The Great Relocation: 1,590 Households Make Way for Vietnam’s High-Speed Rail Future

According to the pre-feasibility study report by the Railway Project Management Board (Ministry of Construction), the high-speed rail project in Quang Ngai province has a length of 86.3 km, passing through 16 communes and 3 wards, including: Binh Minh, Binh Son, Binh Chuong, Tho Phong, Ba Gia, Son Tinh, Nghia Lo, Nghia Giang, Tu Nghia, Ve Giang, Nghia Hanh, Dinh Cuong, Mo Duc, Long Phuong, Lan Phong, Nguyen Nghiem, Tra Cau, Duc Pho, and Khanh Cuong.

The total land area within the project boundary in the province is about 562 hectares, mostly agricultural land. The site clearance work in Quang Ngai province alone is expected to cost nearly VND 11,400 billion.

A review shows that the project will retrieve 8.7 hectares of urban land and 87.7 hectares of rural land. It is expected to arrange 2,510 resettlement land lots for 1,590 households affected by the project.

Localities along the project route proposed to invest in the construction of 22 new resettlement areas, with a total area of nearly 173 hectares. At the same time, it is expected to use 2,046 vacant land lots in 33 existing resettlement areas and residential areas along the route to prioritize timely arrangement for the project.

Most of these are remaining land lots in 23 resettlement areas of the Quang Ngai – Hoai Nhon Highway project, previously implemented by the Project Management Board for Traffic Construction Works of Quang Ngai province. In addition, there are currently 2,759 vacant graves in the 17 cemetery relocation areas of this expressway project, which is enough to arrange for the relocation of graves along the entire route.

Mr. Nguyen Phuc Nhan, Director of Quang Ngai Department of Construction, said that the province is urgently identifying the site clearance project owner, while reviewing the affected public works and technical infrastructure to develop a relocation plan. Detailed plans, timelines, and responsible units will be established to ensure the delivery of a clean site before December 2026 as directed by the Government.

The province also coordinates with the Railway Project Management Board and units under the Ministry of Construction to propose adjustments to the route in some areas that cut through residential and resettlement areas to minimize the impact on people’s lives, shorten the construction schedule, and save costs. At the same time, they suggested moving the Quang Ngai depot out of the Quang Phu Industrial Park to align with the planning and facilitate infrastructure and urban development under the TOD model (Transit-Oriented Development).

At the first meeting of the Site Clearance Steering Committee, Ms. Bui Thi Quynh Van, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee of Quang Ngai, emphasized that after the Government approves the route, the departments, agencies, and localities must get to work immediately, with no delay. From September 1st, all preparatory work must run concurrently.

The Provincial Party Committee Secretary affirmed that it is necessary to promptly report to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Construction about the problems, especially the plan to adjust the location of the depot to the west of the old Quang Phu Ward to reduce compensation costs and facilitate socio-economic development.

Accordingly, the localities need to determine the affected scope, the area of land retrieval, and the number of affected households; implement resettlement projects concurrently; and announce the resettlement locations to reassure the people. Propaganda and mobilization to create consensus are considered key, along with the calculation of construction material sources. The Steering Committee has assigned the Provincial People’s Committee to issue a detailed plan and assign specific tasks to each unit and immediately implement it at the communal level.