More important guidance for the country's largest capital-intensive transport infrastructure project

The fact that the Party Central Committee has just agreed on the investment policy for the North-South High-Speed Railway Project, identifying this as a political task and prioritizing investment resources for early implementation will be an important driving force to accelerate the process of realizing the country's largest-ever transport infrastructure project.

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Previously, the investment policy for the North-South High-Speed Railway Project was proposed by the Secretary General of the National Assembly to be included in the agenda of the 8th Session of the 15th National Assembly. If approved by the National Assembly, this will be the most important legal basis for the project - which is expected to change the face of railway traffic - to officially enter the implementation phase.

Of course, in order to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval of the investment policy at the 8th Session, opening on October 21, 2024, the Pre-Feasibility Study Report of the North-South High-Speed Railway Project needs to go through many important assessment stages and appraisal steps from competent authorities.

Compared to the time when the investment policy for the North-South High-Speed Railway Project was first submitted to the National Assembly in May 2010, many more favorable circumstances have now emerged.

In Conclusion No. 49-KL/TW dated February 28, 2023 on the orientation for the development of Vietnam's railway transport to 2030, with a vision to 2045, the Politburo oriented "building a modern, synchronous, feasible, effective high-speed railway line with a long-term strategic vision, promoting the country's potential advantages, in line with the world's development trend". In many documents, the Party and State also identified the goal of investing in the construction of a high-speed railway on the North-South axis to create an important premise for turning our country into a developed, high-income country.

Along with the above political foundation, actual developments and scientific forecasts all show the need to soon build a high-speed railway line to meet transportation needs, contributing to restructuring the transportation market share on the North-South corridor in an optimal and sustainable manner, to create the premise and driving force for socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security.

It should be added that the North-South corridor is the backbone of the country, accounting for 54% of the urban population, 72% of type I-II seaports, 67% of coastal economic zones, about 63% of economic zones, 40% of industrial zones, and over 51% of the country's GDP. This corridor also connects 2 special urban areas and 17 type I urban areas with a population of 500,000 people.

It is known that to complete the Project's Pre-Feasibility Study Report, from April 2023 to present, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) has organized many interdisciplinary working groups to survey 6 countries with developed high-speed railway systems in the world. The Ministry also coordinated with the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations to organize 3 seminars on high-speed railway investment on the North-South axis.

The Ministry of Transport has also directed the Consultant to carefully and thoroughly research to explain and absorb the opinions of the State Appraisal Council, the Central Economic Committee, the Central Propaganda Committee; the National Assembly committees; 24 ministries and branches participating in the Steering Committee; the results of the working group of the Minister of Planning and Investment, opinions of professional social organizations, experts, scientists, the Government Standing Committee... to complete the Pre-Feasibility Study Report.

There is not much time left to prepare for submission to the National Assembly, requiring the Ministry of Transport and relevant agencies to further accelerate the progress of completing the Pre-Feasibility Study Report of the North-South High-Speed Railway Project. Due to the very important role of the Project in socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security; very large investment scale, complex technical requirements, long implementation time over many periods..., so preparing a good Pre-Feasibility Study Report with scientific arguments will not only convince competent agencies and the National Assembly to approve, but also contribute to creating high consensus in the whole society.

This is also an important foundation to help the railway industry accelerate and make a sprint in infrastructure investment in the "decade of railway investment boom in the period 2025 - 2035"; contributing to making Vietnam a developing country with modern industry and high average income by 2030.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/them-chi-dan-quan-trong-cho-cong-trinh-ha-tang-giao-thong-quy-mo-von-lon-nhat-dat-nuoc-d225569.html