Vietnam is expected to have two express railways connecting the capital city of Hanoi with the southern metropolis HCMC by 2030.

The North-South railway is now outdated and its speed is quite slow, so the construction of the cross-country express railway is of great importance 

The Ministry of Transport held a meeting on November 12 to release the final prefeasibility study for the North-South high-speed railway project.

A group of State-owned consulting firms – Transport Engineering Design Inc. (TEDI), TEDI South and Transport Investment and Construction Consultant JSC – and a research group from the Japan International Cooperation Agency analyzed the necessity and urgency of the billion-dollar project.

According to the prefeasibility study, the north-south express track is expected to cost some US$58.7 billion. It will run from Hanoi Station to Thu Thiem Station in HCMC’s District 2 and will link with the southern city’s urban railway system.

The cross-country rail route, which is scheduled to be 1,545 kilometers long, runs through 20 cities and provinces. Some 60% of the tracks will lie across viaducts, 10% underground, and 30% on land. The route will have double standard-gauge tracks of 1,435 mm, 24 stations, three more planned stations, five depots and 42 infrastructure maintenance facilities.

The route is divided into three sections for separate investment and construction. The first stage includes a 282-kilometer section between Hanoi and Vinh City of northern Nghe An Province, and a 362-kilometer section from the south-central beach city of Nha Trang to HCMC. They are due to be finished by 2030.

Work on the remaining Vinh-Nha Trang section will start later so that the whole expressway can be put into service between 2040 and 2045.

The consulting group has floated two investment plans – public investment and public-private partnerships. Meanwhile, capital from the State is expected to make up some 80% of funding, while the remainder is to be sourced from the private sector.

At first, the electric multiple unit train will run at a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour and will later increase to 320 kilometers per hour.

Earlier in July, the ministry reported to the prime minister on the high-speed train project’s progress. Specifically, the prefeasibility study was scheduled to be completed in late November.

On receiving the National Assembly’s approval, the relevant sides will carry out a feasibility study, produce technical designs and perform site clearance work during the 2020-2025 period. Construction will begin in 2026 and will be completed by 2050.

SGT