The Government of Vietnam has announced plans to complete track laying for a 1,514-km-long North-South high-speed railway (HSR) by 2035. The HSR will pass through 20 provinces and cities, starting from Ngoc Hoi Station in Hanoi and ending at Thu Thiem Station in Ho Chi Minh City. The route will include stops in Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Danang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, and Dong Nai.
Key considerations for the project include ensuring economic feasibility, payback period, and socioeconomic impacts.
The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has explored three project scenarios, considering different designed speeds from 200 to 350 km/hr, and whether the route should serve passenger or cargo transportation exclusively or combine both. The project’s cost is expected to be between USD67.3 billion and USD72 billion.