The Ministry of Construction has moved to establish a dedicated steering committee to oversee preparation and implementation of the country’s flagship North-South high-speed railway, a project estimated to cost about US$67 billion.
The ground-breaking ceremony for a relocation project in Đà Nẵng, part of the North-South high-speed railway project. — VNA/VNS Photo
The 18-member steering committee will be headed by Construction Minister Trần Hồng Minh, according to a decision issued by the ministry.
Deputy ministers Bùi Xuân Dũng, Nguyễn Văn Sinh and Phạm Minh Hà will serve as deputy heads, alongside senior officials from key departments and the chairman of state-owned Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR).
The committee is tasked with directing research, defining policy options and solutions, and supervising implementation of the project in line with approved investment guidelines, while ensuring construction progress and quality.
It will also oversee project owners, management boards and related units, and monitor the execution of assigned tasks.
To support its work, the ministry has set up several specialised teams, including a standing unit based at the ministry's Department of Construction Investment Economics and Management, expert groups under the Vietnam Railway Authority (VRA), and teams focused on human resources development and legal frameworks.
Expert groups will cover areas such as transport operations, infrastructure, rolling stock, signalling and communications, control and supervision systems, and traction power.
These groups will include civil servants, scientists and engineers with railway expertise from government agencies, enterprises, project management boards, consultancies, research institutes and universities.
The ministry said it will also mobilise international experts with experience in building and operating railways, particularly in technology transfer and the development of a domestic rail industry.
Experts may work on a concurrent, secondment or contractual basis, with costs covered by project management boards.
The move comes as the ministry has instructed the Railway Project Management Board to urgently prepare a feasibility study and complete procedures to select technical consultants by December 2025.
Under the timeline, consultants are expected to draft terms of reference within two months, with bidding documents for project consultants issued in March 2026.
In parallel, the Ministry of Construction has also set up steering committees for three railway projects linking Việt Nam with China: Lào Cai-Hà Nội-Hải Phòng; Hà Nội-Đồng Đăng; and Hải Phòng-Hạ Long-Móng Cái.
The North-South high-speed railway is planned to run 1,541 km from Ngọc Hồi station in Hà Nội to Thủ Thiêm station in HCM City, passing through 20 provinces and cities.
The double-track, standard-gauge line (1,435 mm) would be designed for speeds of up to 350 km/h, with 23 passenger stations and five freight stations.