HCMC – The management board of railway projects and consultants need to thoroughly study the HCMC-Can Tho railway project and evaluate all factors in line with the law on investment, said the Ministry of Transport.

The Transport Ministry asked the management board of railway projects and consulting units to review the traffic volume estimate and evaluate the project’s socioeconomic impacts and cost-effectiveness, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Other factors such as the planning of the national railway system, the North-South expressway project, a rail line leading to the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port system, and the Trans-Asia railway must be taken into account when weighing the HCMC-Can Tho railway.

Besides, the railway projects management board and consultants should look into the pros and cons of technology options, technical standards and speed limit, according to the ministry.

The management board was also required to draw up detailed plans for the project’s progress, its feasibility study, technical design and selection of qualified contractors through bidding and report to the Transport Ministry this month.

The 174-kilometer-long HCMC-Can Tho railway would connect Binh Duong Province and Can Tho City, and pass through HCMC, and Long An, Tien Giang and Vinh Long provinces. The project needs an estimated US$9 billion and could be built under the public-private partnership format.