government. The entire project measures 13km and will have 12 stations and a depot.

HCM City network

HCM City's People's Committee has approved an integrated signalling and centralised control system for the city's urban railway network.

The project will cost more than $1.5 million, of which over $1.4 million will come from the US Trade and Development Agency's non-refundable aid for research consultancy. The rest will be allocated from the city's fund to cover additional costs, including training and management expenditures.

The project will improve the efficiency, management and operation of the urban railway system and connect it to the city's other public transport.

HCM City's urban mass rapid transit system project has seven underground lines and three overground lines, and will cost an estimated $20 billion. Two of the lines connecting Ben Thanh Market and Suoi Tien Park and Ben Thanh Market and Tham Luong have already secured funding from investors. Financial assistance is being sought for the other lines.

Source: VNS