HanoiTransport:Line5

[GWR]

PM asks China to get railway works on track
09:35' 08/06/2007 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has called on the China Railway Corporation to aid the Southeast Asian country in the construction of a light overhead railway line to run from Ha Noi to Ha Dong as soon as possible.

The Vietnamese PM made the proposal while receiving visiting Chairman of the Corporation’s Board of Directors Shi Dahua, in Ha Noi, on June 6.

At the meeting Shi briefed the PM on the results of his working session with Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Vietnam Railway Corporation.

Also on the agenda at the meeting was the proposed acceleration of the upgrade of railway signal systems from Vinh to HCM City and two new railway lines of the “one economic belt, two corridors” project.

The Prime Minister hailed the results of the working session between the Chinese delegation with the country’s relevant ministry and corporation.

PM Dung also asked China’s railway to help Vietnam in financing surveying, designing and building the projects.

(Source: VNA)

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/politics/2007/06/703900/

[GWR]

Capital's 1.2 billion USD underground railway on track

15/06/2007 -- 9:06 PM
Ha Noi (VNA) – Ha Noi municipal authorities have given the nod to a 1.2 billion USD underground railway to be built in the city, according to the city's management board.

The 15.2 km railway route will link the six urban districts of Tay Ho, Cau Giay, Ba Dinh, Hoan Kiem, Hai Ba Trung, Dong Da, Thanh Xuan and the suburban district of Tu Liem, with 85 percent of the needed financing being provided by Japanese official development assistance (ODA).

Work on the project is scheduled to begin in the last quarter of this year and is slated for completion by 2014.
The project is part of a 42 km railway route running from the Noi Bai International Airport to Ha Dong city in the neighbouring province of Ha Tay, that will be built by 2020.-Enditem

http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/200373/Default.aspx

[jpatokal]

Neat stuff! I'm a bit surprised that Hanoi's moving so fast on this while Saigon, which needs it more, seems completely stalled. Some basic data on this...

Line 1 -- 12.5 km with 15 stations, including 2.9 km/4 stations underground
LRT system, construction started in Dec 2006 for completion in 2010

Line 2 -- 15.2 km with 14 stations, fully underground
Construction to start by end of 2007 for completion in 2014

System map (Lines 1 & 2):
http://www.ketcau.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5329&stc=1&d=1178777509

Nice video presentation by consultants Systra:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6009782444893211901&q=vietnam&hl=en

Line 1 map (sorry, very small, but I couldn't find better ones):
http://www.archipel-asia.com/original/systra1.jpg
http://www.hanoimoi.com.vn/store/news0705/Hong%20Hai/Nam%202007/6-2007/dsbando.gif

Line 2 detailed map:
http://www.ketcau.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=5330&stc=1&d=1178777509

[GWR]

Report from The Star, Malaysia:

Scomi Rail to send final plan for Hanoi project

By B.K. SIDHU

PETALING JAYA: Scomi Rail Bhd, a unit of Scomi Engineering Bhd, has been given exclusive rights by the People’s Community of Hanoi City to submit a final proposal with costs for the development of a more than RM1bil monorail project, sources said.

The plan involves Scomi proposing the design, engineering and construction plans for track alignment and the trains, besides the final costing for the entire project.

Scomi has about 60 days to make its final submission. The company is believed to be working furiously to submit the final proposal for the development of the 23km monorail. The sources said Scomi would work with a Vietnamese consortium on the operation side.

The company's initial presentation was made to the authorities in Hanoi mid this year. It is unclear if Scomi would be able to secure the contract but it remains hopeful, as it wants to become a sizeable player in the mushrooming monorail business.

It has so far submitted bids to supply over 300 trains to several countries, including India (where it is looking to build about 50km of tracks), Syria, Mauritius, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Thailand. It is also in talks to supply 30 sets of trains for the 36.7km Medina lines.

It is learnt that the company had on Tuesday submitted its bid together with partner, Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd, for the Penang monorail project.

Come Nov 26, the company is also set to launch its second-generation monorail in Kuala Lumpur. The monorail is able to accommodate more passengers in each car, thereby increasing the capacity so as to be closer to that of light rail transit (LRT) systems.

Scomi Engineering has its own technology in the monorail business and it also supplies electrical and mechanical systems for any type of monorail.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Scomi had secured a RM121.8mil contract to upgrade the wayside electrical and mechanical systems for Putra LRT’s fleet expansion project for the Kelana Jaya line.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/16/business/19491244&sec=business

[Yappofloyd]

Neat stuff! I'm a bit surprised that Hanoi's moving so fast on this while Saigon, which needs it more, seems completely stalled. Some basic data on this...

Line 1 -- 12.5 km with 15 stations, including 2.9 km/4 stations underground
LRT system, construction started in Dec 2006 for completion in 2010

Line 2 -- 15.2 km with 14 stations, fully underground
Construction to start by end of 2007 for completion in 2014

Didn't realise that construction had already started in Hanoi. Yes, HCM does need it more and I think they have a bigger network planned but seems to be moving nowhere. Good to see Hanoi getting things going.

Not sure how the monorail is going to interact with these two lines and I for one and not a monorail fan on the mass transit front as they are more suitable for short links or tourist lines. Is there a map of the monorail?

[GWR]

France gives more to Ha Noi urban railway

23/11/2007 -- 6:57 PM
Ha Noi (VNA) – France will provide 0.5 million Euros in non-refundable aid to a project on building an urban railway section connecting outlying Nhon to the Ha Noi station.

An agreement to this effect was signed by Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc and Director of the French Development Agency (AFD) Alain Henri in Ha Noi on November 23.

Minister Phuc said the aid is not big but significant in helping the Ha Noi Railway Project Management Board carry out the biggest France-financed project in Viet Nam .

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the 12.5km section linking the western suburb of Ha Noi to its centre is the first urban railway section in the city with a total investment capital of 458 million Euros.

In response to the Vietnamese Government’s proposal, the French Government provides 200 million Euros, AFD – 80.5 million Euros to the project. The remaining will be contributed by Viet Nam .

In addition, France’s Global Environment Fund managed by the AFD has donated 1.27 million Euros as non-refundable aid to help Ha Noi find out environment-related solutions for the railway section.

With the support from the French Government and AFD, the project has begun with an aim of modernising public traffic system to deal with the traffic overload in the capital city.

France now is a big aid donor for Viet Nam , pledging a total of 1.5 billion Euros, with AFD as one of its major channels.-Enditem

http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/224530/Default.aspx

[GWR]

Author: Chris Jackson

01 Feb 2007
Hanoi tram revival underway

CHAIRMAN of the Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Quoc Trieu officially launched the construction of the first modern light rail line in the Vietnamese capital at a groundbreaking ceremony on December 27.Work began at the site of the maintenance depot and operations control centre in Tu Liem district, west of the city centre. The depot is located near the outer terminus of the 14?5?km route. The 12?7?km first phase will run from Nh?n to Hanoi station via Cau Dien, Cau Giay, Kim Ma and Giang Vo streets (RG 7.04 p389). The second phase would add a short extension through the city centre to Bac C? on the Red River waterfront.The French government is contributing a soft loan worth ?200m towards the anticipated US$650m cost of the project, which was developed by French consultancy Systra after the city's last traditional tram route closed in 1990. The light rail line is expected to open in October 2010, and to carry up to 9,000 passengers/h in each direction. Eight more routes are proposed for construction by 2020 in Hanoi's long-term development plan.
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news_view/article/2007/02/6977/hanoi_tram_revival_underway.html

[Yappofloyd]

This can be merged with the Hanoi metro thread as it is the same line.

I obtained some Systra company info when in Hanoi earlier this month as this article quotes the same route. Actual construction of the line will not start until Jan 08 with expected completion in 2012 but the work on the depot did start as this article indicates.

[GWR]

Japan funds technical design of sky railway

07/03/2008 -- 10:30 PM
Ha Noi (VNA) – Japan’s government will provide 4.68 billion JPY (44.1 million USD) for a technical design of the Giap Bat-Gia Lam sky railway, part of the Yen Vien-Ngoc Hoi overhead rail route in Ha Noi.

An agreement to this effect is expected to be signed in March.

The 25km long sky railway will link Ngoc Hoi in the south of Ha Noi and Yen Vien in the east. The plans are to build the 15.36km Gia Lam-Giap Bat section between 2008-2017 with an investment capital of 19.7 trillion VND (1.23 billion USD).

Once operational, the elevated Ngoc Hoi-Yen Vien twin railway is expected to ease traffic congestion in Ha Noi and ensure rail transport safety.-Enditem

http://www.vnanet.vn/Home/EN/tabid/119/itemid/239327/Default.aspx

[GWR]

Nearly US$ 450 million to develop Hanoi’s transport system
Posted at 15h23, day 14 April, 2008

Hanoi Times – Hanoi authorities have decided to invest nearly $450 million in a project to develop the city’s urban transport system. From now till 2012, many large-sized projects will be carried out.

Major projects include the construction of two bus rapid transit system, the belt road 2 (Nhat Tan – Cau Giay), and some residential areas for resettlement in Tu Liem District.

The Hanoi Department of Transport and Public Works has submitted to the local government for approval a plan that reserves 4.5ha of land in Vinh Quynh commune, Thanh Tri district for the bus rapid transit system project. If it is ratified, site clearance will start this May.

Site clearance is underway for the belt road 2 to serve construction which is scheduled to begin in late 2009 and finish in 2012.

The Tu Liem residential area for resettlement has a total investment capital of VND 600 billion (US$ 37.5 million), under which 844 apartments will be built.

According to the Hanoi People’s Committee, this is a significant step to complete the city’s urban transport system and to raise the capacity of public transport network.
http://www.hanoitimes.com.vn/newsdetail.asp?NewsId=5060&CatId=29

[GWR]

Report from The Star, Malaysia:
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/16/business/19491244&sec=business

Energy & logistics engineering company Scomi to plan Hanoi's monorail system

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- Energy and logistics engineering company Scomi Engineering Bhd today signed a collaboration agreement with the Hanoi Metropolitan Rail Management Board (HRB) to prepare a feasibility study on a monorail system in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The complete proposal is expected to be ready within the next six months, the company said in a statement here.

In the strategic partnership, Scomi Engineering, which already has a significant presence in logistics engineering having recently unveiled its monorail Sutra in Malaysia, will be responsible for the feasibility study on the development of transportation hubs to support the transport network of Hanoi and to put up a recommendation for the monorail system.

"The execution of this collaboration agreement signifies acceptance and confidence in Scomi's monorail technology. As one of the few integrated monorail system providers in the world, Scomi's new monorail Sutra, which stands for Scomi Urban Transit Rail Application, has improved features to provide better capacity, ergonomics and safety," said the director of Scomi Transportation Systems Sdn Bhd and the authorised representative of Scomi Engineering, Siddiq Firdause Mohd Ali.

"By collaborating with HRB, I am confident that Scomi Engineering will achieve the primary objective of offering a viable urban transport solution to the people of Hanoi as well as offer tremendous value-added, such as transfer of technology and related training, to Vietnam."

HRB operates under the auspices of the Hanoi People's Committee and is responsible for the development of urban transport infrastructure for Hanoi.

This includes the development of an urban rail network of eight lines and implementation of complementary urban and inter-urban bus networks, allowing for inter-modal transfers with the rail system.

According to Siddiq Firdause, Scomi as a group has been operating through a representative office in Vietnam since January 2007.

"From our representative office, we have introduced the various businesses of the group i.e. oilfield services, production enhancement and energy logistics, to Vietnam.

"With this collaboration agreement today, the group has penetrated the energy and logistics engineering business through Scomi Engineering. I am pleased to note that all the main businesses of the Scomi group of companies are now operating in Vietnam," he said. (BERNAMA)
http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=3823

Related thread on Malaysian Monorail Manufacture & Investment Abroad:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=3155

[GWR]

Scomi's answer to Viet traffic woes
Published: 2008/05/31

http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/Industries/BizFocus/SCOMI8.xml/Article/Current_News/BTIMES/Images/btgraph8/scomi31.jpg
[Photo: Business times Online]

Hanoi’s roads are getting more congested as vehicle ownership rises in tandem with the increasing affluence of the Vietnamese. Scomi Engineering tells Marina Emmanuel how a monorail system can help ease the city’s transport woes.

AS CITIES around the world look for ways to check growing traffic congestion, the monorail is emerging as an attractive option.

One such city is Hanoi in Vietnam, which is celebrating its 1,000th year next year and is home to five million people.

Against a backdrop of heritage-rich structures, quaint lakes and old trees, traffic jams have been plaguing the city where motorbikes and bicycles are found at virtually every corner.

Roads and streets are narrow and cannot cater to the rising number of vehicles that are mushrooming in tandem with the rising affluence of the country.

The Hanoi authorities have set about finding a quick and painless solution.

"The Vietnamese Government has outlined a master plan for the city and identified that there are potential corridors for monorails," Scomi Engineering Bhd president Hilmy Zaini Zainal said.

Like most Asian countries, Vietnam appears to have a vacuum in its public transport infrastructure between the public bus service and its railway systems.

Interestingly, Hanoi used to boast a tram system, but Hilmy said this was discontinued to let cars, motorcyles and trucks have better use of the roads.

In April, Scomi Engineering inked a collaborative agreement with the Hanoi Metropolitan Rail Management Board to form a strategic partnership. They will prepare a feasibility study on the implementation of a monorail system in Hanoi.

The tie-up has been granted an exclusive right by Hanoi's People's Committee to prepare a comprehensive proposal on a monorail network that would also be connected with other urban transportation systems. This would include eight lines of urban rail network and urban and inter-urban bus networks to allow for transfers with the rail system.

As for the monorail system, a 52km circle line around Hanoi was proposed. Scomi Engineering is due to complete its proposal around October this year.

Among others, the areas to be covered by Scomi Engineering as part of its feasibility study will include ridership, system and alignment concepts, soil investigation, underground utilities mapping and financial modelling.

"The execution of this collaboration agreement, signifies acceptance and confidence in Scomi's monorail technology," said Scomi Transportation Systems Sdn Bhd director Datuk Siddiq Firdause Mohd Ali.

Scomi Transportation Systems is an authorised representative of Scomi Engineering. Scomi has been operating through a representative office in Vietnam since 2007.

"From our representative office, we have introduced the various businesses of the group such as oilfield services, production enhancement and energy logistics to Vietnam.

In November last year, Scomi unveiled its new Sutra monorail. Sutra is short for Scomi Urban Transit Rail Application.

Since then, it has formed alliances to bid for a number of projects in Malaysia and abroad.

In India, Scomi and its consortium partner Larsen & Toubro Ltd are among three groups shortlisted for the multi-billion-dollar Mumbai monorail project, which encompasses more than 20km of track.

Scomi is also eyeing countries like Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt and South Korea.

At home, it is part of a group that includes Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd, bidding for a monorail project on Penang island.

"Today, we are seeing a growing interest in monorail as an urban transit solution, especially in cities where transit corridors are limited in space and dense in nature," said Siddiq.

"It is an environmentally-friendly urban transport solution that is a welcome addition to any city, to alleviate traffic congestion faced by many cities such as Hanoi and Penang's George Town, as a consequence of rapid urbanisation."

As a solution for congestion, Hilmy points to the monorail's benefits.

"Its smaller 'footprint', he says, "means less construction material and land and time to construct, which translates to lower cost of construction which can be carried out with minimum interruption to the city's road traffic."

"The monorail being on an elevated guide-way structure, will enhance the appearance of heritage cities and at the same time, accord the commuters with a good view of the city from vantage angles, apart from being aesthetically attractive."

Hilmy says Malaysian cities and towns like Putrajaya, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam, Klang and Johor Baru can also be a perfect match for a monorail system.

In the case of Hanoi and George Town where historical buildings abound, Hilmy said that the manoeuvrability of a monorail system helps to avoid building relocation or demolition.

"This," he said, "is because the monorails have the flexibility to negotiate curves of 50m radius like the KL Monorail, tight 90-degree turns like the Las Vegas Monorail and wrap a luxury hotel around the track like at the Grand Californian Courtyard hotel near Disneyland."
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/Industries/BizFocus/SCOMI8.xml/Article/

[Yappofloyd]

There seems to be constant changes to the Hanoi metro plans which are proceeding slowly. This ongoing mono-rail idea is really as bit silly and given that construction of the first metro line is going very slow, the mono-rail will only distract from getting a metro system in place.

I don't agree that a mono-rail will have less visual impact and given that some of the streets in inner or old Hanoi are very narrow an underground metro is really a better option. In fact unless you put the mono-rail underground it may well have more of a visual impact in some places. Bigger capacity is really the need as well which suits the metro better.

Perhaps some niche mono-rail lines in the future but pls urgently build the metro lines first and then expand the network.

[Yappofloyd]

Alstom Transport eyes Hanoi metro projects 08/08/2008

Hanoi (VNA) – The French leading group Alstom Transport expects to take part in Hanoi ’s first ever metro system projects as a contractor of equipment. Alstom Transport Managing Director in Asia and the Pacific Tom Richardson spoke of the desire when meeting with Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Van Khoi on August 7.

Khoi revealed that the metro route linking the Hanoi station and Nhon in the outlying district of Tu Liem is estimated to cost more than 500 million Euro sourced from official development assistance (ODA) capital, including over 200 million Euro from the French Government.

The official also briefed his guest on the Hoan Kiem Lake-Thang Long bridge metro project with an investment of 1.2 billion USD and the other connecting Ngoc Khanh (Dong Da district) with Hoa Lac, a new urban centre more than 30 km away from the capital’s heart.

A promoter of sustainable mobility, Alstom Transport develops and markets the most complete range of systems, equipment and services in the railway market. Present in Vietnam since 1989, the group engaged in a number of projects to produce electricity and supply railway equipment.

[GWR]

USD1.2 billion for Hanoi’s urban railroad

Posted at 08h46, day 27 November, 2008

The Hanoi Times - Almost USD1.22 billion is the total estimated investment that the Vietnamese government will call for Hanoi’s urban railroad No.5 project, which runs from South West Lake to Ngoc Khanh, through Lang and Hoa Lac.

To solve traffic jams, building urban railroads is seen as a solution for big cities like Hanoi and HCM City. The Ministry of Transport assigned the Vietnam Railway Administration to seek foreign partners to build the urban railroad No.5 in Hanoi in the form of build-operate-transfer (BOT) mode.

The Vietnam Railway Administration recently held a workshop to call for investment in this project. The workshop attracted five big investors from South Korea, namely Samsung, Daewoo, Ska, Kumho, and Keangnam.

The urban railroad No.5 will have a total length of 33.5km and the total investment capital is estimated at almost USD1.22 billion. In the first phase, 11.3km and 22 stations will be built at a cost of USD574 million. In the second phase, USD653 million will be invested in 22.2km and 12 stations. This railroad will include underground and overhead sections.

The Transport Investment and Construction JS Company (TRICC) and Dongrim-Hyewonkaci Company (South Korea) asked for investment in the BOT mode and the duration for capital return is 50 years (until the year 2043). If their proposal is approved, the project will complete in 2017.

This is a big project and the first in BOT mode with the operation of private investors. Vu Xuan Hong, Chief of the Vietnam Railway Administration, said investors will be granted a lot of incentives, such as they do not have to pay land hiring fees and will be assisted in building subordinate works under the Construction Law and other laws.

BTAT - KT&DT Online


http://www.hanoitimes.com.vn/newsdetail.asp?NewsId=9249&CatId=15