Hanoi Party chief calls for speedy completion of 2nd metro line

The Hanoi Party Committee Secretary has called for speeding up work on the elevated section of the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station to complete it by next year.

Inspecting the city’s second metro project Monday, Dinh Tien Dung said the entire 12.5-kilometer line from Nhon in the western district of Nam Tu Liem to the downtown Hanoi Railway Station must be operational by 2025.

It comprises 8.5 kilometers of elevated tracks with the rest being underground.

“This is not just to satisfy the wish of Hanoi but to protect the prestige of the contractor,” he said.

The city Party chief ordered that the construction of the elevated tracks must be completed before Oct. 15 next year so that the section could start operation within next year.

He directed related units to focus on solving difficulties and problems to boost the overall progress of the project.

For now, Hyundai E&C-Ghella, the main contractor, has put the four-kilometer underground section on hold, citing failure to hand over the land needed for it. It complained in July that it does not have the land to build S11, one of the four underground stations.

The city’s compensation policy for affected households has yet to be approved.

City leaders have organized various meetings to discuss the problem and find solutions.

Nguyen Cao Minh, director of the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board, said 74 percent of the work has been finished, including 89.5 percent of the elevated section and 33 percent of the underground section.

During his inspection tour, Dung called on authorities to work together to find a solution within this month.

Work on the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station line began in 2010 at an estimated cost of $1.2 billion and was scheduled to be completed in 2017. But there have been several delays, which have also pushed the cost to $1.55 billion.

Most of the funding for the project comes from official development assistance loans.

By Vo Hai – VnExpress.net – November 30, 2021