Single consortium bids for North-South high-speed railway feasibility study

Single consortium bids for North-South high-speed railway feasibility study

A consulting package for the North-South high-speed railway project has drawn just one bidder, a consortium of four foreign and four domestic firms.

Photo: baodautu.vn

The Thang Long Project Management Board under the Ministry of Construction (MoC) opened bidding on November 6 for consulting package TV-02, worth VND10.78 trillion ($431.2 million), which covers surveying and preparing a feasibility study report for the project.

The project management board will evaluate the contractors' proposals according to regulations, and the bidding results will be announced in November.

The MoC expects to sign the contract for TV-02 at the end of this year. After being selected, the consulting unit will study the route, determine the scope of land to be acquired, and mark the boundaries on the ground. According to the plan, the feasibility study report will be completed after 12 months.

Package TV-02 is considered one of the key stages in the investment preparation process for the North-South high-speed railway project. The project management board stated that due to the large volume of work and complex technical requirements, the consultant must possess sufficient experience, professional capacity, and financial resources.

According to the requirements, the selected consulting unit will have to prepare a highly reliable feasibility study report on technical and economic aspects, serving as the basis for investment consideration and decision-making, and simultaneously finalise the overall technical design and bidding documents to prepare for the implementation of construction packages in the next phase.

The research results on technology, investment options, finance, and project efficiency will also serve as the basis for evaluating the ability to mobilise non-state resources, including the participation of domestic and foreign investors through the public-private partnership method, if the conditions regarding investment efficiency and return on investment are met.

The consulting unit must also ensure synchronisation across the entire railway system and related infrastructure; conduct surveys and collect highly accurate, reliable baseline data; coordinate closely with relevant parties during project planning; and adhere to Vietnamese regulations and international practices.

For a high-speed rail project of unprecedented scale and technical nature in Vietnam, the requirements for Package TV-02 are not only to complete the feasibility study but also to establish a sufficiently reliable technical, technological, and organisational foundation for project implementation and the future development of Vietnam's high-speed rail system.

Previously, in May, the project management board organised a roadshow to introduce Package TV-02, aiming to survey the market and gather feedback from consulting firms with expertise and experience in the high-speed rail sector.

The programme attracted representatives from several embassies along with more than 80 consulting firms and businesses from both domestic and international sources, including those from Japan, China, Germany, Taiwan (China), France, Spain, among others.

The North-South high-speed railway is 1,541-km long, passing through 15 cities and provinces, connecting Ngoc Hoi Station (Hanoi) with Thu Thiem Station (Ho Chi Minh City). The line is designed as a double-track line, with a gauge of 1,435 mm, a speed of 350 km per hour, and includes 23 passenger stations and five freight stations.

The preliminary total investment is over $67.34 billion. According to the plan, the feasibility study report will be prepared and approved in the 2026-2028 period; the project will start construction at the end of 2026 and be basically completed in 2035.

By Nguyen Kim

VIR