Hanoi (VNA) 💦– Hanoi plans to develop 10 urban rail lines spanning 413 kilometres by 2035, with an estimated investment of 37 billion USD, Duong Duc Tuan, Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee, told Narayan M. Vernekar, Director of the Heavy Civil Infrastructure Division at Larsen & Toubro Group of India, in the city on February 21.

Tuan said that the target is part of the city's urban development masterplan through 2030, with a vision to 2050. Reviewing urban railway projects that the city has implemented over the years, the official noted that the Cat Linh-Ha Dong line is already operational, while the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station line, using loans from France, the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is under construction. The elevated section of the Nhon-Hanoi line, stretching 8.5 kilometres, has been in operation for six months, while the underground section is under construction, with the tunnelling and station work in progress, he added. The city is also working on the Nam Thang Long-Tran Hung Dao metro line, financed by Japan's ODA loans through JICA. Approved for investment adjustments by the Prime Minister in late 2024, the project is now in the process of finalising approval and is expected to move forward with bidding and construction soon. Tuan said the city also plans to build five additional lines totalling over 200 kilometres by 2045, with an investment of 18 billion USD. Projects will be carried out in three phases, from 2024 to 2030, 96.8 kilometres will be completed with an estimated cost of 14.6 billion USD. The next phase from 2031 to 2035, 301 kilometres will be built at an estimated cost of 22.57 billion USD, and from 2036 to 2045, 200.7 kilometres will be developed, with a budget of 18.25 billion USD. The Hanoi official praised Larsen & Toubro’s cooperation with the city, recognising its extensive experience in large-scale infrastructure projects, including metro systems, high-speed rail, and tunnels. He emphasised that Hanoi is eager to collaborate with leading global firms like Larsen & Toubro to advance its urban rail network. For his part, Vernekar highlighted Larsen & Toubro’s success in constructing metro lines in major Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, as well as projects in Qatar, Egypt, and Mauritius. He expressed the company’s interest in contributing to Hanoi's urban rail projects, which will help further strengthen the growing ties between Vietnam and India. For the projects mentioned by Tuan, he pledged that Larsen & Toubro will explore specific cooperation opportunities with Hanoi./.