In a submission to Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, the ministry said the projects would help remove transport bottlenecks and facilitate the expansion of Hanoi's metro network.
Under the national railway development plan through 2050, new rail routes are to be built in the Hanoi area to replace sections of existing lines and free up land for urban development and urban rail projects.
One project involves the eastern ring railway linking Ngoc Hoi and Kim Son, which would connect the North-South railway with northern routes and replace the existing Ngoc Hoi-Yen Vien section. The other would then be handed over to Hanoi for Metro Line 1.
The ministry said the replacement infrastructure was needed to support major projects, including Metro Lines 1 and 6, the Hanoi International Sports Urban Area and the National Highway 1A development corridor.
The first project is the eastern ring railway between Ngoc Hoi and Kim Son, spanning Hanoi, Bac Ninh and Hung Yen, with a 31.3-km main line, more than 10 km of branch lines and an estimated cost of VND 25.7 trillion.
The second project involves rerouting the North-South railway between Phu Xuyen and Ngoc Hoi, including a new Thuong Tin station and a national railway operations centre, at an estimated cost of VND 11.5 trillion.
The ministry warned that suspending the Ngoc Hoi-Yen Vien section before replacement infrastructure is completed could severely disrupt passenger and freight rail services.
According to the ministry, assigning Hanoi as the lead agency would facilitate planning, land clearance and coordination, as most of the projects are located within the capital.
The ministry proposed using central government funding to ensure timely implementation and accelerate the transfer of existing railway infrastructure for Hanoi's urban rail network.
