Prime Minister: Urgently submit to the National Assembly specific unified mechanisms for all railway projects
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that the unchanged goal is to start the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project in 2025 and the North - South high-speed railway in 2026; assigned agencies to urgently complete the resolution unifying specific mechanisms for all railway projects, submit it to the Government in April for submission to the National Assembly before May 5.
On the morning of April 26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the Steering Committee for Key Works and National Important Railway Projects, chaired the second meeting of the Steering Committee. The conference was held directly at the Government Headquarters and online with 9 provinces and cities with railway projects in the area.
Also attending the conference were members of the Party Central Committee: Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh, Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son, Minister of Justice Nguyen Hai Ninh; leaders of central ministries, branches and localities; leaders of large economic groups.
Development of railway industry, railway industrial complex
Recently, the Central Executive Committee and the Politburo have actively considered the Government's proposals related to the development of the railway sector, including: Upgrading existing railway lines; reconnecting previously interrupted railway lines; implementing major railway projects, such as the North-South high-speed railway, the railway connecting with China and urban railway lines in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
The National Assembly issued Resolutions No. 172, No. 187 and No. 188 related to railway development, including: Resolution on investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway project; Resolution on investment policy for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project; Resolution on piloting a number of specific and special mechanisms and policies to develop the urban railway network system in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
At the first meeting on March 29, 2025, the Prime Minister assigned 24 tasks to ministries, branches and localities focusing on removing difficulties and obstacles, and speeding up procedures for preparing investment projects.
According to reports and opinions at the meeting, of the 19 tasks in progress, 12 tasks are not yet due, 6 tasks have been completed, 1 task is behind schedule; along with 5 regular tasks.
The Ministry of Construction has submitted to the Government a Resolution to implement Resolution No. 172 of the National Assembly and it was approved by the Government in Resolution No. 106 dated April 23, 2025; has submitted to the Government a draft Resolution to implement Resolution No. 187 of the National Assembly, and the Government Office is collecting comments from Government members.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is drafting a Decree amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 156/2018/ND-CP, including adding regulations on temporary use of forests and forest return to carry out temporary construction works serving the project.
The Ministry of Science and Technology is drafting a Decree regulating the development of railway science and technology and detailing research, application, and technology transfer.
The Ministry of Finance has completed procedures and reported to the Prime Minister for consideration and approval of the proposal for the Line 3 project, Hanoi Station - Yen So (Hoang Mai) section at the request of the Hanoi People's Committee; has commented on stopping the use of ODA capital and foreign preferential loans for the Ho Chi Minh City urban railway project, Line 2, Ben Thanh - Tham Luong section and adjusting the capital source for the project.
The Ministry of Finance is directing, organizing the preparation and completion of the Project on restructuring the Railway Corporation. The Ministry is also carrying out the task of submitting to the Prime Minister the establishment of a State Appraisal Council in April 2025 to conduct appraisal along with the preparation of the Feasibility Study Report of the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong Railway Project.
The Ministry of Education and Training is reviewing the planning of universities and colleges to ensure that it meets domestic training needs for investment, management, exploitation, operation and development of the railway industry.
The Railway Corporation is preparing the project dossier for the Railway Industrial Complex; sending a document to the Ministry of Construction proposing a special mechanism to speed up the project; the Hanoi People's Committee is studying and considering the decision according to its authority to guide and complete the procedures for land allocation to the Corporation to build this complex.
Also at the meeting, delegates reported on the implementation of the projects: 3 railway lines Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong, Hanoi - Lang Son and Hai Phong - Mong Cai; high-speed railway line on the North - South axis; urban railway projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
No change in commencement date for 2 major railway projects
In his concluding remarks, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged the achievements of ministries, branches and localities in organizing and implementing assigned tasks; commended agencies and localities, including the Ministry of Construction, Hai Phong, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, for proactively and actively implementing the work.
Appreciating the opinions, the Prime Minister assigned the Government Office, the Ministry of Construction and relevant agencies to receive the opinions to promptly submit and issue a notice of the meeting's conclusions.
With the spirit of the historic April days 50 years ago, liberating the South and unifying the country, the Prime Minister requested members of the Steering Committee, ministries, branches, localities and units to "be faster, faster; be bolder, more daring", promote the sense of responsibility, assign "clearly to people, clear about work, clear about time, clear about results, clear about responsibilities, clear about authority", "look far, look wide, think deeply, do big things", deploy work quickly, drastically, decisively, create motivation, inspire work.
The Prime Minister requested ministries, branches and agencies, according to their functions, tasks and powers, to proactively and actively follow the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, and the resolutions, conclusions and directions of the Central Committee, the Politburo, the National Assembly, the Government and the Prime Minister to organize implementation.
Regarding the overall tasks, the Prime Minister requested to continue to focus on synchronously implementing the North-South high-speed railway projects, the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway line, and railway lines in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The spirit is to both implement immediate tasks and long-term tasks, build and perfect institutions, mechanisms, policies, and train human resources, etc.
The Prime Minister stated that the unchanged goal is to start the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong project in 2025 and start the North - South high-speed railway in 2026.
Regarding capital, the Prime Minister directed the mobilization of diverse capital sources, including central and local capital, loans, issuance of government and corporate bonds, public-private partnerships, etc.
Legally, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Justice to urgently complete the Resolution unifying specific mechanisms for all railway projects, submit it to the Government in April and submit it to the National Assembly before May 5.
With 4 Government decrees, the Ministry of Construction is in charge of drafting the Decree on overall technical design and specific and special mechanisms; the Ministry of Construction is in charge of drafting the Decree on criteria for selecting enterprises to order the provision of services and goods; the Ministry of Science and Technology is in charge of drafting the Decree on railway science and technology development; the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is in charge of drafting the Decree on temporary use and forest return. The decrees will be completed in May 2025.
Regarding the development of the railway industry, serving the development of industrialization and modernization of the country, the Prime Minister stated that it is necessary to transfer and master modern technology; scientific and intelligent management; and high-quality human resource training. The Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Education and Training have short-term, medium-term and long-term training projects and plans at the levels of technical workers, engineers and doctors.
The Ministry of Construction shall preside over the drafting of the Prime Minister's Decision on the list of railway industrial goods services, to be completed no later than the first half of June 2025.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade is in charge of developing the Railway Industry Development Project; the Ministry of Education and Training is in charge of developing the Human Resources Development Project. The completion time of the two projects is in the second quarter of 2025.
Along with that, it is necessary to mobilize corporations, state-owned and private enterprises with technological and production capacity to participate in projects and develop the railway industry. In particular, the Ministry of Construction assigned corporations such as VNPT and Viettel to research, receive, develop and master the technology of information systems, signals and control systems of railway projects.
Regarding the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis, in Resolution No. 106/NQ-CP, the Government approved the overall implementation plan, ensuring construction commencement no later than December 2026. The Prime Minister requested ministries, branches and localities to base on the overall progress milestones and assigned tasks to develop plans for the sector, field and locality.
Regarding the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project, the agencies continue to discuss, work and urge the Chinese side to soon complete the loan agreement negotiations, meeting the project implementation progress.
Regarding site clearance for projects, the Prime Minister stated that laws, mechanisms and policies are in place, and localities must take the initiative in site clearance, mobilizing the entire political system and forces; in particular, site clearance for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong Project needs to be completed in September this year.
Regarding urban railway projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Prime Minister emphasized the spirit of decentralization, requiring localities to apply existing specific mechanisms and policies in implementation, and the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to provide further guidance if there are any problems.
The Prime Minister directed the People's Committees of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to urgently develop detailed plans and work schedules to implement the mechanisms and policies of Resolution No. 188/2025/QH15 applicable to the two cities and issue separate plans for each city under the local authority.
