Hanoi to Build Double Elevated Rail System

Hanoi is developing a new double elevated rail track system under a project announced by Vietnam Railways. The line, estimated at between $700 million and $1 billion, is scheduled to be finished on the Vietnamese capital’s 1000th anniversary in 2010. The project is designed to eliminate rail accidents at level crossings and make the current line more efficient. It will rise 8 to 15m above surface streets, supported by reinforced concrete box-beams and sound-insulating walls, and will allow two trains to run simultaneously at 60 to 80km an hour.