Vietnam ready to join building of trans-Asia railway
Vietnam is willing to take part in building the trans-Asia railway
route
under a plan agreed upon by ASEAN transport ministers at the ASEAN
Summit in
Brunei in September 2000, said Nguyen Huu Bang, deputy general director
of
the Vietnam Railway Union.
Mr Bang further said that the one-metre-gauge trans-Asia route will
link
Bangkok (Thailand) to Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Loc Ninh-Ho Chi Minh
City-Hanoi
(Vietnam), and Kunming (China). These railway sections' infrastructural
facilities should be upgraded.
He noted that the gauge of the current trans-Vietnam railway route is
completely suitable to link with the regional route. Vietnam's
Transport and
Communications Ministry has issued a design for the 140-kilometre
section
from Loc Ninh to Saigon station in Ho Chi Minh City.
On the operation of the trans-Asia railway line, Mr Bang said that all
regional countries have invested in building the line, except Laos
which is
calling for investment capital from Taiwan. The line is expected to be
put
into use by 2010, according to Japanese forecast.
Prime Minister Phan Van Khai early this month approved a master plan
for
railway development until 2020, including the building of a
trans-Vietnam
double-track line. First and foremost, the railway sector will build a
one-way line from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City at an estimated cost of
more
than VND 6,800 billion (US $454 million) with ODA funding.
The construction of the line aims to accelerate the process of
integration
into regional countries, better serve passengers and increase
travelling by
train to 70% of all passengers.
The project will start in 2010, Mr Bang said.
Vietnam New Agency - January 24, 2002.
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