Construction of the North-South high-speed railway is expected to begin in December 2027 - Illustrative image.

Nguyen Tri Duc, Chief of Office of the Ministry of Transport, announced that the North-South high-speed railway project is expected to commence in December 2027.

On January 21, Chief of Office of the Ministry of Transport told the media that the Ministry of Transport has developed a comprehensive plan to implement the North-South high-speed railway project.

The plans include selecting consultants, preparing, appraising, and approving the feasibility study report, and organizing bids for construction packages. The project is projected to start construction in December 2027.

The Ministry of Transport is currently drafting a government resolution to define and specify the project’s key progress milestones, the responsibilities of relevant ministries, agencies, and local authorities, as well as special mechanisms and policies for the project.

Regarding legal frameworks, the Ministry has been tasked by the Government to carefully review and suggest amendments to the Railway Law, considering standards and regulations for high-speed railways. These include technical standards related to technology, operational equipment, management, safety during construction, and specific mechanisms and policies to support the construction of the project.

Additionally, policies are being developed to select reputable international consulting firms with rich experience and capabilities to participate in designing, appraising, evaluating, and supervising the overall planning process, routing, preparing bidding packages, and setting investor selection criteria. Vietnamese consulting units will also be encouraged to participate to gain experience and enhance their expertise.

The Ministry of Transport issued Decision No. 46 to establish a Steering Committee to implement the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 172/2024/QH15, dated November 30, 2024 regarding the investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway project. Minister of Transport Tran Hong Minh serves as the head of the committee, with Deputy Minister Nguyen Danh Huy as the deputy head.

Previously, during the third meeting of the steering committee for developing and implementing the investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway and important national railway projects, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha instructed the Vietnam Railways to develop a plan to restructure and streamline its organizational apparatus to participate in the project’s implementation, as well as to take over its management, operations, and exploitation after completion.

“The plan must be clarified in terms of its products, implementation pace, implementing parties, and responsibilities of state management agencies, investors, and contractors,” the Deputy Prime Minister stated./.