Vietnam’s railways have been suffering from low capital, but are now becoming more attractive to foreign investment, Photo: Le Toan Vietnam’s forgotten railway industry Vaibhav Saxena Railways are one of the essential means of transport in Vietnam. The railway industry has seen enormous development in infrastructure and technology and become dominant in mid-length and long-length transportation, and especially in freight transportation. The quality of railway infrastructure, telecommunication systems, and other auxiliary elements is too retrograde, which results in a warning in terms of the number of railway passengers. This situation can be attributed to two facts: (i) Vietnam Railways (VNR), a state-owned enterprise (SOE), held a monopoly in the industry, and (ii) the government overlooked the potential of railway transport, pouring little investment into it. Now, realising the need to re-construct this sector, the government has promulgated a new policy and … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s railway sector set to pick up PPP steam
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Unidentified foreign woman in serious accident near Hanoi’s railway station
Related News Unidentified foreign woman in serious accident near Hanoi's railway station By Kim Thuy  June 26, 2016 | 12:42 pm GMT+7 At about 2 a.m. on June 26, a foreign woman driving a motorbike on Tran Nhat Duat Street near Hanoi's Long Bien Railway Station fell in the street and was knocked unconscious, eyewitness Bui Tuan Dat told VnExpress. Police of Dong Xuan Ward in Hoan Kiem District on Sunday confirmed the accident by phone, without providing further details. The woman's motorbike is a Yamaha's Nouvo with a number registered in the nearby Bac Ninh Province. The woman was hospitalized with serious injuries and blood all over her body. Another eyewitness said she was swaying before crashing in the street. Locals gathered around the woman but were afraid to move her for fear of damaging her spine. The motorbike the foreign woman was driving. Photo by Bui Tuan Dat. Locals waited with her until an ambulance and the police arrived. Some … [Read more...] about Unidentified foreign woman in serious accident near Hanoi’s railway station
JICA proposes $1.8 bln upgrade on North-South railway
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has proposed the north-south railway line be upgraded to reduce the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City travel time by about 3 hours. A group of railway experts from JICA made the proposal at a meeting held yesterday by the Transport Ministry to discuss the construction of high-speed railway lines. … [Read more...] about JICA proposes $1.8 bln upgrade on North-South railway
Investors sought for 1.2 billion USD urban railway project
The private sector is being encouraged to pour investment into Hanoi’s estimated 1.2 billion USD urban railway No. 5 in the form of build-operate-transfer (BOT). The government made the call for investment at a seminar held in the capital city on Nov. 7 by the Vietnam Railway Department and the consultant joint venture between the Transport Investment and Construction Consultant Joint Stock Company (TRICC) of Vietnam and the Dongrim-Hyewonkaci from the Republic of Korea. This is the first large-scale complex railway project that will be carried out under the state-private partnership. Vietnam Railway’s Department Director Vu Xuan Hong told the participants that the country’s railway laws permit all investors both at home and abroad to invest in railway infrastructure, and exploit railway transport services. Investors will not be burdened by land rents, but will be granted land free-of-charge for the construction of railway facilities, said Hong. The Ministry of … [Read more...] about Investors sought for 1.2 billion USD urban railway project
China railway officials fired for fraud over “trash” bridge
China's Railways Ministry fired 10 officials for fraud for allowing contractors to use substandard materials, including "waste," to build railway bridges, state media reported on Monday. It was the latest setback for the ministry, which has been plagued by a string of management, safety and financial problems. China Railway No.9 Group Co, the main contractor for a 2.3 billion yuan ($363 million) project in northeast China's Jilin province, illegally subcontracted to unqualified companies in October, the China Daily said. According to the newspaper, a former cook headed one team of workers to build the bridges with gravel, rocks and "waste" instead of concrete. The report did not give further detail about the material. At least 10 officials were fired on Sunday, and the ministry fined railway authorities in the area and ordered the reconstruction of 16 piers and 2 bridges, it said. This year, the government said it would suspend railway project approvals and launch safety checks … [Read more...] about China railway officials fired for fraud over “trash” bridge