Professor Dr. Shigeru Morichi, Director of the Policy Research Centre under Japan’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), July 18 said that Japan will cooperate with Hanoi in developing its urban railway system. Mr. Morichi made the commitment at a seminar on urban development and the role of urban railway systems in Hanoi which organized by the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). He added that Japan will provide loans and technical assistance, in addition to sharing experiences in building, managing and operating urban railway systems and developing the necessary human resources. To achieve higher density in the urban railway network, Hanoi needs to combine the development of the urban railway system with appropriate land use planning and reasonable urban development, the official noted. Addressing the seminar, Deputy Chief Representative of the JICA Office in Vietnam, Toshio Nagase, stressed the need to develop an urban railway system in Hanoi. Head of the HRB, Nguyen Quang Manh, outlined Hanoi’s urban development plan to 2020 with a vision to 2050, including an urban railway system. Hanoi is striving to complete the Nhon-Hanoi Railway Station route and the Nam Thang Long - Tran Hung Dao route by 2016. It is working closely with the Ministry of Transport to accelerate the construction of route No. 2A Cat Linh to Ha Dong and route No. 1 Yen Vien to Ngoc Hoi. (nhandan.org.vn Jul 19, Giao Thong Van Tai – Transport Jul 19 p2)
