Vietnam invests in building new East-West railway line
The construction of the East-West railway line facilitates trade and travel not only with China but also with Asian and European countries.
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According to the planning recently announced by the Ministry of Transport (MOT), the Hai Phong - Hanoi - Lao Cai railway (East - West railway) will maintain the old route and develop a new route in parallel. Specifically, the new route will be responsible for transporting goods and all passengers, built with a standard gauge of 1,435 mm instead of 1,000 mm as before, electrified, with a passenger train speed of 160 km/h and a freight train speed of 90 km/h. In the long term, the new route will be double-tracked and electrified.
The Hai Phong - Hanoi - Lao Cai railway line starts from the current Lao Cai station, heading east through the provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Hai Phong and ending at Lach Huyen port (Hai Phong), with a total length of 391 km; the section connecting the Ha Khau (China) - Lao Cai (Vietnam) railway is 6.29 km long.
The consulting unit for planning this railway line is the China Railway No. 5 Survey and Design Research Institute, including research on the Hekou (China) - Lao Cai (Vietnam) railway connection.
Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong affirmed that this East-West railway route is not only significant for socio-economic development of localities where the railway passes through, but also a bridge for international traffic and trade, especially with China.
The project is expected to shorten the distance of goods transport from the western inland of China, saving costs. Previously, goods from the western inland of China to the seaport system in the southeast of China would take more than 1,500 km. Meanwhile, from Kunming (capital of Yunnan province) through Lao Cai to Hai Phong port is only more than 800 km.
The deployment of 1,435 mm gauge will help unify China's current railway system. Previously, China built 1,435 mm standard gauge railways, maintained 1,000 mm gauge railways and hybrid railways (including both gauges). Meanwhile, Vietnam's inland railways are still 1,000 mm gauge at some sections and stations in border areas.
This leads to the fact that when transporting goods in both directions, they have to be transferred to railcars and transferred at Lao Cai and Son Yen stations (China), causing additional transportation costs and not being able to fully exploit the potential.
The Deputy Minister of Transport noted: “It is necessary to determine how to connect with the old railway, how to connect to seaports, ICD ports, cargo hubs, etc.; especially at the three important hubs: connecting the gauge with the Chinese railway in Lao Cai, the Hanoi hub area and the Hai Phong seaport area. Only then can the efficiency of the route be ensured.”
It is known that the Hai Phong - Hanoi - Lao Cai railway is a railway that connects with the Chinese railway, from there connecting with railways of other Asian and European countries.
According to Mr. Vu Quang Khoi, Director of Vietnam Railways, the total volume of goods transported between Vietnam and China in 2017 was about 700,000 tons. Of which, the Kunming - Hekou - Lao Cai - Hai Phong route and vice versa reached about 650,000 tons. The target for 2018 on this route is 1 million tons.