Railway targets higher efficiency
The decision enjoins the sector to meet 30 percent
and 25 percent of national demand in cargo and passenger transport
respectively and to serve 20 percent of urban commutation needs in HCM
City and Hanoi .
The sector's Party Committee
Congress held recently approved a five-year (2011-15) development plan
that will focus on improving business, transportation efficiency and
traffic safety.
The sector plans to increase its growth
rate by 10 percent a year by investing in infrastructure development. It
aims to improve the sector's ability to stick to schedules over the
next five years, with 99 percent of trains departing on time and 85
percent arriving in time.
The sector will also applying
advanced cargo loading and unloading technologies and launch heavy-load
services to mining areas, sea ports, big factories and industrial parks.
It will complete projects to upgrade the Hanoi – Lao
Cai, Vinh – Nha Trang, and Hanoi – HCM City routes; and begin work
on developing urban railway systems in Hanoi and HCM City .
The sector will also equip itself with modern trailers, buses and
railway infrastructure needed to increase train speeds to 120km per hour
for passenger trains and 80km per hour for cargo trains.
The Tin Tuc newspaper cited officials as saying the management of roads
crossing the railroad network will be considerably tightened this year
to increase safety./.