The plans must ensure compliance with established standards and transparent investment selection procedures.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested the Ministry of
Construction to complete consultancy and survey plans for the North–South
high-speed railway project by January 2026, ensuring compliance with
established standards and transparent investment selection procedures.

He issued the directive while chairing a Government meeting
in Hanoi on December 23 to discuss solutions to address difficulties facing the
North–South high-speed railway project, the Lao Cai–Hanoi–Hai Phong railway
project, and urban railway projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The Prime Minister emphasized the need for openness,
transparency, and optimisation in selecting investment options, particularly
for the North–South high-speed railway project.

He noted that the selection of
technology for railway projects, especially high-speed rail, must be carefully
assessed based on multiple factors, including economic efficiency, political
and diplomatic considerations, national security and defence, technology
transfer capability, and operational effectiveness.

Regarding the Lao Cai–Hanoi–Hai Phong railway project, the PM  directed that Component Project 1 be implemented strictly according to
schedule, while efforts to accelerate the pre-feasibility study should be
intensified, with completion targeted no later than March 2026.

He also called for the diversification of funding sources,
including savings from development investment expenditure, increased state
budget revenues, expenditure reductions, and the medium-term public investment
plan.

For urban railway projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City,
the Prime Minister urged faster construction progress, particularly for
underground sections, to ensure adherence to approved timelines. He assigned
the Ministry of Finance to expedite procedures related to funding and relevant
approvals, and called for the mobilisation of all available resources,
including both state and private capital, to ensure synchronised investment in
urban railway systems connected to major transport hubs.

VnEconomy-Minh Kiệt