Hanoi’s railway a step closer to reality

The final railway beams of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway were inserted on October 8, finishing the basic infrastructure of the skytrain project.

Completing this part of the project will create a viaduct system for the entire project and allow contractors to begin constructing railways, stations and trains.

According to the Ministry of Transport, funding for the project is fully prepared, so contractors can focus on speeding up construction.

Photo for illustration: news.zing.vn

It is expected that by the end of this year the project will complete construction, including all concrete work, stations, and paths. Equipment will be installed from January next year, taking about 6 months.

The railway will be open for use next September.

The elevated railway project began in 2011 with investment of USD 552 million, of which USD 169 million came from Chinese official development assistance.

However, in November 2014, it was announced the project would need a total of USD 868 million, USD 300 million more than initial estimates.

The line, constructed by the China Railway Sixth Group Co, Ltd. starts at Cat Linh Street in Dong Da District and ends at Yen Nghia station in Ha Dong District.

In total, the project includes 12 stations and a depot at Phu Luong Ward in Ha Dong District.

From Hoang Cau Lake, the railway runs along the streets to the Yen Lang intersection.

The elevated project has a length of 13 km. The depot at Ha Dong spans 19.6 hectares.

It has a capacity to operate 13 trains with carrier frequency of every two minutes with a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour, but will most likely operate at 35 kilometers per hour.