Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà speaks at the second meeting of the task force overseeing the progress of urban railway projects in Hà Nội and HCM City on Wednesday. VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HÀ NỘI – Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà has directed Hà Nội and HCM City to select top design consultancy firms to finalise and appraise the master plans for their urban railway networks, envisioning a century-long development.

He also urged the People's Committees of Hà Nội and HCM City to expedite the opening of the elevated sections of the Nhổn-Hà Nội Station and Bến Thành-Suối Tiên metro lines ahead of schedule.

He made the remarks during the second meeting of the task force overseeing the progress of urban railway projects in both cities, at the Government headquarters on Wednesday.

Deputy PM Hà noted that since the first meeting, task force members have completed nine out of 16 assigned tasks and are continuing to implement the remaining seven tasks as planned.

Regarding the two urban rail network development proposals for the two cities, the Deputy PM emphasised the need for a unified perspective on objectives, tasks, solutions and general policies, while also considering local characteristics such as construction planning, development space, economic growth forecasts and population size.

The Ministry of Transport is responsible for compiling and submitting proposals to the appropriate authorities according to regulations.

The urban rail networks in Hà Nội and HCM City must also integrate seamlessly with the North-South high-speed railway, including aspects like stations, technical design standards for tracks, locomotives, carriages and operating systems.

The Deputy PM suggested learning from countries with advanced, modern subway networks to develop comprehensive and feasible plans for technology transfer, including construction of underground structures, locomotives, carriages, management, operations and human resource training, aiming to build a synchronised, modern railway industry.

Deputy PM Hà asked the Ministry of Finance to lead the evaluation of the overall economic impact of the urban rail development proposals for the two cities, as well as the North-South high-speed railway and to assess the feasibility of balancing public investment capital.

Based on this evaluation, the People's Committees of both cities should continue to work closely with relevant ministries to develop policy packages and plans to mobilise the highest possible levels of socialised resources through methods like Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT).

"The mechanisms and policies for developing urban rail networks in Hà Nội and HCM City must be synchronised, feasible and specific, clearly outlining the procedures, responsible parties, obstacles and proposals for resolution to the competent authorities," he stressed.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyễn Danh Huy reported that Hà Nội has made significant progress on the Nhổn-Hà Nội Station metro line. The city outline planned for completion of the line, conducting trial operations of the elevated section, finalising fire safety reviews and training personnel.

The Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Construction, and Ministry of Finance have directed efforts to evaluate and certify safety for the Nhổn-Hà Nội Station metro line, inspect the site, review acceptance conditions, complete procedures and sign off on loan allocations for the underground segment. An environmental permit assessment council has also been established.

Dương Đức Tuấn, Vice Chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee, said that the elevated section of the Nhổn-Hà Nội Station metro line is expected to be completed and operational by the end of July 2024.

Similarly, the Bến Thành-Suối Tiên metro line in HCM City has finalised the timeline adjustments and submitted investment capital allocation requests to the appropriate authorities.

The city is expediting the completion of the remaining construction tasks, conducting trial runs, operating system tests, ensuring fire safety compliance and obtaining environmental approvals for operational status by December 2024.

During the meeting, the task force reviewed and provided feedback on the two urban railway network development proposals for Hà Nội and HCM City by 2035, focusing on mechanisms, policies and resource mobilisation strategies suitable for each city’s socio-economic development.

Leaders from the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Construction emphasised that these are large and complex projects involving multiple disciplines. Given the current legal constraints, it is necessary to conduct thorough research, analysis and evaluation, drawing on international experiences and past investment practices, to propose objectives and solutions for building modern, integrated urban railway systems.

The Nhổn-Hà Nội Station metro project stretches 12.5km and includes eight elevated and four underground stations.

Construction began in 2009, with an initial completion target of 2015. After four extensions, the project is now expected to be completed in 2027.

The Bến Thành-Suối Tiên metro line covers 19.7km, connecting Bến Thành Market in District 1 to Long Thành Depot in Thủ Đức City. The line features three underground and 11 elevated stations. Construction started in 2012, but the project has seen multiple delays, with costs escalating to over VNĐ43.7 trillion ($1.71 billion). – VNS