Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - With the North-South high-speed railway inplanning, experts are raising concerns about how the line should be connectedto the city centre for the interest of the passengers.

It is recommended that the North-South high-speed railway should be connectedto Hanoi Station at the centre of the capital city, according to an initialplanning report for railways routes and stations in Hanoi by TransportEngineering Design Inc (TEDI) and Consulting Centre for Transport DevelopmentInvestment (CCTDI).

A representative of the joint venture said that through research on railwayplanning in major cities across the globe, high-speed railways often run farinto the city centre, such as in Tokyo, Beijing, Berlin and Paris.

The master plan for the national railway network for 2021-2030 with a vision to2050 states that the North-South high-speed railway route will have Ngoc Hoi Stationas its main station in the capital, situated in the outskirts of Hanoi.

Concerns have been raised on whether Ngoc Hoi Station, located some 10km awayfrom the city centre, could discourage passengers from using train services,especially those in the area north of the Red River.

Other suggestions include using the central Hanoi Station as the passengerstation, while Ngoc Hoi Station will also handle cargo and serve as the depot,instead of Thuong Tin as in the plan.

Sharing the same perspective, Pham Hoai Chung, deputy director of the TransportDevelopment and Strategy Institute said that having the high-speed railwayconnected to the city centre will be more convenient to passengers, as almostno one wants to have to change trains multiple times while travelling.

He also pointed out the challenges in terms of infrastructure and utilisationwhen combining high-speed and urban railways.

Chung said: “The urban railway Ngoc Hoi - Yen Vien will be located next to theroute to Hanoi station, therefore research needs to be conducted on technicaland technology solutions, ensuring the functional infrastructure and optimaltrain operations between two vastly different types of transport.”

Railway expert Nguyen An, who worked at the transport ministry’sscience-technology department, said that every option has its pros and cons.

He believed that the option to have Hanoi Station as a passenger-only stop isthe optimal choice for the city’s development, especially in passengertransport.

An agreed that this option could cause problems as the high-speed railwayintersects inner city traffic routes.

He suggested that 10km of the railway be built underground, but noted that itwill entail enormous costs and is time-consuming.

Detailed calculations should be made to compare this option with the plan tohave Ngoc Hoi Station as the final stop with connections to the city centrethrough other means of transport.

A representative from the Vietnam Railway Administration also said that aproposal to build a four-rail route, with two for the urban railway and twoothers for the high-speed railway, has been submitted.

However, the city deemed the option unfeasible due to land clearance issues.

Therefore, for the upcoming pre-planning report, the consultant units arestudying options that could allow for both the urban and high-speed trains on adouble, elevated railway.

Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Danh Huy said that the North-South high-speedrailway project is the first of its kind in Vietnam, requiring careful andmeticulous research to reach a decision on investment capital and method,technical factors and utilisation.

The Ministry of Transport also plans to invite experienced internationalexperts to collaborate with local consultants for these studies to submit tothe authorities for approval.

The submission is expected to be finished by 2025, according to Conclusion No49-KL/TW of the Politburo./.