Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway hoped to boost Vietnam’s 2nd largest economic corridor

Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway will run along Vietnam's second largest economic corridor. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Hanoi - A 403km railway connecting Lao Cai, Hanoi, and Hai Phong will be built to meet the growing passenger and freight transport demands of the country’s second-largest economic corridor, an official has said.

Nguyen Khanh Tung, Deputy Director of the Railway Project Management Board under the Ministry of Construction, said the total investment for the railway project is estimated at 194.9 trillion VND (7.6 billion USD).

It will pass through nine provinces and cities, namely Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, and Hai Phong. Starting at the border crossing point in Lao Cai province, the line will terminate at Lach Huyen station in Hai Phong city.

He said that the railway will be newly constructed with the goal of connecting to the Hai Phong international seaport and facilitating multimodal transport with China. This is in line with the implementation of the "Belt and Road Initiative" and the "Two Corridors, One Belt" cooperation plan. It aims to meet the demand for high-quality, fast, convenient, and safe transport, while also reducing emissions. The management board is preparing a feasibility study, including plans to train more than 2,400 personnel using project funds to operate the railway once completed.

Tung emphasised that during the selection of foreign contractors, the bidding requirements will include regulations that contractors must prioritise using products, goods, and services that can be produced or supplied domestically. There will also be commitments from contractors regarding technology transfer and workforce training for Vietnamese partners, enabling them to take control of management, operations, exploitation, and maintenance, gradually mastering the technology.

As some localities will advance provincial and municipal budgets for land clearance implementation, Tung said that decentralising authority and assigning responsibility to localities will allow them to take the initiative in the preparation process. This will enable them to ensure prompt implementation of land clearance and resettlement work along with the project approval process. It can help ensure a legal foundation, address challenges for localities in implementing compensation, support, and resettlement, and accelerate the land clearance progress for the project.

The Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway project will require a large workforce for exploitation, operation and maintenance. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Regarding the transport corridor along the route, the Railway Project Management Board stated that under the national spatial development orientation, the country is structured around 13 economic corridors. The Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong economic corridor is the second-largest in terms of passenger and freight transport demand. Therefore, the construction of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway is primarily to serve the domestic passenger and freight transport needs along this economic corridor. It will also meet the demand for passenger and freight transport for imports, exports, and transit goods, thus maximising the investment effectiveness of the project.

With the projected transport demand, the entire line is expected to have 18 stations. Additionally, 13 technical operation stations are to be set up to support the technical operations required for train services, Tung stated.

The feasibility report is slated for approval in the third quarter of 2025, with construction expected to begin by the year-end./.