Permanent government members have asked the Ministry of Transport to urgently complete studies on the construction of the North-South high-speed railway line and submit the project to the permanent government and the Politburo in March.

The request was part of the conclusion made by permanent government members in a document issued by the Office of the Government (OoG) on February 19.

The project’s feasibility study must be completed and submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and a decision made on the investment this year.

Members requested that the project be integrated into a comprehensive planning framework, incorporating strategic forecasts of transportation demand across the modes of aviation, road, rail, maritime, and inland waterways over the long term.

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) was asked to continue conducting thorough research and to collect feedback from experts to select the most appropriate investment option.

The MoT was required to work closely with the OoG to study the establishment of a taskforce to carry out the project, led by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha.

In its initial studies, the railway line was to stretch 1,545 km in length and have a speed limit of 320 kph, running from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.

The permanent government members have now proposed that the line be expanded to the Mekong Delta’s Can Tho city.

The MoT was asked to make a comparison between two options for the projected high-speed railway line: transporting both passengers and cargo, or passengers only.

The project is expected to get underway before 2030 and be completed before 2045, under targets set by the Politburo.