On October 15, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) issued a notice summarizing the meeting of the State Appraisal Council, which assessed the pre-feasibility report for the North-South High-Speed Railway project.

According to MPI, on October 4, it received the project dossier from the Ministry of Transport (MOT), which included several changes from the previous submission that the State Appraisal Council had previously reviewed.

The updates include a shift from passenger-only transport to a combined passenger and freight transport system; an increase in axle load from 17 tons per axle to 22.5 tons per axle; an investment boost from $58 billion to $67.34 billion; a shift in the investment method from public-private partnership (PPP) to public investment; a 10-year reduction in the investment timeline; and the addition of special mechanisms.

The State Appraisal Council has asked MOT to:

1. Clarify the alignment and station locations, particularly addressing directives from the government, including technical adjustments to ensure the route is as straight as possible to reduce costs, especially in the Nam Dinh section.

2. Ensure convenience for linking the East-West corridor and connections with rail lines from China, Laos, and Cambodia.

3. Provide detailed explanations of the technical requirements for operating at a designed speed of 350km/h for container freight trains.

4. Enhance localization capabilities and increase the ability to master high-speed rail technology.

The Council’s appraisal report will be signed by its chairman and submitted to the government on October 17.

Binh Minh