Hanoi elevated train pilot run delayed

The railway connecting Cat Linh and Ha Dong was initially scheduled to have its pilot run in early October before it officially opens to the public in the second quarter of next year. But Transport Deputy Minister Nguyen Ngoc Dong admitted after a survey trip to the project last week that it was "almost impossible" to meet the deadline as several sections of the railway project were still under construction.

The railway’s subcontractors said that the main contractor - China Railway 6th Bureau Group - was late in paying them and responsible for letting the construction falling behind schedule.

Dong said that the project was facing financial problems too, as more than US$250 million in loans from China to build the railway were yet to be disbursed due to legal issues.

"The Ministry of Transport is cooperating with relevant parties to conclude the matter and to obtain the capital for the project as soon as possible," he said.

He also said that the main contractor in the meantime must keep pace with the schedule it previously committed to.

The transport ministry would soon ask the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam to work with the China Railway 6th Bureau Group on the issue, Dong said.