The Vietnamese Ministry of Construction announced that the consulting company is finalizing the bidding plan and bidding documents for the survey and feasibility study of the North South high-speed railway project. It is expected to be completed in March 2026 in order to select the winning contractor in the second quarter. The Vietnamese Ministry of Construction has just reported to the government on the progress of key railway projects, including the Lao Cai Hanoi Hai Phong Line and the North South High Speed Railway, with many important milestones already completed.

Partial sections of the Laojie Hanoi Haiphong railway are planned to start construction by the end of the year

The construction of some sections of the Old Street Hanoi Haiphong Line is expected to start as early as the end of 2026. The Laojie Hanoi Haiphong Line project has been implemented synchronously since its commencement on December 19, 2025. In sub project 1, the contractor has completed the construction of 5 stations in the infrastructure investment connecting stations and squares: Laojie, Fushou, Beihong, Liangcai, and Haiyang South. The contractor selection work is basically proceeding according to the plan; All 5/5 of the consultations in the investment preparation phase have been completed, and 6/12 of the consultation packages in the project implementation phase have also been completed. The remaining 6 consultations, including 3 construction consultations and 3 supervision consultations, are being implemented in parallel with sub project 2. In terms of technical design, the design files for 5 out of 21 sites have been approved. The remaining sites are currently undergoing surveys and are expected to be completed by June 2026 for construction.

In sub project 2, the Ministry of Construction has completed the selection of contractors for 14 out of 16 consulting services in the investment preparation phase. The remaining two service packages, namely the final draft of the feasibility study report and legal support, are expected to be completed in March. Meanwhile, the selection process for eight project implementation plans is underway, with priority given to those involving investigation and technical design. The preliminary draft of the feasibility study report is expected to be completed by the end of March 2026. Afterwards, Vietnam and China will conduct an internal evaluation in April, complete document preparation in May, conduct a joint evaluation in June, and then submit for approval. At the same time, engineering design work is also accelerating. It is expected to complete the selection and contract signing work with Vietnam China Joint Consulting Company in April 2026. Some sections of the route, especially those intersecting with the Hanoi Jiaping Airport connection project, will be given priority in completing the design, in order to start construction as early as possible before the end of 2026 and catch up with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting.

The local government is coordinating with Vietnam Electricity Group to carry out land clearance work, including the relocation of 110 kV and above power facilities. It is expected that by the end of March 2026, the Ministry of Construction will transfer the land clearing and demarcation documents to local governments for implementation. In the coming period, the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction will focus on completing various procedures related to route planning, especially the sections that bypass the geological fault zones along the Lujiang River and Honghong River; At the same time, complete the overall design of Jialin Station and intersection to prepare the feasibility study report.

The selection of consulting contractors for the South North High Speed Railway will be launched in the second quarter

The selection of contractors for the North South High Speed Railway project will take place in the second quarter of 2026. Regarding the North South high-speed railway project, the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction has approved tasks related to forest land use changes and environmental impact assessments. The consulting firm is finalizing the bidding plan and tender documents for the investigation and feasibility study plan, which is expected to be completed by March 2026, in order to organize the selection of contractors in the second quarter.

At the same time, all 15 local governments, together with Vietnam Electricity Group, actively reviewed the amount of land clearance, relocation of power infrastructure, and implemented the construction of resettlement areas to ensure the comprehensive progress of the project. The Ministry of Construction also instructed the Shenglong Project Management Committee to complete the preparation of the bidding documents in March, in order to select consultants in the second quarter of 2026 to prepare a feasibility study report for the high-speed railway project.

Multiple companies are laying out high-speed rail projects

Previously, the North South high-speed railway project in Vietnam attracted strong interest from numerous investors, with a total of 13 companies registered to participate and cooperate through PPP or investment models. Among them, well-known enterprises include THACO, Mekolor Great USA joint venture, Shenglong National Construction Company, Vietnam Railway Transport Company, Discovery, and Reign. Many companies are also actively enhancing their own capabilities in order to deeply participate in the project. Keywords: Vietnam Railway, North South High Speed Railway

Hefa Group has invested in railway rail production and expects the product to be launched in 2027. THACO is strengthening strategic cooperation within the industry and investing in the construction of a multifunctional railway and mechanical engineering industrial park in Ho Chi Minh City. However, at the end of December 2025, Vingroup Corporation unexpectedly submitted a document to the Vietnamese government, officially withdrawing its investment registration for the North South high-speed railway project in order to concentrate resources on other strategic infrastructure projects.Editor/Gong Ziwei