VIETNAM: The National Assembly has backed investment in the proposed 1 541 km north-south high speed railway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
The 1 435 mm gauge line would be designed for 350 km/h operation.
The assembly’s decision on November 30 did not approve a specific amount of funding, although the project has an estimated cost of US$67bn and would span a number of budget periods.
Chair of the Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh said the line would play an important role in realising state policies and provide a breakthrough in socio-economic development.
The project has been planned for 18 years, and a pre-feasibility study which looked at high speed rail development in other countries has concluded that the conditions in Vietnam are now suitable for implementation.
Construction of the first sections from the planned Ngoc Hoi station in Hanoi to Vinh, and from Nha Trang to a Thu Thiem station in Ho Chi Minh City, is scheduled to begin in late 2027. Civil works on the remaining central section from Vinh to Nha Trang is scheduled to begin in 2028–29.
The government aims to complete the entire project by 2035, providing a 5½ h journey time between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Minister of Transport Tran Hong Minh said the approval was a historic decision in favour of a dynamic and symbolic project, which would create momentum for the economy and contribute to bringing the country into a new era of national growth.
- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has set a December 25 deadline for the production of master plans for urban rail development in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to support economic growth and address road congestion and pollution.
