“I always tell others, once you step out of the country, you are no longer just an engineer, you are a Chinese engineer, representative of the country,” said the China Railway Limited Branch Director and Vietnam Hanoi Light Rail Project Vice-Manager, Mr. Suen Tak Chi, during his interview in Hanoi.

In the capital of Hanoi, more than 5 million motorcycles roam the roads of the city. There are as many as 2500 motorcycles per every mile of the city. Motorcycles simply fill the roads resulting in traffic congestion and road accidents. With the government’s future plan, motorcycles are to be banned from the roads by 2030. The construction of China’s overseas light rail project in Hanoi is the golden key to this issue in providing a new type of transportation to the city.

Mr. Suen stands on the construction grounds of the light rail project linking Ji Ling and He Dong, as the interview was being conducted. Heavy-weighted steel frames and concrete supports the newly built infrastructure above, weaving through buildings and residences in the area. Back on the roads, motorcycles and trucks fill the roads of busy Hanoi; sounding much like an orchestra with their honking.

The Ji Ling and He Dong link, is not only the first light rail in Hanoi, but the first in Vietnam. The project thrives under ‘Chinese characteristics,’ and is developed under China’s management, material, standards, investments, and is their largest infrastructure project overseas. The light rail totals to 13 kilometers built along 12 stations and costs $850 million USD in investment. Construction began in 2011: 7 years later, it is 95% finished. It is a ‘one road, one initiative’ project China has introduced to Vietnam, and a ‘two corridors, one circle’ creation, curating a friendship link between the two nations.

Issues that arise from the light rail project includes the high humidity of the country and the difficulty in planning the project around residences. Certain families and businesses have relocated. The light rail will be a new idea to the Vietnamese. Heavily relying on motorcycles, the Chinese company has been hosting railway exhibition, in order to gain the nation’s confidence in accepting this new ‘made in China’ technology. Many, now, are awaiting the rail project on increasing the efficiency and reducing the congestion in the city.

On the other hand, to liaise with the Vietnamese developers and landlords for an in-depth understanding of the technology and mindset of the project, the company’s motto is ‘ability to do and the ability to discuss.’ To promise the best quality of the light rail project, the China Railway Group Limited sent professionals ranging from specialists in engineering, specialist in building materials (concrete), and consultants to overlook the project In Vietnam, to ensure the project runs smoothly and without error by revising issues repeatedly.

The installation of the final frame beam, numbered 806, took place last year October, finalizing the construction phase of the country’s first light rail project. In 2018, the light rail project is to undergo its first trial operation. Project workers like Mr. Suen are finally able to travel home to spend the new years with his family, after three years living in Hanoi.

Source: Xinhua Net, China Go Abroad, China Daily