HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong has given contractors a month's trial to prove themselves on the construction of the Cat Linh – Ha Dong Urban Railway Project.

The contractors must ensure traffic safety, arrange enough equipment for the construction and meet construction deadlines, Truong said.

Any contractor that failed to meet the requirements would be replaced immediately, he said.

Truong said that 12 inspection teams would be established with the involvement of the ministry's Institute of Transport, Science and Technology; Ha Noi Metropolitan Railway Management Board; Transport Engineering Design Inc; and the main contractor of the project – China Railway Sixth Group, to supervise the construction of 12 train stations under the project.

Inspectors would need professional skills and experience, and at least a bachelor's degree, he said.

The teams have been ordered to send reports on the construction works to the ministry by January 25.

Each contractor would need to provide a phone number and arrange a Vietnamese interpreter where necessary to allow the teams to check up on them at any time, he said.

Truong also added that after a series of construction and traffic-safety violations, the ministry had disciplined relevant units.

The most recent incident occurred late in December when scaffolding collapsed in Ha Dong District, crushing a taxi with four people inside and endangering the lives of nine construction workers. Fortunately, no-one was seriously injured in the incident.

In early November at the same site, a steel beam fell from a crane, killing a passer-by and injuring two others.

The Cat Linh – Ha Dong Urban Railway Project started in October 2011. The entire project is over 13km long, and includes 12 stations and a depot. The project is scheduled for completion in June this year. — VNS