Work on the railway improvement project at Khe Net Pass in Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh province, Vietnam, has officially begun. A groundbreaking ceremony to mark this important stage was held on 22 March 2024.

The Khe Net Pass railway rehabilitation project on the Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City line is said to be Vietnam’s first ODA-funded project from the Korean EDCF, with a total value exceeding VND2,000 billion.

The project consists of two contract packages: XL01 for building two railway tunnels (620 m and 393 m) by Ilsung Company – Deo Ca Group in 23 months, and XL02 for bridges, tracks, signals, etc. by Ilsung – RCC in 22 months.

When completed, the Khe Net Pass project will enhance the North-South railway, shortening Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City train journeys, ensuring smooth and safe rail transport, and improving service quality.

According to Deo Ca, one of the contractors on the project, the company will be focusing on railway infrastructure investments as its new direction for the next five to 10 years. It is currently looking into advanced countries like Singapore, China and Japan to prepare for high-speed railway and urban railway projects by importing training programmes and experts.

In January 2024, Deo Ca Research and Training Institute launched a specialised programme in railway – metro construction to develop human resources for the transportation industry, aiming to meet the urgent need for skilled professionals in the rail – metro sector.

In March 2024, Deo Ca collaborated with Vietnam’s Dong A University to establish the Deo Ca Practical Training Institute, offering advanced training courses for practical road and rail – metro engineers and the post-graduate level.

Image: Deo Ca