On the afternoon of January 9, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the Conference to deploy the 2024 production and business plan of Vietnam Railways Corporation.

Notably, the Prime Minister was the one who proactively requested to work and attend this Conference because he saw the positive changes in the railway industry over the past year. On the other hand, despite having gone through more than 140 years of formation and development, the railway industry today still does not have a position worthy of history and the people's wishes.

The Head of Government said that he had many impressions, emotions and concerns about the railway industry since taking office with the desire to revive the industry, contributing to the overall development of the transport sector. The railway industry has gone through many management and development models, and needs to continue to research, summarize and perfect to solve the problem of not losing money, preserving and developing assets, financial resources and especially human resources.

Arriving at Hanoi Railway Station to "see what's new", the Prime Minister directly talked with railway workers and passengers and was informed of the industry's innovations such as new, more beautiful train cars, more spacious and clean stations, faster and more convenient ticket purchases, better service quality... "Passengers told me that taking the train is now very enjoyable. Workers said their salaries and incomes are "sufficient", the Prime Minister warmly shared with the Conference.

The Prime Minister acknowledged, commended and highly appreciated the results achieved with many advances in 2023 of the Corporation, especially the restructuring of assets, restructuring of staff, restructuring of working methods and "the past 3 years have been completely different". The changes in the railway industry show that the important thing is whether one wants to do, dares to do and has a method to do when handling and resolving difficulties, challenges, obstacles, and outstanding issues...

"With the same amount of assets, the same amount of people, the policy mechanism has not changed much, but with new ways of doing things, new thinking, restructuring of capital sources, management, people, leadership... the quality, efficiency, and people's awareness have changed, from loss to profit. We are not intoxicated, satisfied with the results achieved, negligent, subjective with the situation, but from this spirit, we are more determined, make greater efforts, and act more decisively, then we will certainly have better results, higher than in 2023", said the Prime Minister.

On this occasion, the Prime Minister also acknowledged and commended the efforts and results of the State Capital Management Committee at Enterprises in handling and removing difficulties, obstacles, and outstanding issues in many weak, loss-making, and prolonged projects.

Besides the results, the Railway Corporation still has some shortcomings and limitations such as low level of mechanization, outdated infrastructure, existing locomotives and carriages are not capable of meeting the demand if the train speed is increased to over 100 km/h...

Creating new momentum with breakthrough from high-speed railway

The Prime Minister emphasized the need for new thinking, new determination, new spirit, new motivation, new victories, creating breakthroughs in the development of the railway industry with the implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and Conclusion No. 49-KL/TW dated February 28, 2023 of the Politburo on the orientation for the development of Vietnam's railway transport to 2030, with a vision to 2045, Resolution No. 178/NQ-CP of the Government on the Action Program to implement Conclusion No. 49 of the Politburo.

In particular, regarding the policy of building and developing high-speed railways, Conclusion 49 requires that by 2025, we strive to complete the approval of the investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway project and complete the entire North-South high-speed railway route before 2045.

The Prime Minister emphasized that to achieve these goals, thinking must be innovative, vision must be strategic, determination must be high, efforts must be great, actions must be drastic and effective. Whatever is effective, we must do it, whoever is effective, we must assign tasks, and when it is effective, we must start. Concerns, worries, and concerns about the railway system must be turned into specific actions, products, programs, projects, and plans, bringing about changes and specific results.

The Prime Minister also affirmed that the development of high-speed railways "cannot be done", must be determined to do and will be done. Because the railway industry must be placed in movement and development, with the motto "going later but getting ahead", taking advantage of the latecomers, going faster and more sustainably.

Therefore, the head of the Government requested the State Capital Management Committee at Enterprises, the Ministry of Transport, the Vietnam Railway Corporation and relevant agencies to resolutely submit the high-speed railway project for approval by competent authorities.

To mobilize resources, the Prime Minister requested to continue perfecting institutions, mechanisms, and policies in accordance with development requirements, trends of the times, and modern technology. In particular, resources originate from thinking, motivation originates from innovation, and strength originates from the people. Therefore, it is necessary to mobilize public-private partnerships, refer to the experiences of other countries, effectively exploit resources from the human resources of 22,000 people, nearly 300 stations, land resources, tourism potential of the most beautiful railway in the world, etc., promote the application of science and technology, and innovation.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the need to consolidate and promote solidarity, unity and determination within the Corporation, in the railway industry, the mettle and responsibility of the leaders; under the leadership of the Party, the management of the State, together with the coordination and support of all levels, sectors and agencies, synchronous, close and effective cooperation with partners such as the Chemical Group, tourism businesses, etc.

The Prime Minister requested that it is necessary to focus on promoting the potential and advantages of the industry and promoting new development drivers such as digital transformation, green economy, circular economy, etc.; promoting decentralization, delegation of power, enhancing the responsibility of all levels and the implementation capacity of lower levels, cutting down administrative procedures, and absolutely not allowing the mechanism of asking for and giving...

"We must promote the spirit of self-reliance, self-improvement, and progress from our own hands and minds, turning nothing into something, turning difficult into easy, and turning impossible into possible," said the Prime Minister.

In addition to the tasks of Vietnam Railways Corporation, the Prime Minister also requested the Ministry of Transport, the State Capital Management Committee at Enterprises, and ministries, branches and localities to carry out tasks and resolve difficulties with the spirit of resolving problems where they arise and resolving them according to the authority of each level.

With a high sense of responsibility, with strong spirit and belief in the long history and heroic tradition of the railway industry, the Prime Minister requested the leaders and employees of the Railway Corporation to be more determined, to make more efforts, to be more determined, to overcome all difficulties and challenges to complete the task well, to achieve higher achievements in 2024 than in 2023 .