Ha Noi promotes cooperation with Russia in urban railway development

During the meeting with Dmitry Zverev, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, Tran reiterated that Viet Nam always treasures the support and valuable experience in the country's development and nation-building efforts shared by Russian partners.

Russia possesses advanced technological and technical capabilities in transportation, while Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City are prioritizing the rapid development of urban transportation systems, urban railways, and smart infrastructure. These are areas with significant potential for the two sides to strengthen cooperation, he noted.

The capital city has approved a 100-year master plan, which sets out goals for developing a smart city, underground space, low-altitude economy, and high-altitude economy, while also investing in numerous urban railway lines and interregional transport links, said Tran.

He expressed his hope that the Russian Ministry of Transport and Russian partners will share their experience in developing policies and technical standards for urban railways and underground infrastructure, as well as provide support in design, technology integration, training, and technology transfer.

Ha Noi is also inviting Russian companies to study and participate in investment in metro lines under Ha Noi's transport development plan through 2030, with a vision to 2050, he added.

He suggested the two sides study the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data in traffic management and regulation to help reduce congestion, adding that Ha Noi focuses on designing underground structures and stations as architectural landmarks reflecting the city's cultural and historical identity; integrating technology across metro lines; studying the establishment of a centralized operations center; and forming consortiums to implement urban railway projects.

Meeting with leaders of the Russian Railways, Tran said, Viet Nam has identified railway development as one of the priority areas for investment in transport sector, with the aim of effectively combining different modes of transportation and meeting the need for large-volume, fast, safe, reasonably priced, and environmentally friendly transport, while strengthening domestic and international connectivity.

Ha Noi seeks cooperation with Russia in investment, policy advice, the development of technical standards for urban railway networks connected to the national railway system, and railway management and operations, shared the Ha Noi leader. The city also hopes to receive support in sharing experience, transferring technology, and training human resources.

Meanwhile, at the meeting with Ha Noi's leader, St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov affirmed that Ha Noi has consistently been among the leading Vietnamese localities promoting Russia-Viet Nam cooperation, adding that the city stands ready to share its experience with Vietnamese localities.

St. Petersburg highly values Ha Noi becoming its fifth sister city in Viet Nam, following Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Khanh Hoa, and Dien Bien.

The cooperation agreement between St. Petersburg and Ha Noi, signed in May 2025, covers the fields of economy, trade, tourism, education, healthcare, sports, and culture, while also promoting investment projects, business connections, and joint promotional activities.

The discussions in Moscow and St. Petersburg demonstrate that urban railways are emerging as a notable area of cooperation between Ha Noi and Russian partners. With its need to develop metro networks, underground infrastructure, and smart transportation, Ha Noi has additional opportunities to access the experience, technology, and implementation methods of Russian local authorities and specialized companies

Tran stated that the city's specialized agencies will continue coordinating with the Russian side to implement the areas of agreement and promote cooperation based on the needs and strengths of both sides./.