Hanoi’s Quest for Innovative Solutions in Urban Railway Advancement

Currently, Hanoi operates two main railway lines: the Cat Linh – Ha Dong route and the Nhon – Hanoi Station line.

City leaders advocate for a more integrated approach to railway development rather than constructing individual routes one after another.

To facilitate this growth, the government should allocate funding for Hanoi and empower local authorities to make investment choices aligned with the city’s comprehensive development plan.

Hanoi is looking to create a railway development plan that complies with the TOD (Transit Oriented Development) model. This will help manage and reserve land effectively for both railway and urban development.

Nevertheless, upcoming drafts concerning city development, slated for 2024, do not specify land management strategies for railway construction.

In the Hoa Lac satellite area, despite 20 years of growth (2004-2024), the local population has reached only 5% of the target (30,000 instead of 600,000), although significant investment has gone into the infrastructure.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) revealed in 2016 that while all adjacent land along the railway route has been allocated, no space is reserved for the 38 kilometers of railways required.

With an estimated investment of $2.8 billion and expectations of 400,000 daily passengers, investors would recoup their initial investment only after 48 years of operation (2016-2064).

The economic internal return rate (EIRR) stands at 10.9 percent, which is below the 12 percent threshold, with the financial internal return rate (FIRR) showing a negative figure due to high investments coupled with low ticket revenues.

In 2020, the Japan Metro Association published ‘Metro of the World,’ a book detailing metro systems across 66 cities in Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australia.

This publication indicated that cities of similar size and geography to Hanoi generally utilize a radial network model with circular connectors. Some cities, like Beijing and Singapore, feature two concentric rings or intersecting rings for efficient connections between urban train lines.

In contrast, Hanoi’s current plan for 12 urban railway lines is dense yet fragmented, lacking adequate connections and showing uneven distribution between the North and South banks of the Red River.

Instead, a redesign of the transport strategy to include “3 radial lines and 2 connecting circles” could optimize the current infrastructure, enhance investment efficiency, and invite more private sector contributions.

The urban transport plan should promote a mixture of methods, prioritizing railway transport while also incorporating rapid and regular buses, e-hailing services, bicycles, and more.

Nguyen Cao Minh, head of the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB), noted in his writings that Hanoi has a rare chance to implement the TOD model in its urban development agenda.

This approach would not only maximize land utilization but also alleviate traffic congestion, reduce emissions, and improve public spaces. It’s essential for boosting land value and supporting the emergence of new economic zones.

The MRB is spearheading the development of the 8.7-kilometer Hanoi – Hoang Mai urban railway project, with a budget of VND40.57 trillion ($1.752 billion). While the per-kilometer investment is higher than World Bank recommendations at $200 million, the anticipated ridership falls below viable thresholds.

The project’s concluding section is situated in a region rich with lakes, ponds, and desolate villages, with the exact location for the final station still undetermined due to its proximity to private land and the Yen So Pump Station.

Should the budget of $1.752 billion be allocated to constructing over 8 kilometers of underground railways, in addition to a bridge and railway across the Red River linking to Gia Lam station, this could yield significant advantages. Estimates suggest this model would cater to 20,000-40,000 trips daily, while also providing Hanoi with another bridge and creating valuable underground spaces in the city center.

The Hanoi Association of Architects