Feasibility studies begin on inter-city express rail links

The Ministry of Transport has asked the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to start conducting feasibility studies on two portions of an express-railway linking Hanoi with Vinh City in central Nghe An Province and HCMC-Nha Trang.

Nguyen Huu Bang, director general of the Vietnam Railway Corporation, was expected to have an official meeting with JICA to discuss the issue Wednesday.

In an interview with VnExpress, Nguyen Minh Thuyet, vice chairman of the National Assembly Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children, said the decision to start a feasibility study for the Hanoi-HCM City express railway did not contradict an earlier National Assembly decision to block the national high-speed rail network.

The plan's implementation will still face a National Assembly vote prior to being enacted.

During discussions at the National Assembly's June session, a majority of legislators rejected the rail plan due to the prohibitive costs involved and perceived lack of social benefits.

The project would cost about US$56 billion. Japan has agreed to grant Vietnam Official Development Assistance to undertake the feasibility study.

According to Do Van Hat, director general of the Railways Investment and Construction Consultancy Company, the study would start sometime in November 2010. It is due for completion by the end of the first quarter of 2012.

In addition, the Vietnam Railway Corporation has asked JICA to help develop a feasibility study for the construction of a 25km express railway from Ngoc Hoi station (south of Hanoi ) to Noi Bai International Airport, Hat said.

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Feasibility studies begin on inter-city express rail links

The Ministry of Transport has asked the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to start conducting feasibility studies on two portions of an express-railway linking Hanoi with Vinh City in central Nghe An Province and HCMC-Nha Trang.

Nguyen Huu Bang, director general of the Vietnam Railway Corporation, was expected to have an official meeting with JICA to discuss the issue Wednesday.

In an interview with VnExpress, Nguyen Minh Thuyet, vice chairman of the National Assembly Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children, said the decision to start a feasibility study for the Hanoi-HCM City express railway did not contradict an earlier National Assembly decision to block the national high-speed rail network.

The plan's implementation will still face a National Assembly vote prior to being enacted.

During discussions at the National Assembly's June session, a majority of legislators rejected the rail plan due to the prohibitive costs involved and perceived lack of social benefits.

The project would cost about US$56 billion. Japan has agreed to grant Vietnam Official Development Assistance to undertake the feasibility study.

According to Do Van Hat, director general of the Railways Investment and Construction Consultancy Company, the study would start sometime in November 2010. It is due for completion by the end of the first quarter of 2012.

In addition, the Vietnam Railway Corporation has asked JICA to help develop a feasibility study for the construction of a 25km express railway from Ngoc Hoi station (south of Hanoi ) to Noi Bai International Airport, Hat said.

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Gov’t determined to pursue express railway project

Vinashin leaders suspended over alleged irregularities

HANOI – The Government has reiterated its intention to press ahead with a controversial big-ticket project to build the country’s first express railway linking the two biggest cities, Hanoi and HCMC, but two priority stretches will be studied first.

“(Vietnam) cannot help having a second north-south (express) railway after the existing one,” Minister of Transport Ho Nghia Dung told reporters in Hanoi on Tuesday, days after news reports said the project had resumed though the National Assembly disapproved of it two months ago.

Dung said the project should start with the reservation of land for a dozen years later but when the Government would forward the project to the legislature for approval remained unknown because it would take years to collect as sufficient data as needed.

Local media has in recent days reported that the ministry was considering developing the first two sections of the cross-country railway, with one connecting Hanoi and Vinh and the other linking HCMC and Nha Trang, instead of the whole line worth around US$56 billion as originally proposed.

The Government approved in principle a proposal on July 23 to allow the ministry and the Vietnam Railways Corporation to get technical assistance and grants from the Japanese government to conduct a feasibility study for the two said sections and that for a rail line between Hanoi and Noi Bai International Airport.

“This is a feasibility study and it will take three to four years to finish before it goes before the National Assembly,” said the transport minister.

He went on to say that the Government had found it necessary to study the project to make clear the points questioned by National Assembly duties during their meeting in Hanoi in June, including scale, time frame, efficiency and financial viability.

There is concern that once Vietnam receives Japanese grants to do the feasibility study, it will have no choice but to opt for Japanese contractors and technology suppliers. Minister Dung, however, said, “We will reserve the right to choose technology and contractors.”

But Japan is now Vietnam’s largest bilateral aid donor and its aid normally goes to key social and economic infrastructure.

* Regarding the recent suspension of Vinashin general director Tran Quang Vu and chief controller Tran Van Liem, Minister Dung said investigators had found the two committing violations.

The police had asked the Government to suspend them to facilitate a probe into their alleged irregularities, he said.

Explaining why the suspension came less than two months after Vu was picked for the job, Dung said the unripe selection of Vu for the post of general director at Vinashin resulted from a crisis situation in which Pham Thanh Binh was removed from the posts of chairman and general director.

The Vinashin board is undergoing a gradual revamp, he said.

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Feasibility studies begin on inter-city express rail links

The Ministry of Transport on Aug. 31 asked the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) to start conducting feasibility studies on two
portions of an express-railway linking Hanoi with Vinh City
(the capital of central Nghe An province) and HCM City-Nha Trang.

Nguyen Huu Bang, director general of the Vietnam Railway Corporation,
was expected to have an official meeting with JICA to discuss the issue
on Sept. 1.

In an interview with VnExpress, Nguyen
Minh Thuyet, vice chairman of the National Assembly Committee for
Culture, Education, Youth and Children, said the decision to start a
feasibility study for the Hanoi-HCM City express railway did not
contradict an earlier National Assembly decision to block the national
high-speed rail network. The plan's implementation will still face a
National Assembly vote prior to being enacted.

During discussions at the National Assembly's June session, a majority
of legislators rejected the rail plan due to the prohibitive costs
involved and perceived lack of social benefits.

The
project would cost about 56 billion USD. Japan has agreed to grant
Vietnam Official Development Assistance to undertake the feasibility
study.

According to Do Van Hat, director general of
the Railways Investment and Construction Consultancy Company, the study
would start sometime in November 2010. It is due for completion by the
end of the first quarter of 2012.

In addition, the
Vietnam Railway Corporation has asked JICA to help develop a feasibility
study for the construction of a 25km express railway from Ngoc Hoi
station (south of Hanoi ) to Noi Bai International Airport ,
Hat said./.

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Feasibility studies begin on inter-city express rail links

HA NOI —The Ministry of Transport yesterday asked the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) to start conducting feasibility studies on two portions of an express-railway linking Ha Noi with Vinh City (the capital of central Nghe An Province) and HCM City-Nha Trang.

Nguyen Huu Bang, director general of the Viet Nam Railway Corporation, was expected to have an official meeting with JICA to discuss the issue today.

In an interview with VnExpress, Nguyen Minh Thuyet, vice chairman of the National Assembly Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children, said the decision to start a feasibility study for the Ha Noi-HCM City express railway did not contradict an earlier National Assembly decision to block the national high-speed rail network. The plan's implementation will still face a National Assembly vote prior to being enacted.

During discussions at the National Assembly's June session, a majority of legislators rejected the rail plan due to the prohibitive costs involved and perceived lack of social benefits.

The project would cost about US$56 billion. Japan has agreed to grant Viet Nam Official Development Assistance to undertake the feasibility study.

According to Do Van Hat, director general of the Railways Investment and Construction Consultancy Company, the study would start sometime in November 2010. It is due for completion by the end of the first quarter of 2012.

In addition, the Viet Nam Railway Corporation has asked JICA to help develop a feasibility study for the construction of a 25km express railway from Ngoc Hoi station (south of Ha Noi) to Noi Bai International Airport, Hat said. — VNS

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Gov’t yet to plan investment for express railway

The Government has neither developed an investment plan nor taken any
action to implement the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City express
railway project, said Minister of Transport Ho Nghia Dung.

At the Government’s regular press briefing on August 31, he said the
Government plans to continue studying the project to determine its size,
technology to be used, sources of investment, as well as environmental
and social impacts which have not been included in the project
feasibility study presented to the National Assembly recently.

Dung said relevant agencies are studying the project before making an investment plan using ODA funding, not State money.

Spokesman
for the Government, Minister and Director of the Government Office
Nguyen Xuan Phuc reported that the Prime Minister agreed in principle to
the reception of technical assistance in the form of non-refundable ODA
from the Japanese Government for making investment plans for the
construction of the Hanoi-Vinh and Ho Chi Minh City-Nha Trang sections
of the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City express railway project and a project to
upgrade the Hanoi-Noi Bai railway route.

Regarding the
restructuring of the country’s debt-hit shipbuilder, Vinashin, Deputy
Finance Minister Nguyen Cong Nghiep and a representative of the State
Bank of Vietnam said the Finance Ministry is working on a plan to
reschedule debts for Vinashin and define the group’s chartered capital.

The
State Bank of Vietnam is screening the group’s debts with each
credit institutions as its debts totalled 86 trillion VND while its
total assets are valued at 104 trillion VND.

The restructuring
project of Vinashin will give priority to paying salaries and insurance
for its workers, Minister Phuc said, adding that Vinashin will get new
projects once it gains access to capital./.

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