News about infrastructure

At a seminar co-organized by Tien Phong newspaper and the HCMC Department of Construction on October 16, TS. Phạm Viết Thuận said the city should treat infrastructure as an integrated system rather than focusing only on transport. He argued that 11 main and 13 secondary infrastructure categories, including power, water drainage, industrial zones and logistics, need to be synchronized for the city to develop its economy. To address flooding, he proposed surveying 159 flood-prone points and building ecological lakes at major spots. He also noted that four large corporations had considered investing in Vietnam but withdrew when asked about grid power capacity. Department director Trần Quang Lâm said capital mobilization and land policy need further study, while traffic congestion, flooding and pollution remain the city’s top priorities.

Alstom has received the first order from Vingroup worth about €800 million (nearly VND 24,000 billion) for Metropolis trains serving Hanoi metro lines, according to an investor report on October 19. The company will book the order in its fiscal 2026-2027 third-quarter results but has not disclosed the number of trains in this first order or the total contract value. Under the agreement signed October 6, the first 83 trains will be built by Alstom in Valenciennes, France, while the remaining 117 will be assembled in Vietnam using Alstom technology and key components. Vingroup, through Vinhomes, is general contractor for five metro lines totaling 303.5 km; the Vinhomes-SGC joint venture signed the contract on October 15, with a package value of about VND 920,000 billion, of which Vinhomes expects to take at least 60%, with completion targeted for 2030.

The People’s Budget Coalition (PBC) says the House-approved P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget contains P1.06 trillion in “red flag” allocations, including pork barrel projects and handouts it considers vulnerable to political patronage ahead of the 2028 election. The House reportedly cut P34.7 billion from the Metro Manila Subway and the North-South Commuter Railway, P53.5 billion from foreign-assisted bypass roads and highways, and P4.9 billion from DOH immunization, while redirecting P54 billion to local District Engineering Offices. Delays in foreign-assisted projects are adding costs; Finance Secretary Frederick Go said the government accumulated P3.4 billion in commitment fees from 2022. DOTr, seeking P12.8 billion to buy LRT-2 trains, is allowing public utility buses along the line as a temporary measure. Senate finance committee chair JV Ejercito pledged to restore and protect funding for the subway and railway lines.