Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính speaks at the Government Standing Committee meeting reviewing progress and pushing forward key railway projects on Wednesday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has urged ministries, sectors and localities to urgently finalise a comprehensive system of standards, technical regulations, criteria and procedures for the railway sector, aligned with international practices while tailored to Việt Nam’s specific conditions.

The framework will serve as a basis for implementation, inspection, supervision and the seamless, standardised integration of railway projects nationwide.

He made the request on Wednesday while chairing a Government Standing Committee meeting reviewing progress and pushing forward key railway projects.

In recent months, ministries, localities and enterprises have actively carried out 25 tasks assigned by the Prime Minister.

For the North–South high-speed railway project, the Ministry of Construction (MOC) has submitted a report on technology partner selection and plans to complete bidding documents in March 2026, with consultants for the feasibility study to be selected in the second quarter of the year. All 15 localities along the route have relocated power infrastructure and are building resettlement areas.

The Lào Cai – Hà Nội – Hải Phòng railway project is being implemented in parallel, including components on station connectivity infrastructure and main railway construction works.

For the Hà Nội – Lạng Sơn and Hải Phòng – Móng Cái lines, the ministry has set a deadline to complete initial reports by April 2026 and finalise planning within the year. The ministry has also assigned the People’s Committee of Quảng Ninh Province as the investor for the Hải Phòng – Hạ Long – Móng Cái railway project.

Regarding urban rail, Hà Nội is preparing investment procedures for six lines and already implementing three, while HCM City is prioritising preparations for six metro lines in the 2026–2030 period.

The MOC is also consulting other ministries and localities on technical standards for urban railways and is drafting a national technical regulation for metro systems, expected to be issued in the third quarter of 2026.

At the meeting, PM Chính instructed localities to step up site clearance and resettlement efforts, ensuring rapid progress while guaranteeing that relocated residents enjoy better living conditions than before.

The MOC and the Việt Nam Railways Corporation were tasked with developing detailed plans for workforce training to meet the sector’s development needs.

He also called for diversified funding sources, including State budget, private investment, public-private partnerships, loans and bond issuance, while ensuring efficient use of capital and avoiding waste. Agencies were urged to adopt advanced construction technologies and flexible implementation methods to speed up progress and improve project quality.

For the North–South high-speed railway, the Prime Minister asked the MOC to provide a comprehensive report clearly outlining its stance on technology selection and standards, as a basis for finalising the feasibility study and selecting investors, consultants, contractors and control systems.

For the Lào Cai – Hà Nội – Hải Phòng line, localities were urged to accelerate site clearance and complete the feasibility report in March.

For the Hà Nội – Lạng Sơn route, local authorities were told to actively support planning work, while for the Hải Phòng – Hạ Long – Móng Cái project, procedures must be completed to assign local authorities as the project’s governing body, with support from the MOC and the Ministry of Finance where needed.

On urban rail projects in Hà Nội and HCM City, PM Chính noted that many obstacles have been resolved and called for continued efforts to address remaining issues, particularly those related to loan financing, with support from the Ministry of Finance.

He stressed that HCM City must prioritise railway connections linking Long Thành International Airport, Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport and the city centre.

For privately funded projects such as the Bến Thành – Cần Giờ and Hà Nội – Quảng Ninh lines, relevant agencies were instructed to strengthen oversight and propose appropriate policy mechanisms to competent authorities.

The Ministry of Finance was tasked with urgently reviewing and submitting for approval a restructuring plan for the Vietnam Railways Corporation.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is required to complete procedures to submit the railway industry development plan for approval in March 2026. — VNS