On the afternoon of November 30, at the 8th Session, the National Assembly voted to approve the Resolution on investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway project.
Passing through 20 provinces and cities, promoting advantages on the North-South economic corridor
Accordingly, the goal is to build a modern, synchronous high-speed railway to meet transportation needs, create an important driving force for rapid and sustainable socio-economic development, promote advantages on the North-South economic corridor, ensure effective connection of East-West corridors and countries in the region, associated with ensuring national defense, security and international integration, environmental protection, response to climate change, promoting the process of industrialization and modernization of the country, contributing to realizing the goals and tasks according to the Documents of the 13th National Congress of Delegates and Resolutions of the Party.
The project scope has a total route length of about 1,541 km; starting point at Ngoc Hoi station (Hanoi capital), ending point at Thu Thiem station (Ho Chi Minh City), passing through 20 provinces and centrally-run cities including: Hanoi capital, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City;
The scale of new investment for the entire double-track line is 1,435 mm gauge, designed speed is 350 km/h, load capacity is 22.5 tons/axle; 23 passenger stations, 5 freight stations; vehicles, equipment; high-speed railway for passenger transport, meeting dual-use requirements for national defense and security, and can transport goods when necessary.
Form of public investment; applying rail technology, electrification; ensuring modernity, synchronization, safety and efficiency.
The total land use requirement of the project is approximately 10,827ha, including: rice land of approximately 3,655ha, forestry land of approximately 2,567ha and other types of land according to the provisions of the land law of approximately 4,605ha. Of which, land for rice cultivation from two crops or more is approximately 3,102ha; special-use forest is approximately 243ha, protective forest is approximately 653ha, production forest is approximately 1,671ha. The preliminary number of resettled people is approximately 120,836 people.
The preliminary total investment of the Project is 1,713,548 billion VND; the State budget capital is allocated in the medium-term public investment plan periods and other legal capital sources. Implementation progress: prepare a feasibility study report from 2025, strive to basically complete the Project by 2035.
Apply specific and special mechanisms and policies for the Project
The high-speed railway project on the North-South axis is subject to specific and special mechanisms and policies. Specifically, during the implementation of the Project, the Prime Minister is allowed to decide: Issue government bonds to supplement the annual budget and investment plan for the Project in case the annual State budget estimate does not meet the schedule. Mobilize official development assistance (ODA) capital and foreign concessional loans to implement the Project and do not have to prepare a Project Proposal using ODA capital and foreign concessional loans; apply according to the regulations of the foreign sponsor in case Vietnamese law does not have regulations or has regulations but is different from the regulations of the foreign sponsor. Use the source of increased revenue, annual savings of the Central budget (if any) and other legal capital sources for the Project in case the annual State budget estimate does not meet the schedule. The use of increased revenue and expenditure savings does not have to be implemented in the order of priority prescribed by the law on the State budget.
The Project is allocated capital through medium-term public investment planning periods. The capital allocated for each medium-term public investment planning period is consistent with the progress of the Project implementation and there is no limit on the portion of capital transferred from the Project to the next medium-term public investment planning period. The Prime Minister decides to adjust the medium-term public investment plan and the annual central budget capital among the Ministries, central agencies and localities to allocate capital for the Project.
The project does not have to conduct an appraisal of capital balance capacity according to the provisions of the Law on Public Investment.
Regarding the development, exploitation of land funds and added value from land in the vicinity of high-speed railway stations: Provincial People's Committees shall organize the establishment and adjustment of zoning plans and detailed plans for the vicinity of railway stations to determine the location, boundaries, and area of recovered land. In the vicinity, provincial People's Committees shall decide on planning criteria, architecture, technical infrastructure, social infrastructure, and spatial requirements other than those specified in national technical regulations, but must ensure compliance with technical infrastructure and social infrastructure systems; adjust the function of land use in the vicinity of railway stations to exploit land funds and added value from land.
For areas with approved urban planning and land use planning, but when establishing or adjusting the planning of the vicinity of a railway station, there are new proposals that differ from the approved planning content, the decision approving the planning of the vicinity has superseding value and there is no need to go through the procedure to adjust the previously approved planning.
The provincial People's Council decides to use the local budget to implement an independent public investment project to carry out compensation, support and resettlement according to the planning of the area surrounding the railway station to create a land fund for auction for urban development according to the provisions of law. Regarding the amount of money collected from exploiting the land fund in the vicinity of the high-speed railway station after deducting related costs according to the provisions of law, the provincial local government is allowed to retain 50% and pay 50% to the central budget to balance the State budget for investment in the Project.
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