Hanoi, May 31 -- The Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) has asked the Ministry of Transport to propose Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc extend the expiry for locomotives and carriages by three years.

Government Decree 65/ND-CP currently regulates that 40-year-old locomotives and carriages can no longer be used, which has caused a shortage of locomotives and carriages for the sector, according to the VNR.

At present, the VNR is managing 282 locomotives, of which 262 are in use. The remaining 20 are left idle because they are too out of date, have low capacity and consume lots of fuel while repairs are too expensive.

Data of the VNR showed 121 locomotives will not be used from the beginning of next year to 2026 due to the age rule, leavin...