Nine new rail routes added to master plan on railway development

The plan targets to increase the market share of railway to 0.27 per cent in cargo transportation (11.8 million tons) and 4.4 per cent in passenger transportation (460 million turns of passengers) by 2030.

The national railway network will be expanded to 16 routes with total length of 4,802 kilometers over the next decade, with seven existing lines and nine new ones.

The Government will upgrade the existing lines: Ha Noi-Ho Chi Minh City (1,726 km), Ha Noi-Lao Cai (296 km), Ha Noi-Hai Phong (102 km), Ha Noi-Thai Nguyen (55 km), Ha Noi-Lang Son (167 km); Kep-Chi Linh (38 km), and Kep-Luu Xa (56 km).

The nine new railway projects added to the master plan are:

(i) 154-km North-South express railway from Ha Noi’s Ngoc Hoi station to Ho Chi Minh City’s Thu Thiem station

(ii) 129-km Yen Vien–Pha Lai–Ha Long–Cai Lan from Ha Noi’s Yen Vien station to Quang Ninh province’s Cai Lan station

(iii) 59-km Ngoc Hoi–Lac Dao–Bac Hong route

(iv) 102-km Ha Noi-Hai Phong route, connecting Hai Phong port with seaports of Dinh Vu, Nam Do Son, and Lach Huyen

(v) 103-km Vung Anh–Tan Ap–Mu Gia route from Vung Ang Port in the central province of Ha Tinh to the Viet Nam–Lao borderline 

(vi) 84-km Bien Hoa–Vung Tau route from Trang Bom station in the southern province of Dong Nai to Vung Tau station in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau

(vii) 174-km Ho Chi Minh City–Can Tho route from Ho Chi Minh City’s An Binh station to Can Tho’s Cai Rang station 

(viii) 128-km Ho Chi Minh City–Loc Ninh route from Di An station to Hoa Lu border gate in the southern province of Binh Phuoc 

(ix) 38-km Thu Thiem–Long Thanh route from Thu Thiem station to Long Thanh International Airport 

The total investment capital for the nine rail routes is estimated at VND240,000 billion (or US$10.56 billion). 

By 2050, the nation will have 25 rail routes, running 6,354 km.

By Thuy Dung