HANOI, Nov.16 (Xinhua) -- Major problems of Vietnam's railway sector will be resolved if a double-track railway is developed on the route from the north to the south of the country, according to local experts on Wednesday.
Vuong Dinh Khanh, former vice director general of the major railway operator Vietnam Railway Corporation (VRC) said on the state-run news agency VNA that the VRC desired to run 25 train pairs for decades, but in fact it operated just 18 train pairs as infrastructure failed to meet required conditions.
A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared with a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.
"Current limited infrastructure hindered the sector's development, weakened its competitiveness and posed risks to road safety," Khanh said, adding that it is time for Vietnam to seriously consider developing a double-track railway and funding the development.
At the ongoing second session of the 14th National Assembly, Vietnamese lawmakers have discussed amendments to the 2005 Railway Law. The bill came into effect on Jan. 1, 2006 and has proven problematic and inadequate for current and future development of the sector, said Khanh.
Agreeing on the need to amend the 2005 Railway Law, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong said railway infrastructure has deteriorated and was outdated.
While most countries are using tracks that are 1.435 meters wide (broad gauge), Vietnam is still using one-meter wide tracks (meter gauge), said Dong.
At the same time, Nguyen Huy Hien, vice head of the Railway Department under Vietnam's Ministry of Transport (MoT) proposed that not only the VRC but also other private enterprises should be allowed to operate the national railway system, which will help create competition and reduce transport costs.
In a related move, Dong said the MoT will submit to the government a proposal on high-speed North-South Railway which allows speed of 160-200km per hour.
Under the proposal, railway lines will be standardized and upgraded to better serve passengers. High-speed railway is needed as other means of transports are unable to carry some 138 million passengers per year, said the official.
