At a meeting with the Ministry of Transport yesterday afternoon, Operations Manager for the World Bank in Vietnam Kathy Whimp said that the WB working group conducted a survey and evaluation of four railway projects that Vietnam is preparing to invest in to seek financial support.
Some four railway projects that the WB is paying attention to include the eastern belt railway project in Hanoi, the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau railway project, the Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho railway project, and the railway traffic safety project.
At the meeting, the WB representative asked the Ministry of Transport to clarify the possibility of affecting the preparation progress of railway projects when the railway network planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, is being under consideration while regional and detailed plans are being studied and developed.
The WB also asked the Ministry of Transport to make clear a number of technical issues such as the design to ensure accessibility to non-motorized traffic participants for railway traffic safety projects, the investment form of the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau railway project, and the investment plan for the Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho railway project in each phase.
Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Danh Huy said that four projects that the Ministry of Transport proposed to the World Bank’s ODA funding have been planned. The planning adjustment does not affect project progress plans. Currently, the Vietnam Railway Project Management Board is planning the progress and specific implementation time of each project. The Ministry of Transport will ask related units to carefully study the WB's proposals and recommendations for each project.
It is expected that in mid-March, the President of the World Bank and the President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will visit Hanoi to consider plans to support the development of Vietnam's railway industry.
