During a conference convened this morning to outline key tasks for February, the Ministry of Transport formally announced that the pre-feasibility study report pertaining to the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project has been submitted to the Prime Minister. The Ministry anticipates that this report will be presented for consideration to the National Assembly prior to February 10.
To expedite the approval process, the National Assembly's field survey team is scheduled to conduct on-site inspections on February 4 and 5. Following these inspections, the completed project dossier will be submitted to the Government on February 7. Subsequently, the dossier is expected to be presented to the National Assembly for consideration before February 10.
Next, the National Assembly will meet to issue a resolution before February 17, approve the feasibility study report in the third quarter while assessing the completion of the technical design, as well as select a contractor for the construction package. The project construction is slated to start at the end of 2025.
According to the proposed plan, the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway has a total length of more than 403km, passing through nine provinces and cities, including Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong and Hai Phong. According to preliminary calculations, the total investment of the project is about VND194,929 billion (equivalent to about US$8 billion).
The commencement of the railway line is situated at the designated rail connection point at the international border, specifically linking the newly constructed Lao Cai Station with Hekou North Railway Station located in China's Yunnan. The terminus of this railway line is situated within the Lach Huyen wharf area in Hai Phong City.
This project will be constructed as a Class 1 railway with double tracks and a 1,435mm gauge. The main line is designed for a maximum speed of under 200 km per hour. However, the design speed is limited to 120km per hour within the Hanoi hub area. During the initial phase of operation, single-track operation will be implemented with a maximum speed of 160km per hour for passenger trains and 120km per hour for freight trains.
