The Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City express railway project is a large-scale project that needs a total investment of US$56 billion. It will run as long as 1,570 km across 20 provinces and cities. With a design speed of 300km/h, it will take about five and a half hours to complete the journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.

To proceed with the project, 4,170ha of land will need to be requisited and 9,500 households will need relocating so the project can be completed by 2035.

Most NA deputies agreed to the project, saying it would help to ease traffic congestion, improve the transport network and boost the country’s business operations between regions. However, some also pointed out challenges, such as the huge investment required, resettlement-related issues and the long-term duration of the project’s implementation.

Huge investment

NA delegate Sung Thi Chu from Yen Bai province said the US$56-billion estimated figure is a huge amount as it accounts for up to two third of the nation’s annual GDP. To implement the project, Vietnam will have to borrow massive amounts from foreign countries, and this will increase the country’s debts for decades. Therefore, she added, the NA should consider the project carefully.

Mr Chu’s view was shared by deputy Tran Ngoc Vinh from Hai Phong province, who noted that at present, only 11 countries in the world have an express railway. Some developed countries in the G7 group have not even built an express railway. Vietnam’s State budget is limited, while many other fields still need investment, he said.

Mr Vinh suggested upgrading the current railway network and building high-speed ships as an alternative.

He emphasised that borrowing official development assistance (ODA) loans is not always an advantage because some countries like Thailand and the Philippines have stopped borrowing these loans.

Long duration for implementation

As scheduled, the project will be carried out from 2014 to 2035. This is a long period of time that may affect the effectiveness and quality of the project. According to NA deputy Hoang Van Toan from Vinh Phuc province, it is essential to shorten the project’s duration. Vietnam should apply modern technologies to reduce the duration to 10 years, he said.

Delegate Dao Xuan Nay from Binh Thuan province said the project should be completed more quickly and also be split into several different routes, from Hanoi to Vinh, and from HCM City to Nha Trang.

People’s daily lives need to be ensured

Delegate Sung Thi Chu stressed the need to ensure people’s living conditions in their new resettlement places. The total expenditure for land acquisition and compensation is estimated at more than VND30,000 billion. More than 9,500 households will be relocated, most of them farmers. So, the NA should pay due attention to creating jobs for them and helping them stabilise their lives, she said.

NA deputy Luong Phan Cu from Dak Nong province said it may take more time to implement the project as it affects an additional 16,500 households.