Unlocking Rapid Development: Laos Cai Expedites Land Clearance for High-Speed Rail

In late May 2025, the People’s Committee of Lao Cai Province launched an intensive 90-day campaign, titled “90 Days to Complete Land Clearance for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong Railway Project (Lao Cai Province Section).” The aim is to deliver cleared land by August 2025.

The campaign immediately gained strong support from the districts and cities through which the project passes. In Bao Thang District, where the railway runs for 25.5 km, 11 task forces comprising over 40 officers were established. These officers fanned out across the communes to conduct land surveys, meticulously measuring every meter of land and recording each tree and structure. The transparency of the process was evident as officers inspected every tree and meter of fence.

The officers worked tirelessly, conducting surveys during the day and entering data for valuation at night. To date, nearly half of the affected households in the district have been surveyed, and many compensation plans have been finalized, awaiting approval.

Similar efforts are underway in Lao Cai City, which has over 15 km of the railway passing through it and faces the challenge of reclaiming more than 192 hectares of land and dealing with multiple route adjustments. The synchronized involvement of authorities at all levels has created a noticeable momentum. The Fatherland Front and mass organizations have actively engaged with the people, holding dialogues in villages to explain the policy and seek their understanding and cooperation.

Families and neighborhoods are being encouraged to voluntarily hand over land to avoid coercion and complaints. In addition to land acquisition, Lao Cai Province has proactively implemented 16 resettlement projects with a total investment of nearly VND 300 billion. The top priority is “on-site resettlement” to preserve the livelihoods of the people. Simultaneously, four projects for land grading and infrastructure development for resettlement areas are also being implemented, with a total investment of nearly VND 1,000 billion.

Recently, at a meeting of the Steering Committee for Land Clearance of the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong Railway Project (Lao Cai Province section), Mr. Vu Xuan Cuong, Standing Vice Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Council, requested that before the end of the district-level activities, agencies and units, especially the districts and cities, should pay great attention to and vigorously implement the land clearance work for the project. Time is of the essence, and the large volume of work must be completed by June 2025.

The Standing Vice Secretary of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Committee, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Cuong, directed the localities to simultaneously carry out statistics, compensation, and implementation of resettlement area construction. At the same time, localities need to handle and resolve the contents; transfer and receive tasks and jobs of district and commune levels to ensure continuity and unity in the implementation of the project in the next period.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Cuong emphasized that the implementation of compensation, support, and resettlement for the project must ensure compliance with policies and regulations and be timely, with flexible and appropriate application.