Hanoi (VNA) -The planned pilot run of the first elevated train in Hanoi next month will bedelayed amid lagging construction progress and financial difficulties.
The railway connecting Cat Linh and Ha Dong was initially scheduled to have itspilot run in early October before it officially opens to the public in thesecond quarter of next year. But Transport Deputy Minister Nguyen Ngoc Dongadmitted after a survey trip to the project last week that it was "almostimpossible" to meet the deadline as several sections of the railwayproject were still under construction.
The railway’s subcontractors said that the main contractor - China Railway 6thBureau Group - was late in paying them and responsible for letting theconstruction falling behind schedule.
Dong said that the project was facing financial problems too, as more than 250million USD in loans from China to build the railway were yet to be disburseddue to legal issues.
"The Ministry of Transport is cooperating with relevant parties toconclude the matter and to obtain the capital for the project as soon aspossible," he said.
He also said that the main contractor in the meantime must keep pace with theschedule it previously committed to.
The transport ministry would soon ask the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam to workwith the China Railway 6th Bureau Group on the issue, Dong said.-VNA