Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính chairs the fifth meeting of the steering committee for key national railway projects on Tuesday in Hà Nội.— VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Tuesday stressed the need to focus leadership, manpower and resources on key railway projects, so that they can be put into operation soon, thereby contributing to socio-economic development and better living standards for the people.

Chairing the fifth meeting of the steering committee for key national railway projects, connected online with 18 provinces and cities through which railway projects are planned to pass through, Chính, who also heads the committee, noted that after four previous meetings, the implementation of major and important national railway projects has recorded positive progress.

However, he pointed out that the challenges ahead remain substantial.

Many tasks must be carried out simultaneously under tight timelines.

Completing the feasibility study for the North-South high-speed railway within 12 months, in order to break ground in December 2026, is a demanding task that requires urgent and scientific preparations.

In some areas, inter-sectoral and inter-local coordination remains overlapping and insufficiently effective, needing stronger information sharing and proactive problem-solving from the root.

The Government leader instructed the Ministry of Construction to coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, relevant ministries and agencies to review Việt Nam’s technical standards and regulations, international standards and best practices, as well as domestic conditions, in order to select the most suitable technology for the project.

The Ministry of Construction was also tasked with formulating scientific and transparent criteria and procedures for selecting the investment model, ensuring national interests and preventing corruption and negative practices, and submitting them to the Cabinet before Saturday.

In addition, the ministry was assigned to work with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice to clarify the legal basis and competence related to this proposal and report to the PM before January 15.

Stressing that the coming period is a critical and decisive phase, shifting from preparation to large-scale, substantive implementation, the Prime Minister called on the entire political system, especially the steering committee, ministries, sectors and localities concerned, to thoroughly uphold the spirit of clear responsibilities, clear tasks, clear timelines, clear accountability, clear outputs and clear authority.

The Government leader underlined that project implementation must adhere to the principle of “three benefits and two no’s”: delivering benefits for the State, the people and businesses, while ensuring no corruption, negative phenomena, wastefulness or loss of public assets and resources.

Regarding the Lào Cai-Hà Nội-Hải Phòng railway project, PM assigned the Ministry of Construction to direct the completion of the feasibility study by March, approve the project in July, and commence construction of the main components from December 2026.

The Ministry of Finance was tasked with taking the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Construction, in accelerating negotiations and the signing of a loan agreement as well as an agreement on the construction of a cross-border railway bridge between Việt Nam and China in the first quarter of 2026.

Localities and the Việt Nam Electricity (EVN) were urged to expedite compensation, support, resettlement and the relocation of power-related technical infrastructure.

The Ministry of Construction was requested to coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training and the Việt Nam Railways to effectively implement the scheme on training and developing railway human resources through 2035, with a vision to 2045, including a clear roadmap and specific plans to ensure the timely availability of qualified personnel for the construction, management, and operation of railway lines, particularly the Lào Cai-Hà Nội- Hải Phòng route.

The implementation of the metro line linking Long Thành International Airport in Đồng Nai province with Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City, as well as the Văn Cao-Hòa Lạc metro line in Hà Nội, must be given priority, Chính stressed. — VNA/VNS