Thenight-timeinstallationofthelightrailattractsmanylocalresidents.Despitetemperaturesexceeding33degreesCelsius(91.4degreesFahrenheit),constructionworkbuzzedinlateAprilinHanoi,Vietnam,atthesiteoftheLaKhestationontheCatLinh-HaDongurbanrailway.Patientlywaitingthere,readytowork,wasthefirsttrainmadebyChinaforuseinVietnam.
Stretchingsome13kilometers,theCatLinh-HaDongraillinewasdesignedtoallowtrainstorunat80kilometersperhour.WithatotalinvestmentofUS$850million,theprojectwascontractedbyChinaRailwaySixthGroupCo.,Ltd.(hereinafterSixthGroup)undertheChinaRailwayEngineeringCorporation(CREC)andbuilttomeetChinesetechnologicalstandardsindesign,manufacturing,materialsupply,andservices.
“TheLaKhestationisatemplatefortheentireCatLinh-HaDongrailwaysystem,”explainsSunDezhi,deputygeneralmanageroftheSixthGroup.“Itmarksthefinalstageoftheproject.Itwillopentothepublicsoonafteritstrialoperationattheendof2017.AsthefirsturbanrailtransportprojectinVietnam,ithassetagoodexampleforpotentialcooperationbetweenBeijingandHanoi.Whenitofficiallybeginsoperationinthesecondquarterof2018,theraillinewillbeabletohandle13,400passengersperhour.Itstotalcapacitycouldreachashighas23,200passengersperhourinthefuture,whichwouldgreatlyalleviatetrafficpressureindowntownHanoi.”
FromSkepticismtoRecognition
AcceleratedurbanizationhascreatedtrafficgrowingpainsinHanoi,whichhasapopulationofnearly8million.AccordingtoDeputyGeneralManagerSun,thedecisiontoconstructtheCatLinh-HaDongraillinewasmadeinOctober2003whenNguyenTanDung,thenFirstDeputyPrimeMinisterofVietnam,visitedChinaandexperiencedurbanrailLine2inDalian,LiaoningProvince.Constructiondidn’tcommenceuntilOctober2011.
Theprojecthasdrawngreatattentionfrombothcountries’governmentsandrelateddepartments,buttriggeredconcernsonissuessuchasenergy-conservationmeasuresinuphillanddownhilldeparturedesigns.“NothinghappenedwithourdesignuntilVietnameseexpertsfullybackedit,”Sunadds.
EarlyonthemorningofFebruary19,2017,thefirstChinese-madelightrailtrainarrivedinHanoi;anditwashoistedontothetrackat11:00p.m.thenextday.“Despitethedrizzle,thespectacledrewhundredsofspectatorsfromHanoi,”recallsSun.“Installationwascompletedamidwarmapplauseandcheersby3:00a.m.Theentireprocesswasbroadcastliveontelevision.”
Theproject,whichpassedthroughcomplextopography,wascomplicatedtosaytheleast.Thelinewindsaroundresidentialareas,rivers,lakesand,ofcourse,bustlingdowntownHanoi.Butasthefirstofitskindinthecountry,theplanproceeded,whichresultedintrailblazingcommunicationbetweentheChinesebuildersandthelocalauthorities.Theprocessoflearningtocommunicatetookquiteawhile,duringwhichtimeefficiencywaspoor.“Wewastedabout60to70percentofourenergytalking,”Sunsighs.EarlyonthemorningofFebruary21,2017,inHanoi,ChineseworkerssuccessfullyhoistedthefirstlightrailmadeespeciallyforVietnambyChina.
April2017:ThefirstlightrailtrainbuiltspecificallyforVietnambyChinastandsattheLaKhestationunderconstruction.Stretchingsome13kilometers,theCatLinh-HaDongraillinewasdesignedtocarrytrainsataspeedof80kilometersperhour.Chinesetechnologiesandstandardshavebeenusedinengineeringdesign,manufacturing,materialsupply,andservices.Committedtomeetingthedeadline,theSixthGroupforgedahead.“AsscheduledonAugust3,2015,wemustbeginoperationbyAugust2018,”Sunnotes.“Today,constructionisessentiallycomplete.We’restartingtrialoperationsattheendofthisyear.Wearesureitwillbeopentothepublicbythesecondquarterof2018.”
AmongthethreelightrailprojectslaunchedinHanoi,theCatLinh-HaDonglinewasthelasttobeapproved,butthefirsttocommenceconstruction,anditwillbethefirsttoopen.Theothertwo,Line1andLine3,whicharebeingbuiltbyJapaneseandSouthKoreancontractors,respectively,haveyettobeginconstructionalthoughtheLine1projectwasapprovedasearlyas2004.
“Theycannotbreakgrounduntileveryrelocationiscomplete,”explainsSun.“Weworkedovertimetomoveeachpieceforwardsoonaftereachrelocation,whichacceleratedtheprocess.”
SunDezhi,deputygeneralmanageroftheSixthGroup.byShenXiaoning
Energy-conservationmeasuresweretakenintheconstructionofthelightrail,withuphillanddownhilldeparturedesigns.
April2017:TheLaKhestationconstructionsite.byShenXiaoning
BestEquipmentandTechnology
Itwasoriginallyplannedthatconstructionofthelightrailshouldstartwitharailyard,whichwasdesignatedtobelocatedoverapondofmudmorethan10metersdeep.TheSixthGroupwastedfouryearspleadingwiththeownertotreatthesoftfoundation,whichwouldpreventsinking.Eventually,therelevantVietnamesegovernmentdepartmentsidedwiththelandowner,butpledgedtotakeresponsibilityforanyfutureproblems.Seeingnoalternatives,theSixthGroupreinforcedthepipeditchassolidlyaspossiblewiththebestavailablematerialsinVietnamtoreachstandardstowithstandan8.0-magnitudeearthquake.Whenitofficiallyentersserviceinthesecondquarterof2018,theCatLinh-HaDongraillinewillbeabletohandle13,400passengersperhour.Itstotalcapacitycouldclimbto23,200passengersperhourinthefuture,whichwouldgreatlyalleviatetrafficpressureindowntownHanoi.Constructionofthelightrailhascreatedmanyjobopportunitiesforlocals.AccordingtoSun,morethan600workersattheconstructionsitearelocal,andthenumberoncepeakedat2,400in2016.TheSixthGrouphasinvitedthebesttechniciansfromChinatoleadthework.Overthelastsixyears,Chineseengineershavetrained7,000Vietnameseworkers.
TheSixthGrouphasdeliveredfarmorethanjustconstruction.Lastyear,itdonated3billionVietnamesedong(about1millionyuan)tobuildbridgesinVietnam’spoverty-strickenmountainousareas.
Moreover,employeesfrombothsidesgetalongwell.“It’slikeabigwarmfamily,”saysaninterpreterfromVietnam.“Weworklikebrothers,helpingeachother.”
TheSixthGroup’sperformancehasbeenhighlypraisedbytheVietnamesegovernment.AtotalofeightlightrailsareplannedforHanoi,withatotallengthof305kilometers.TheVietnamesegovernmenthasalreadytalkedtotheSixthGroupaboutthenextprojectaftertheCatLinhHaDongrailline.
“WehavefaithinthequalityofworkonlightrailprojectsundertheBeltandRoadInitiative,”saysSun.“WeareusingthebestavailableequipmentandtechnologytobuildlightrailsinVietnam.”