According to the master plan, the (new) Ho Chi Minh City UR network has a total length of 1,024 km with 27 lines (including 12 lines in Ho Chi Minh City area, 12 lines in Binh Duong area, and 3 lines previously in Ba Ria-Vung Tau area). Therefore, from now until 2030, the city will have to complete nearly 200 km of urban railways, and by 2035, they will be nearly 450 km.

The “Contractor Capability Survey” workshop was organized with the aim of preparing for consulting packages for the preparation and verification of feasibility study (FS) reports and FEED design (Front-End Engineering Design). The 03 UR projects which requiring consulting and verifying are: Urban Railway Line 1 (Binh Duong New City – Suoi Tien); Urban Railway Line 2 (Thu Dau Mot City – Ho Chi Minh City); and Urban Railway Line 6, Phase 1 (Ba Queo – Phu Huu section).

Mr. Hoang Mai Tung, Director of Project Management Unit 1 (Ho Chi Minh City MAUR), stated that among the 3 aforementioned UR projects, UR Line 1 (Binh Duong New City – Suoi Tien) is a national key project, expected to be implemented under the public investment model.

UR Line 1 has an estimated total investment of approximately 46,725 billion VND; including land clearance costs of 6,679 billion VND, construction costs of 16,092 billion VND, equipment costs of 11,252 billion VND, and the Line 1 remainder are management, consulting, and contingency costs. This line has 19 stations, along with the Suoi Tien Bus Station of Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien).

The parameters regarding track gauge, speed and rolling stock for UR Line 1 are similar to the Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien line. The estimated land use demand is approximately 58 ha.

Meanwhile, the UR Line 2 project (Thu Dau Mot City – Ho Chi Minh City) has an estimated total investment of approximately 50,000 billion VND (2 billion USD), and UR Line 6 has an estimated total investment of approximately 86,000 billion VND (3.3 billion USD).

Overview information about UR Lines 1, 2, and 6 is as the following table below:

Through the consultation process, Mr. Phan Cong Bang, Head of Ho Chi Minh City MAUR, shared:

“We hope that capable and experienced contractors will show their interest and boldly propose to participate in the consulting tender packages with the highest sense of responsibility, ensuring quality and progress; while also proposing reasonable contract prices which save the Vietnamese budget.”

At the same time, Mr. Bang stated that they will fully and objectively collect market information, thereby establishing a basis for developing an appropriate and effective contractor selection plan and creating the most favorable conditions for partners to work. The MAUR will also conduct site surveys and discuss with relevant agencies to ensure partners feel secure and exert their utmost efforts for the common work.

The goal of the Ho Chi Minh City MAUR is to complete the plans for projects of 3 aforementioned lines around early July 2026 to hand over to relevant agencies to organize site clearance and relocate technical infrastructure.

By the end of 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City MAUR will proceed with the approval of the investment project and FEED design. It is expected that on April 30^th, 2027, the three aforementioned UR lines will commence construction./.

Hanoi, August 28, 2025 – The Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB) has successfully held a thematic forum on innovative technological solutions for railway structures, fastening systems, and turnouts within the Hanoi urban railway network.

The event gathered leading domestic and international experts to share insights, exchange best practices, and propose advanced solutions, aiming to enhance technical capacity and contribute to the sustainable development of Hanoi’s urban transport infrastructure.

CII BRIDGES AND ROADS Investment and Consulting Joint Stock Company had the honor of delivering a thematic presentation at the forum. The event was further highlighted by the participation of distinguished international experts, including:

Mr. Mario Valerio Dattola, an international expert with over 40 years of experience in urban railway design and construction. He has held key positions such as Technical Director of Metro Line 1 (Hitachi, Ho Chi Minh City) and Design Director of Metro Line 3 (Colas Rail, Hanoi)

Mr. Winfried Bosterling, Vice President of Vossloh Fastening Systems GmbH, responsible for Research, Development, and Innovation.

Mr. Laurent Letzelter, Global Business Director for Metro Systems at Vossloh Cogifer SA

The forum took place in an engaging atmosphere with the direct participation of leaders from the Da Nang Priority Infrastructure Project Management Board, along with experts, organizations, and interested stakeholders. Notably, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board (MAUR) also attended the event online. The delegates actively discussed, shared experiences, and proposed practical improvements for the Hanoi urban railway project.

The event not only provided a valuable opportunity for knowledge exchange among experts but also played an important role in shaping and promoting the development of a modern and sustainable public transport system for the capital in the future.

CII BRIDGES AND ROADS Company’s Sharing at the Technical – Technology Seminar on Metro Organized by MAUR

On June 27, 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board (MAUR) successfully organized a Technical – Technology Seminar on Metro with the theme: “Some Lessons Learned in the Design of Metro Line 1.”

This event marked the beginning of a series of regular seminars aimed at updating technology trends, enhancing expertise, and strengthening technical–technological management capacity in the metro sector. CII BRIDGES AND ROADS Investment and Construction Consulting Joint Stock Company sincerely thanks MAUR for the facilitation, collaboration, and trust that allowed the Company to participate and share in this seminar.

Presentation by Mr. Mario Valerio Dattola: A Critical Perspective on the Selection of Ballastless Track Systems for Ho Chi Minh City Metro

Mr. Mario Valerio Dattola – an international railway expert, representing CII BRIDGES AND ROADS – presented a paper evaluating ballastless track structure systems applied on Metro Line 1, while comparing them with the technical choices of Metro Line 2, from an independent and scientific perspective.

With clear presentation, rich practical evidence, and systematic reasoning, his sharing provided an independent technical view and opened up many considerations for selecting suitable metro configurations for Vietnam in the long term.

Seminar – An Interdisciplinary Academic Platform

The event attracted strong interest from experts, consulting firms, contractors, technology corporations, and universities. Beyond being a technical update forum, the seminar served as a platform for connection – learning – co-development, fostering innovation, localization of technology, and mastery of the metro sector – a still emerging field in Vietnam.

Future Cooperation Orientation

CII BRIDGES AND ROADS Company looks forward to further collaboration with MAUR and experts, organizations both domestic and international, in order to exchange and conduct research on topics related to urban railways in the near future.

📌Contact Information: CII BRIDGES AND ROADS Investment and Construction Consulting Joint Stock Company 🌐 Website: ciibridgesroads.com.vn 📧 Email: info@ciibridgesroads.com.vn

Graduated from universities or colleges majoring in Construction, Transportation, or related fields.
Enthusiastic and responsible at work.
At least 1 year of experience.
Preference will be given to candidates with a professional practice certificate, especially in infrastructure design.
✅ Benefits:

Salary: Net salary ranging from 10 million to 25 million VND/month (depending on capability).
Entitled to benefits as per state regulations, including bonuses on holidays and Tet, company trips, and other welfare policies.
A good and stable working environment.
Workplace locations: 136/1 Trần Phú, Ward 4, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi.

Yesterday afternoon (10/2), the National Assembly Standing Committee gave its opinion on the investment policy of the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway with a gauge of 1,435mm.

The shortest route, as straight as possible

Presenting the Government’s report, Minister of Transport Tran Hong Minh said that the project has a starting point at the location of the cross-border rail connection between Lao Cai New Station and Ha Kou Bac Station (China), in the territory of Lao Cai City; the end point is at Lach Huyen wharf area, in Hai Phong City. The length of the main route is about 390.9km and 3 branch routes are about 27.9km.

The project passes through 9 provinces and cities including: Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Hai Phong. Preliminary total investment is about 203,231 billion VND (about 8,369 billion USD).

The Government proposes that the funding sources for the project include the State budget (central and local), domestic capital, foreign capital sources (borrowing from the Chinese Government) and other legal capital sources.

Regarding the scale of investment, the construction of a new 1,435mm gauge electrified railway, transporting passengers and goods together; the main route from Lao Cai Moi station to Nam Hai Phong station has a design speed of 160km/h, the section through the Hanoi focal area has a design speed of 120km/h, and the connecting sections and branch routes have a design speed of 80km/h.

In terms of technology, the use of concentrated propulsion train technology for passenger and cargo trains; the information and signal system is equivalent to the system being used in a number of railways to transport passengers and goods in the region.

According to Minister Tran Hong Minh, the direction of the route is studied and selected to ensure the shortest and most straight possible, ensuring conformity with the plans approved by the competent authorities.

Regarding station works, it is expected to arrange 18 stations (including 3 train stations, 15 mixed stations). In the process of exploitation, when the demand for transportation increases, a number of technical operation stations will be researched and upgraded into mixed stations and additional stations will be invested when there is a need.

Regarding progress, according to the Government’s proposal, the project will be prepared a feasibility study report from 2025, striving to be basically completed by 2030.

Removing the “bottleneck” point of intermodal transport

As noted by PV in the first days of the new year, in the area of Vu Cach station (Hai Phong), the activity of queuing sulfur by train to China through Lao Cai border gate is still taking place regularly.

Mr. Duong Van Hung, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of Hai Phong Railway Transport Services Joint Stock Company – a railway transport leasing unit, said that this is a traditional item that the company undertakes services for Chinese partners. In addition to sulfur, there are also ores and other bulk commodities with a two-way output of about 350,000 tons/year.

Previously, sulfur and iron ore passed through Hai Phong port, from there by train through Lao Cai to Chinese factories and vice versa with higher output. However, about 10 years ago, when China built a 1,435mm gauge railway to Hekou Bac station near the border, output decreased because Vietnamese railways still used 1,000mm gauge.

Very few locomotives and 1,000mm wagons are eligible to run on Chinese railways, so most trains have to stop at Lao Cai station, transferring goods to Chinese wagons. At Hekou Bac Station, if you want to go deep into China, you have to transfer to a 1,435mm gauge car, incurring many operations and costs.

Before the information that the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway was submitted to the National Assembly for investment policy, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Thanh, Deputy General Director of Railway Transport and Trading Joint Stock Company (Ratraco) said that this will help businesses save a lot of time and import and export costs.

Creating a construction market of more than 4.5 billion USD

According to Mr. Vu Hong Phuong, Director of the Railway Project Management Board, the East-West corridor (Hai Phong – Hanoi – Lao Cai) is a transport corridor passing through 9 localities, accounting for 21% of GDP, 25% of industrial parks across the country. This is the second most important transport economic corridor after the North-South corridor.

The investment in this railway line will create a construction market with a value of more than 4.5 billion USD, about 90,000 jobs during construction and about 2,500 long-term jobs.

At the same time, the line connects to Chinese railways, through railways to Yunnan, Tibet and connects to Europe. Vietnam’s exports will travel by rail through Lao Cai border gate and be transported on this railway.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dong, former Deputy Minister of Transport, of the 7 railway routes, if the North-South route is characterized by outstanding passenger demand, the East-West route meets the urgent needs of freight transportation and connectivity. Vietnamese goods transported to Europe by rail cost reduced from 1/3 to nearly 1/2 compared to traveling by sea, the time is also shortened from 14-20 days.

Proposing a series of specific mechanisms

In order to be able to start the project at the end of 2025 under the direction of the Government, Mr. Vu Hong Phuong said that the Ministry of Transport has implemented many works simultaneously.

Specifically, in the process of studying and preparing a pre-feasibility study report, the Ministry of Transport also implements the contents in the step of making a feasibility study report; Negotiating a loan agreement for the project…

The Ministry of Transport has proposed a series of specific policies, including a group of policies related to promoting progress, such as the authority to approve, the authority to adjust projects, determine capital sources, allow the application of the contractor appointment mechanism for all steps that may affect the start time, etc.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Transport proposes 19 policy groups under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly. In particular, it is proposed to allow the application of 15/19 policies in Resolution No. 172/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly on the investment policy of the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis.

At the same time, it is proposed to add 4 groups of policies under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly. In which, investors are allowed to be appointed to bid for bidding packages of projects of national importance according to the provisions of Article 23 of the Law on Bidding.

Lessons learned from previous projects show that two factors that have a great impact on prolonging the project construction progress are land acquisition, compensation, and resettlement support (THD, DB, HTTDC) of localities and disagreements and conflicts in the economic contract relationship between the investor and the contractor.

In order to overcome these factors, the Ministry of Transport has proposed specific mechanisms in the work of Land Permits, Land Permits, and Land Permits such as: Preliminary design dossiers can be used (after the investment policy is approved by the National Assembly) to send to localities to prepare for the implementation of Land Permits, Land Plans, and Land Plans; Assign localities to be investors of THD, DB, HTTDC projects, implement immediately after the project is approved for investment policy (previously it had to be approved to be implemented THD, DB, HTTDC)…

Thorough evaluation to avoid risks

Presenting the verification report to the Government, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh said that the Economic Committee agreed on the need to invest in the project with the political and legal bases and practical reasons stated in the Government’s report.