|
Railway sector targets 8% growth in revenue
The Viet Nam Railway Corporation plans to achieve 8 per cent growth in revenue this year and aims to increase the number of passengers and cargo by 5 per cent, compared with last year.
Nguyen Dat Tuong, deputy director general of the Viet Nam Railway Corporation, said to reach the target the sector would focus on raising domestic and foreign capital to build 400 locomotives and carriages.
It will also speed up the building of the North-South high-speed railway and the design of an elevated urban rail route to reduce traffic jams.
The 2009 plan envisages repairing and upgrading crossings to ensure traffic safety at dangerous intersections.
The railway sector also aims to reduce railway traffic accidents by 10 per cent compared with last year.
Other aims include on-time arrivals and departures for 90 per cent of all trains, improved ticket services for train passengers during peak periods such as holidays, and a 7 per cent increase in average monthly income for railway workers.
Last year, the railway sector posted revenue of VND6.8 trillion (US$404 million), up by 16.2 per cent from 2007. The average income of railway workers reached VND2.9 million each a month.
The sector in 2008 provided 11.3 million train tickets for passengers and transported 8.3 million tonnes of cargo, an increase of 4 per cent compared with 2007.
However, the volume of train passengers and cargo reached 92.2 per cent of the 2008 plan.
Last year also saw the sector's success in generating domestic and foreign investment for development of railway infrastructure.
Total investment reached VND2.73 trillion ($160.9 million), an increase of 38.1 per cent compared with 2007.
The sector has worked with Belgian, South Korean and Chinese partners in upgrading locomotives and carriages to meet future demand for increasing train transport.
Viet Nam News
|
