A comprehensive development of the railway transport system will be akey target of the Vietnam Railway Transport Development Strategy towards2020, approved on February 10 by the Prime Minister.

The strategy includes development of infrastructure and skillfulorganisation of transport and services management and exploitation.

It also focuses on activities to maintain order, safety, convenienceand effectiveness of the railway transport system nationwide.

Under the framework of the strategy, the railway sector plans to claim1 to 3 percent of the goods transport market share, and 1 to 2 percentof the passenger transport market share by 2020. In large cities such asHanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the sector expects to claim between fourand five percent of the market share of the urban passenger transport.

Theexisting railway routes will be upgraded, with focus on themodernisation of the north-south route, to increase the average trainspeed to between 80kmph and 90kmph for passenger trains and between50kmph and 60kmph for goods trains.

The services onthe other routes, including the Yen Vien-Lao Cai, Gia Lam-Hai Phong andHanoi-Thai Nguyen routes, will be upgraded and the transport capacityand quality in the north will be improved. Investment priorities will begiven also for upgrading and strengthening the capacity of key railwaystations or stations with high passenger traffic, and for minimisingstep-by-step the number of level crossings (an intersection where arailway line and a road or path meet).

The strategyalso targets studies on the construction of a new high-speed1.435m-gauge railway route, and the electrification of the north-southrailway system, in which priority will be given to busy routes such asHanoi-HCM City, Hanoi-Vinh and HCM City-Nha Trang.

Thestrategy plans to claim between 3 and 4 percent of the passengertransport market share, 4 to 5 percent of the goods transport marketshare and 15 to 20 percent of the passenger transport market share inHanoi and HCM City during the 2020-30 period.-VNA