Deploying site clearance work for the North-South high-speed railway project

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Duc Tien attended the conference at the Quang Tri bridge point - Photo: M.D

The high-speed railway project on the North-South axis was approved by the National Assembly in the investment policy in Resolution No. 172/2024/QH15 dated November 30, 2024 with the following main contents on the ground: The project has a total route length of about 1,541 km; starting point at Ngoc Hoi station ( Hanoi capital), ending point at Thu Thiem station (Ho Chi Minh City); scale of 23 passenger stations, 5 freight stations; total land use demand of about 10,827 hectares, including: rice land of about 3,655 hectares, forestry land of about 2,567 hectares and other types of land according to the provisions of the law on land of about 4,605 hectares (of which, land for growing rice from two crops or more is about 3,102 hectares; special-use forest of about 243 hectares, protection forest of about 653 hectares, production forest of about 1,671 hectares); Resettlement population is about 120,836 people. Implementation progress: prepare feasibility study report from 2025, strive to basically complete the project by 2035.

Regarding the implementation of site clearance, the Ministry of Construction directed and the Railway Project Management Board (the investor in the project establishment phase) handed over the project documents (feasibility study report, site clearance boundary documents, stations, etc.) to the provinces and cities where the project passes through to serve as a basis for preliminary review of needs and implementation of resettlement areas, serving the site clearance work. The Railway Project Management Board has sent staff to participate in the site clearance steering committees of the provinces and cities.

Localities (before June 12, 2025, the project passed through 20 provinces and cities; after the arrangement of provincial-level administrative units, the project passed through 15 provinces and cities) assigned tasks and clearly stated the unit in charge of site clearance work in the locality; established a site clearance steering committee and a support team; reviewed resettlement needs...

Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) has directed the National Power Transmission Corporation and power corporations to seriously implement the Prime Minister's instructions, coordinate with relevant parties to review the electricity demand for the project, review and count intersections with power infrastructure works, and agree on responsibilities, funding sources, and relocation plans.

Concluding the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized: The railway system is the lifeline of transportation and the North-South high-speed railway project plays a key role in socio-economic development, regional connectivity and promoting international integration.

It is necessary to clearly define the task of implementing the project's site clearance work as an important political task in the direction and operation; mobilize the participation of the entire political system, propagate and mobilize people to speed up the progress of site clearance work, relocate technical infrastructure, in which attention is paid to investing in the construction of resettlement areas, ensuring that people have new housing that is at least equal to or better than their old housing; do a good job of propaganda, mobilization, support, and create more jobs and livelihoods for local people. If necessary, there should be temporary housing solutions to stabilize people's lives and ensure project progress.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Construction to review the need to build resettlement areas and work with each locality to identify difficulties and obstacles such as the project route passing through areas with natural forests, world heritage sites, national cultural and historical sites, etc. to effectively resolve and speed up implementation progress.

Assign the Ministry of Finance to synthesize and promptly allocate capital for localities to carry out compensation and site clearance. For provinces and cities where the project passes through, it is necessary to urgently establish a local project site clearance steering committee, completed before July 1, 2025, to focus on directing and mobilizing the entire political system to organize and implement site clearance work for the project; immediately carry out the work of reviewing and determining resettlement needs, locations and number of resettlement areas; strive to complete investment approval procedures for at least 1 resettlement area/province or city in June and strive to start construction of a number of local projects such as stations, areas around stations on August 19, 2025, ensuring reasonable connection of traffic routes, commercial areas, and urban areas to maximize potential and advantages for local socio-economic development.

Minh Duc

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/trien-khai-cong-tac-giai-phong-mat-bang-du-an-duong-sat-toc-do-cao-tren-truc-bac-nam-194377.htm