People work on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated metro line over Hoang Cau Lake in Dong Da District, Ha Noi. Work on the metro line is to speed up so that it can be trialled in October and officially launched on December 31 this year. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hung

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong yesterday urged relevant parties to speed up work on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated railway project.

The Ha Noi's Cat Linh-HaDong urban train project, which began in 2011, was expected to be completed last year.

Work on the project was reported to be behind schedule since the project has been delayed thrice due to work accidents and a shortage of funds.

The date of completion was pushed to the end of June 2016.

However, at a meeting with leaders of the transport ministry yesterday, the project management board and the China Railway Sixth Group, an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, reported many items were incomplete because funds and project designs were unavailable. Many completed items were also removed for not following the approved designs.

The main contractor was still seeking partners for parts of the project, they said.

Deputy Minister Truong said the project had a major advantage – complete land clearance.

He blamed the delay on ineffective co-operation among relevant parties.

The main contractor failed to provide technical designs, leading sub-contractors to make inadequate efforts to mobilise staff and equipment and to work in moderation.

Truong said all designs and contracts must be completed next month so that the Project Management Board and the main contractor could open bidding for the purchase of equipment.

"In September, equipment must be available for installation," Truong said.

Co-operation should be sought from the Finance Ministry and the State's Treasury to tackle the shortage of funds, he suggested.

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated railway, which will stretch over 13km, will have 12 stations and a depot linking Dong Da District's Cat Linh Street and Ha Dong District's Yen Nghia bus station. The investment cost of this project increased from $552 million in 2008 to $892 million in 2014. The project has suffered from delays and several deadly accidents.

Once completed, the trains, which are being manufactured by China's Beijing Subway Rolling Stock Equipment Ltd., will serve up to 2,110 passengers, with an average speed of 35km per hour and a maximum speed of 80km per hour.

Trains with six to eight carriages each will run every two minutes from 5am to 11pm every day. — VNS