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| Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính checks the Lào Cai-Hà Nội-Hải Phòng railway project passing Lào Cai Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang |
HÀ NỘI — A proposal for the Lào Cai-Hà Nội-Hải Phòng railway project is set to be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval, with construction expected to commence by the end of this year.
The Việt Nam Railway Authority has recommended that the Ministry of Transport seek input from relevant ministries and sectors and request the Ministry of Planning and Investment to propose the Prime Minister’s approval for the project. This railway will be financed through a concessional loan provided by the Chinese Government.
This marks the first critical legal step for the project to proceed.
According to the Railway Authority’s proposal, funding will be sourced from the Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank). The project involves constructing a 1,435mm-gauge electrified railway connecting Lào Cai in the northwest to the seaport area of Hải Phòng City in the northeast.
The railway will span 388.35km, beginning at the cross-border track junction between Việt Nam’s Lào Cai Station and China’s Hekou North Station, and terminating at Lạch Huyện Port in Hải Phòng. It will also include two branch lines: a 7.89km line linking South Hải Phòng with Nam Đình Vũ Port and a 2.18km line connecting Yên Thường and Yên Viên stations in Hà Nội.
The route will feature 30 stations and traverse nine provinces and cities: Lào Cai, Yên Bái, Phú Thọ, Vĩnh Phúc, Hà Nội, Bắc Ninh, Hưng Yên, Hải Dương, and Hải Phòng.
Designed for a maximum speed of 160km/h on the main section from Lào Cai Station to Lạch Huyện Port, the railway will operate at 80km/h on the branch lines and the section connecting Lào Cai Station to the track junction, and at 120km/h along the eastern belt railway in Hà Nội.
To optimise investment efficiency, the project will be implemented in two phases. The first phase, scheduled for completion by 2030, will see the construction of a single-track system along the entire route. The second phase, planned after 2050, will include the addition of a double-track system and the South Hải Phòng–Nam Đình Vũ branch.
The total investment required is estimated at VNĐ211.03 trillion (US$8.69 billion), comprising VNĐ135.6 trillion in concessional loans and VNĐ75.43 trillion in counterpart funding from the Vietnamese Government. The project is expected to take approximately six years to complete following its approval and the finalisation of the loan agreement, according to the Railway Authority.
Previously, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính directed the Ministry of Transport to report the project proposal to the Government and relevant agencies this month, submit it to the National Assembly for consideration next month, and complete all necessary procedures to ensure construction begins before December 10 this year. — VNS
