Site clearance for high-speed rail to cost Quang Tri over $650 mln

The People's Committee of Quang Trí province in the central region has held a crucial working session with relevant agencies and local authorities to accelerate the land acquisition for a section of the projected North-South High-Speed Railway running through the province.

The project is a key national project with a total length of 1,541 km. It will connect Ngoc Hoi station in Hanoi with Thu Thiem station in HCM City, with a total investment capital estimated at $67.34 billion.

The section passing through Quang Tri will span over 190 km, requiring approximately 1,865 ha of land. The plan includes the construction of two main passenger stations in Dong Son and Nam Dong Ha wards, four maintenance depots, and associated infrastructure.

This route will pass through 35 communes and wards, directly affecting 7,277 households. The total budget required for land acquisition and site clearance is a staggering VND17.064 trillion ($651 million). This figure includes funds for developing resettlement areas and addressing related public welfare issues.

However, the project's implementation faces numerous challenges. These include the need for route adjustments in several locations, delays in the handover of land acquisition markers, an unclear mechanism for advancing capital, and unresolved bureaucratic hurdles related to land use conversion and land price discrepancies following recent administrative mergers.