Site clearance for railway projects to be accelerated

Chairing the third meeting of the steering committee for national key railway projects held on July 9, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested to simultaneously organize the groundbreaking ceremony of land clearance projects for the North-South high-speed railway and the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway on August 19, 2025 and complete the site clearances in 2026.

The PM was quoted by the Vietnam News Agency as commending the proactive efforts of committee members, ministries, sectors, and localities, especially the Ministry of Construction, in carrying out assigned tasks. However, he also noted that several tasks have failed to meet the requirements.

PM Chinh stressed the need for the steering committee to hasten the direction and for ministries, sectors and localities to issue documents to concretize decisions so as to ensure progress, efficiency and timely implementation. Matters beyond their jurisdiction should be promptly reported to competent authorities for consideration, he added.

PM Chinh called on Hanoi and HCM City to actively implement their respective urban railway projects in accordance to special mechanisms previously approved by the National Assembly. If difficulties arise beyond their jurisdiction, these difficulties  must be reported to the Government for resolution, he requested.

The PM highlighted the transformative potential of railway infrastructure, which not only unlocks new development space but also improves logistics capacity, reduces input costs, lowers goods prices, and contributes to national modernization, economic growth, job creation, and improved livelihoods.

Given these far-reaching impacts, all stakeholders must remain committed to the overarching objectives, he said, emphasizing the need for a flexible, phased approach grounded in scientific evidence, safety, and efficiency, while firmly upholding integrity, transparency, and accountability. He stressed the importance of structured, sequenced implementation to ensure quality and effectiveness.

To expedite progress, the PM designated July 20 as the deadline for submitting technical standards, conditions, and procedures to relevant authorities for approval. On that basis, under the direction of Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha and Deputy PM Ho Duc Phoc, investment methods will be considered and proposed according to the provisions of the current laws.

The government leader reiterated that the land clearance work has been separated from the investment projects and assigned to localities. Accordingly, provinces and cities must proactively finalize route planning, ensuring alignment with long-term development strategies and facilitating subsequent implementation phases, he noted.

The Ministry of Science and Technology was assigned to complete and issue related construction standards by August 10, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was requested to accelerate the organization of the Vietnam – China Intergovernmental Committee's meeting on railway cooperation.

In terms of financing, PM Chinh tasked ministries and sectors with developing resource mobilization strategies to support the implementation of the projects. Any remaining institutional or regulatory bottlenecks must be reported to competent authorities for consideration.

Deputy PM Bui Thanh Son was assigned to resolve issues related to ODA loans, including a shift from pre-inspection to post-inspection procedures to enhance flexibility.

Vietnam is currently advancing several major railway infrastructure projects, including the Lao Cai–Hanoi–Hai Phong route, the Hanoi–Lang Son and Hai Phong–Mong Cai railway lines, the North–South high-speed railway, and urban metro lines in Hanoi and HCM City.