HÀ NỘI – The Ministry of Transport has asked Hà Nội to survey roads around the Hà Nội railway station project to evaluate the population and traffic density, in order to avoid overloading the transport infrastructure nearby.

The request was made after the city’s committee submitted their plans for the Hà Nội Railway Station to State ministries and sectors for opinions.

In a document sent to the Hà Nội’s People’s Committee on the planning of the Hà Nội railway station, the ministry agreed with the city on the necessity of aligning the project with the city’s other transit infrastructure development.

The ministry said that the project has the potential to affect the city’s ancient architecture, landscape and urban structure. Therefore, the city must consult historical and architectural experts to complete the project.

Hà Nội’s infrastructure has come under strain as the city grows. The problem is particularly acute with regard to transport infrastructure due to the rapid increase in the number of transport vehicles.

The city’s current plans for the project state that targeted land for traffic infrastructure was about 25 per cent, but did not evaluate whether traffic patterns would change as a result of planned transit development when the rail station pens.

In addition, the project plans have not projected the number of guests entering or leaving commercial areas within the planned area and do not make full use of the underground space of the railway station.

The ministry said that the city needed to carefully review the project’s ability to meet transportation demand as the population increases significantly in the future.

The Hà Nội Railway Station was the centre of the national railway trans-shipment and urban railway network. Thus, traffic density in the area could increase significantly if the project was combined with commercial centres.

The ministry also requested the city to clarify the sources of capital for the project. The State budget would be allocated to invest in the national railway works. Other construction works would be built by local budget and other capital sources.

Previously, the municipal People’s Committee has consulted the relevant ministries and branches for the planning of Hà Nội Railway Station and surrounding areas. Total land area for the project is about 98 hectares with a total population of 44,000. About 40,300 people would need to be resettled.

Total investment capital was estimated to be about VNĐ23.8 trillion (US$1.04 billion), to be prepared by the city’s Department of Planning and Architecture in consultation with Japan’s Nikken Sekkei Civil Engineering Ltd (NSC).

On September 28, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc asked the municipal People’s Committee to be careful in planning of the project to ensure sustainable development. 

The project to upgrade the capital’s old railway station and the surrounding areas into a Japanese-style modern urban depot was approved by the city’s People’s Committee last month. The plan calls for six zones of high-rise buildings of between 40 storeys to 70 storeys for financial and media purposes, a railway station, and three areas of low-rise buildings with a park, international trade zone and a new lifestyle zone. — VNS