The highly anticipated North South high-speed railway project in Vietnam has adjusted its construction schedule, with the original start date postponed by one year. The project team is intensifying the preliminary work such as survey, environmental impact assessment, and feasibility study. The investment scale of this 1541 kilometer long artery is huge, and the landing process faces multiple challenges.

Reorganization of project schedule

According to the Vietnam Observer, the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction has updated the progress of the North South high-speed railway project, aiming to officially start construction in December 2027. The project was originally planned to start construction by the end of 2026, but the start date has been postponed by about a year. The project owner Shenglong Project Management Committee has signed a preliminary consulting support service contract, and the consulting unit has completed the cost estimation of the feasibility study scope and the preparation of the bidding documents. At present, we are carrying out the procurement of survey and feasibility study, survey supervision, and environmental impact assessment reports. The mid-term results of the feasibility study are expected to be completed by June 2027, and subsequent work such as land clearing will be promoted. Vietnamese Minister of Construction Chen Hongming admitted that the project's progress was slower than expected and was constrained by objective conditions. He requested to refine the implementation plan, implement the time nodes and responsible persons for each link of land clearing, consulting, surveying, and construction, and accelerate the project's landing.

Basic Overview of the Project

The North South High Speed Railway is one of the largest railway infrastructure projects in Vietnam, with a total length of approximately 1541 kilometers and 23 passenger stations and 5 freight stations. The line starts from Yuhui Station in Hanoi in the north and ends at Houtian in Ho Chi Minh City in the south, passing through 20 provinces and cities along the way. The line adopts the 1435mm double track standard, with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour and a preliminary total investment of approximately 67.34 billion US dollars. Keywords: Vietnam North South High Speed Railway, Southeast Asian Railway Infrastructure

The delay in project commencement highlights the complexity of the early stages of large-scale infrastructure projects, which can slow down the pace of construction in areas such as land coordination, environmental impact assessment, and funding. After the completion of this project, it will significantly optimize the transportation network between North and South Vietnam, and help promote regional economic and trade connectivity. Its subsequent progress will continue to receive industry attention.Editor/Min Jing