AI-generated image of the North-South high-speed railway for illustration. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Construction has asked project management boards to draw up detailed plans for each stage of key national railway projects, covering site clearance, consultancy, surveying and construction, in a bid to accelerate implementation.

The ministry has set a target of making every effort to commence construction of the North-South high-speed railway project in December 2027.

According to the ministry, the Thăng Long Project Management Board, the project's investor, has signed a contract for project support consultancy and is carrying out procedures to select consultants for surveying, preparation of the feasibility study, survey supervision and environmental impact assessment.

The North-South high-speed railway will run approximately 1,541km from Ngọc Hồi Station in Hà Nội to Thủ Thiêm Station in HCM City, passing through 15 provinces and cities. The double-track railway will use the 1,435mm standard gauge and have a design speed of 350km per hour, with a preliminary total investment of approximately US$67.34 billion.

Meanwhile, work on the Lào Cai-Hà Nội-Hải Phòng railway project is progressing under several component projects and sub-projects.

Component Project 1, covering infrastructure connecting stations along the route and station plazas, began construction of Package XL01 at five station locations on December 19, 2025.

The Railway Project Management Board is currently carrying out ground-filling work at the station plazas in Lào Cai, Phú Thọ and Nam Hải Dương. At Bắc Hồng and Lương Tài stations, fragmented site handovers have yet to provide sufficient construction space for simultaneous work.

For the remaining 15 stations, technical surveys and designs are under way and are expected to be completed so that construction contractors can be selected and work can begin from the fourth quarter of 2026.

Component Project 2, covering railway construction, is being finalised for submission to the appraisal council. Procedures related to environmental impact assessment, flood drainage, dyke safety and national defence and security requirements are also being carried out, while the investor is selecting consultants for technical design and related work.

To keep the projects on schedule, the Ministry of Construction requires project management boards to establish detailed implementation plans, clearly specifying each task, deadline and responsibility.

The ministry also called for careful study of infrastructure, station, rolling stock, equipment and materials requirements, with attention to using domestic products and services to stimulate local production and economic development.

Regarding human resources, the ministry asked relevant agencies to assess manpower needs by qualification and occupation for each stage of the projects. Training should be aligned with both construction and future operation needs, while avoiding excessive training that could lead to a surplus of workers once the projects are completed. — VNS