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| Chairman of the City People’s Committee Nguyen Khac Toan chairs the meeting at the Hue City meeting site |
On the afternoon of January 6, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Head of the Steering Committee for key national projects and important railway projects, chaired the 5th meeting of the Steering Committee with 18 provinces and cities through which the North–South high-speed railway project passes.
Attending the meeting were Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, Standing Deputy Head of the Steering Committee; ministers and leaders of ministries and sectors; and chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Committees. At the Hue City online meeting site were Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Chairman of the City People’s Committee Nguyen Khac Toan; Standing Member of the Municipal Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee Hoang Hai Minh; along with representatives of relevant departments and agencies.
Railway development is one of the key contents identified in the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. The Politburo has issued Conclusion No. 49-KL/TW on orientations for the development of Vietnam’s railway transport system to 2030, with a vision to 2045.
The Government has submitted to the National Assembly and obtained approval for resolutions on the investment policy of the North–South high-speed railway project, as well as pilot special mechanisms for urban railways in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, among others.
In Hue City, the North–South high-speed railway section is approximately 95.05 km long, passing through 12 communes and wards, including: Phong Dinh, Phong Thai, Hoa Chau, Duong No, My Thuong, Dan Dien, Quang Dien, Phu Ho, Phu Vang, Vinh Loc, Phu Loc, and Chan May – Lang Co. The route includes one passenger station, Phu My Station (My Thuong Ward), covering an area of about 367 ha, and one potential station at Chan May (Chan May – Lang Co Commune). To date, the city has basically completed surveys, inventories, and cost estimates for land clearance, resettlement land, and cemeteries.
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| City leaders inspect the progress of technical infrastructure projects serving the North–South high-speed railway |
Mr. Ho Huu Phu, Acting Head of the Project Management Board for Investment and Construction of Area 2, said that the northern section of the North–South high-speed railway passing through the city goes through five communes and wards, with a total length of about 26.81 km. The total affected area is about 221 ha, impacting approximately 4,087 organizations, households, and individuals. Technical infrastructure projects for resettlement areas and cemeteries in the northern part of the city include 14 projects, comprising 11 resettlement areas and 3 cemetery areas with a total area of 43.7 ha. To date, land recovery plans have been prepared, inventory work has been completed, and construction is expected to commence in January 2026.
The North–South high-speed railway section passing through the city affects a total of 9,278 households over an area of more than 1,128 ha. The estimated number of resettled households is 1,368, and approximately 7,418 graves are expected to be relocated. Total land clearance costs are estimated at about VND 6,302 billion, of which VND 4,495 billion is for compensation and support, and VND 1,807 billion is for building relocation infrastructure such as resettlement areas, cemeteries, markets, and schools.
Regarding capital allocation for land clearance, at the request of the City People’s Committee and based on funding needs for 2025, the Ministry of Construction has allocated VND 335 billion to the city. To date, VND 302 billion out of VND 335 billion has been disbursed, reaching over 90% of the allocated capital, with 100% disbursement expected by January 2026.
At the meeting, the City People’s Committee reported that there are currently 33 infrastructure projects required to serve the railway project, with total funding of approximately VND 1,807 billion. These include 22 resettlement areas with a total area of over 86 ha, 6 cemetery areas totaling more than 19 ha, 4 schools with a total area of about 5.7 ha, and 1 market combined with a resettlement area covering 2.14 ha.
So far, 13 out of 33 projects have commenced construction, reaching 39.3% of the plan. The remaining 20 projects will begin in January 2026. It is expected that before March 2026, land will be handed over to residents for relocating graves; before June 2026, land will be handed over for house construction and market relocation; and by August 2026, schools will be completed and handed over (before the start of the new school year in September 2026). Accordingly, by December 2026, the city will complete land clearance and hand over 100% of clean site area for construction of the North–South high-speed railway project, in line with Government requirements.
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| Accelerating construction of resettlement areas and cemeteries serving the North–South high-speed railway project |
The City People’s Committee proposed that in 2026, the Ministry of Construction continue to allocate the remaining VND 5,967 billion, including about VND 1,472 billion in the first and second quarters to complete infrastructure construction, relocation, and resettlement projects, and about VND 4,495 billion in the third and fourth quarters of 2026 to pay compensation and land clearance support.
At the same time, it requested the Thang Long Project Management Board – the investor of the North–South high-speed railway project – to coordinate with the City People’s Committee to review and update the route alignment and station locations to ensure consistency with the provincial (now city-level) planning and the Thua Thien Hue (now Hue City) urban master plan approved by the Prime Minister, and incorporate these updates into the project dossier. It also called for early handover of on-site boundaries so that the City Department of Construction and local authorities can determine boundaries, accurately identify the number of resettled households, and strictly manage land funds and the project’s safety corridor. In addition, it requested coordination in providing preliminary estimates of construction material demand so the city can proactively review, reserve, and license material mines to ensure supply for the project.
At the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the Steering Committee to focus on reviewing and evaluating the implementation of tasks, especially those assigned at the 4th meeting, as well as achievements, difficulties, limitations, and bottlenecks requiring resolution. The Steering Committee also needs to review and assess land clearance for the North–South high-speed railway in localities and propose tasks and solutions for implementing railway projects in the coming period.