Project Hai Phong Hanoi Lao Cai railways
The Ministry of Transport is planning to invest in the
construction of Hai Phong - Hanoi - Lao Cai (East-West) railway
line 1,435mm standard in the direction of increasing the
connection between seaport and international railway.
Cargo volume on the
Hai Phong - Lao Cai route is expected to
increase by more than 130 million tons by 2020.
Travel speed reaches 160km/hour
Speaking at the meeting on the report on the planning of the
railway route Hai Phong - Hanoi - Lao Cai, Vice Minister of
Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong said that this is the most important
route of freight and passengers of the railway of
Vietnam. The
route is not only meaningful for local socio-economic
development, but also in transport links, international trade,
clear the feights in the northern plain in general, Hai Phong
port area in particular. At the same time, attract the export of
Vietnam to China or transit to Central Asia, Europe and vice
versa.
The route starts at Lao Cai Station, running eastwards through
Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc,
Ha Noi, Hung Yen, Hai
Duong, Hai Phong privinces and terminates at Lach Huyen Port
(Hai Phong), total length of the route is 391 km, in which the
connecting section of Ha Khau and Lao Cai has the length of 6.29
km.
According to the plan, Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong will exist
simultaneously in both old and new tracks. In particular, the
new track will take care of cargo and all passengers of the
route, the existing track continues to cover part of cargo
volume. New track will be built in standard size 1,435mm, speed
160km/hour, cargo train 90km/hour.
Nguyen Thanh Duong, Vice Chairman of Lao Cai People's Committee
said that this railway plays a very important role in promoting
local economic development and trade. However, detailed planning
should be updated with the planning of the localities to
optimize the location of the route, paying attention to the
connection with industrial parks, cultural and tourist sites of
the region.
On the side of the Ministry of Transport, Deputy Minister Nguyen
Ngoc Dong noted that it is necessary to look at the overview of
the route with the goal of increasing transportation capacity in
order to locate the lines, thereby agreeing with the localities
on the planning to adjust. "It is necessary to determine how to
connect with old railways, how to connect to seaports, ports,
cargo terminals...In particular, the three connections of
railways with Chinese railways in Lao Cai, the hub areas of
Hanoi and the seaport of Hai Phong. This will ensure the
effectiveness of the route" Dong stressed that at the same time
to pay attention to the problem of land clearance, the issue of
safety at intersections with roads when planning.
Talking with Transport Newspaper, Deputy General Director of
Vietnam Railway Corporation Phan Quoc Anh, said the most
important issue to prioritize prior implementation was the
connection of railroad with Chinese railways as it is a
"congestion", a great impact on transportation between the two
countries, as well as transportation of goods through China
export to Vietnam.
