Due to the large scale and total investment amount, the high-speed train project running through Vietnam must be examined cautiously to reach consensus.
A high-speed train in Japan. Photo: Japan Railway
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Deputy PM Dung requested the State Appraisal and Consulting Council to evaluate carefully the feasibility of the project in terms of economic effects, political, cultural, social and environmental implications, and national security.
Meanwhile, the funding sources for the project in the 2021-20130 period must be specified, especially when weighing this project with other important constructions such as highways, airport systems or upgrading the existing railway and other infrastructure.
The Ministry of Transport was requested to continue to consult with experts, researchers, social and industrial organizations as well as the ample spectrum of citizens. In addition, the ministry needs to acquire experience from developed and developing countries in constructing bullet train to work out the project.
This is a large scale project with huge investment due to the high complexity of construction and site clearance from North to South. Therefore, the investment preparation process should be carried out cautiously to reach high consensus among the government, the Party’s Central Committee, the National Assembly and the public.
According to the pre-feasibility report conducted by the transport ministry, the high-speed railway would span 1,559km throughout 20 provinces and cities from the North to the South of Vietnam. The project is expected to operate with 60 percent of the tracks on viaducts, 10 percent underground and 30 percent on the surface.
If the train travels at a speed of 320 km/h, stops at each station for 2 minutes, its running time from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City would be from 5 hours 17 minutes to 6 hours 50 minutes depending on the number of stops, far shorter than the current 30-plus hours.
