The council will look at existing plans for railway routes and the most efficient ways to get new high speed lines into the city.

The council includes leaders of the Vietnam Railways Authority (VNRA), the General Staff’s Department of Operations under the Ministry of National Defence; the Department of Economic Security under the Ministry of Public Security; the Department of Urban Infrastructure Development under the Ministry of Planning and Investment; and the Department of Technical Infrastructure under the Ministry of Construction.

Participating in the council are also leaders of the Department of Technology Evaluation, Appraisal and Inspection and the Department of Planning and Finance under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; the Department of Planning under the Ministry of Industry and Trade; and the Department of Technology and Infrastructure under the Committee for Management of State Capital at Enterprises.

Members of the council encompass heads of Hanoi's Department of Transport, Hanoi's Department of Planning and Architecture, Vinh Phuc province's Department of Construction, the Departments of Transport of Ha Nam, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen and Thai Nguyen provinces and a number of advisory agencies under the MoT.

The MoT assigned the VNRA to provide full information and documents to members of the appraisal council during their working process and ensure working conditions and operating costs for the council according to regulations.

In the draft planning of the railway route in centre Hanoi, the VNRA proposed to renovate and maintain five existing radial railway routes including Hanoi-Dong Dang, Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi-Hai Phong, Hanoi-Lao Cai and Hanoi-Thai Nguyen.

The plan also targets building four new high-speed lines: Hanoi-HCM City, Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong, Hanoi-Lang Son and Hanoi-Quang Ninh.

It will further develop the routes Ngoc Hoi-Lac Dao-Bac Hong-Thach Loi and western Ngoc Hoi-Thach Loi.

The VNRA proposed to use the Yen Vien Station as a passenger transport hub for trains heading west, northwest, and north directions.

The Yen Thuong Station is the northern junction station for routes to Lang Son, Cai Lan and Thai Nguyen.

The Bac Hong Station is an intermediate station whereas the Ngoc Hoi Station is for southern direction./.VNA