A train route named “Central Heritage Connection” linking Hue city in the central province of Thua Thien - Hue and nearby Da Nang city was put into operation on March 26.

The North-South high-speed railway is expected to create 263,700-332,300 jobs in the construction period and employ 14,000 workers after its operation.

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) has proposed an amendment to the Law on Railways to increase the state’s capital contribution to railway projects implemented under private public partnerships (PPP) from 50 percent to 80 percent.

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) will complete the north-south high speed railway project’s pre-feasibility study report and strive to start construction of two priority sections before 2030.

The first cargo train from Dong Anh Station in Hanoi has arrived in Shijiazhuang Inland Port in northern China's Hebei province in an effort to increase the two countries’ trade by rail.

The project’s technical feasibility and the ability to anticipate shortcomings or unforeseen factors must be considered, experts have said.

Embracing a high-speed railway venture with mixed use of passenger and freight trains is deemed a viable option to form a backbone on the north-south economic corridor.

Building a high-speed railway (250km/h) will facilitate the development of the entire railway industry, experts said.

There are two railways that crosses Lang Son Province: Hanoi - Dong Dang and Mai Pha - Na Duong, both with a length of 123 km. These two railways pass through deserted areas with forests that pose dangers to railway workers on duty.

Construction of a railway linking Vientiane with the Vung Ang seaport in Vietnam’s central Ha Tinh province is expected to begin in November, the Vientiane Times reported, quoting an investor involved in the project. ​

Air and rail carriers, which have suffered heavily from Covid-19, have had to carry cargo to earn extra money. But sea shipping lines are experiencing brighter days.

International transport through rail carriage to European countries via China grew rapidly in 2021. However, the advantages of this transport have not been fully exploited because of poor infrastructure.

Deputy PM Le Van Thanh disagreed with a proposal of the Vietnam Railway Corporation to import 37 used train carriages from Japan, echoing the Transport Ministry’s views on the issue, the Government Office announced. 

Vietnam’s railway system, after more than 100 years of operation, is outdated.

The Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR) has proposed to borrow VND800bn (USD35m) to maintain operations.

The Committee for Management of State Capital at Enterprises has proposed merging two member companies of the Vietnam Railways Corporation in an effort to slash costs and improve efficiency as the industry struggles with the impacts of COVID-19.

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has proposed total investment of 240 trillion VND (10.4 billion USD) for the expansion of the railway network from now until 2030, to be sourced by the State budget and other legal sources.

To survive in the Covid-19 pandemic, the Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) has applied for a non-interest loan package worth VND800 billion (nearly $35 million), according to Vu Anh Minh, VNR Chairman.

Along with upgrading railway routes, Vietnam has ambitious plans to develop a number of new ones during 2021-2030 to strengthen regional economic development.