The event was organized by the Ministry of Transport in collaboration with the French Development Agency (AFD).
It is the first activity to implement the memorandum of cooperation in the transport sector between the two sides, signed in October 2024 during the State visit of Party General Secretary To Lam to France.
At the seminar, experts noted the importance of carefully considering the connections between high-speed rail and other transport modes, including traditional rail and urban rail systems, for efficiently gathering and dispersing passengers and goods.
Mr. Pierre Messulam, former director of French National Railway Company (SNCF) said that investing in high-speed rail is essential to help countries accelerate trade activities, promote tourism between major economic centers and large cities, and reduce road traffic congestion.
However, there are many important issues that need to be considered when selecting and determining the railway technology. Specifically, the development of a new railway should be based on an analysis of demand, demographic characteristics, geography, and climate, especially environmental protection and sustainability, which will have a significant impact on technical factors, technology, and safety, leading to the cost impact.
After the seminar, the French delegation continued to have working sessions with Vietnamese agencies and businesses on the North-South high-speed rail project and the current state of Vietnam's railway infrastructure and exchanged implementation plans for the technical assistance project for the Hanoi-Hai Phong railway.
