VietNamNet Bridge – The Government Office has informed related ministries about the Prime Minister’s opinion on the Hanoi-HCM City express railway project.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung agreed to receive the Japanese government’s non-refundable investment to build the Hanoi-Vinh and HCM City-Nha Trang sections of the Hanoi-HCM City express railway and the project to upgrade Hanoi-Noi Bai railway.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Transportation to talks with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to iron out the details.

Representatives of the Ministry of Transportation on August 31 met with JICA officials. The Ministry asked JICA to assist it to make a feasibility study of the Hanoi-Vinh and HCM City-Nha Trang express railway routes. However, the two sides haven’t signed any agreement yet.

On September 1, the Vietnam Railways Corporation’s general director will meet with JICA officials.

At the National Assembly Standing Committee session in July, Government Office Chair Nguyen Xuan Phuc confirmed that the national express railway is a very important project. The Government would listen to all comments and re-submit this project to the National Assembly at a suitable time.

The $56 billion Hanoi-HCM City express railway project has stirred up controversies at the National Assembly and within society. Many people didn’t agree, saying that this project’s economic effectiveness is low while investment capital is huge, accounting for a half of Vietnam’s annual GDP.

Some claimed that Vietnam should build several sections of this route to learn experience.

The National Assembly rejected the Government’s national express railway project at the session in May, the first time in its history.

The National Assembly asked the Government to make a detailed plan, conduct further study, and make investment project for Hanoi-Vinh or HCM City-Nha Trang section first to submit to the National Committee. One of the two sections will be built before 2020.

PV