Vietnam targets Q2/2026 contractor selection for North-South high-speed railway

Vietnam aims to select contractors for its flagship North-South high-speed railway project in the second quarter of 2026, as preparatory work gathers pace, the Ministry of Construction said.

Illustration of a high-speed train model. Source: the government's news portal.

The ministry has approved tasks related to forest land-use conversion and environmental impact assessments. Consultants are finalizing bidding plans and tender documents for survey and feasibility study packages, expected to be completed by March to enable contractor selection in the following quarter.

Authorities across all 15 localities along the route, together with state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN), have actively reviewed land clearance requirements, relocated power infrastructure, and developed resettlement areas to keep the project on schedule.

Meanwhile, the Thang Long Project Management Board has been tasked with completing tender documents to appoint consultants for the feasibility study, also targeted for the second quarter.

Progress is also advancing on the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway line, whose construction began in December 2025. Work is underway at five stations, namely Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Bac Hong, Luong Tai and Hai Duong Nam.

Contractor selection has largely kept pace with the project schedule. All five consultancy packages in the investment preparation phase have been completed, along with six of 12 packages in the project implementation phase. The remaining six - three construction and three supervision consultancy packages - are being carried out alongside Sub-project 2.

Regarding technical design, five of 21 stations have approved design documents, while the remainder are under survey, expected to be completed by June 2026 to support construction.

For Sub-project 2 (railway construction), the ministry has selected contractors for 14 of 16 consultancy packages in the investment preparation phase. The remaining two packages, covering finalization of the feasibility study a