HCMC – The Ministry of Transport has formed an appraisal council to review the prefeasibility study for the Thu Thiem-Long Thanh railway project, which aims to connect HCMC to Long Thanh International Airport. The project is estimated to cost nearly VND85 trillion.
The 15-member council comprises representatives from the Ministry of Transport, the Vietnam Railway Authority, and Vietnam Railways Corporation. It is chaired by Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Danh Huy.
The council will assess the project’s feasibility before it advances to the next stages of development.
The railway will span 45.26 km, including 30.67 km of elevated tracks, 15.13 km underground, and 0.43 km at ground level. It will feature an electrified system with a standard gauge of 1,435 mm. The route is designed for speeds of 120 km/h on surface sections and 90 km/h in tunnels.
The project is expected to carry up to 40,000 passengers per hour in one direction and will connect with key rail lines such as HCMC’s metro line 2, the potential Bien Hoa-Vung Tau line, and the planned North-South high-speed railway.
Fully state-funded, the project has a total estimated cost of over VND84.7 trillion (US$3.45 billion), with an additional VND5.5 trillion allocated for land acquisition and resettlement. The Government plans to approve the investment plan by 2025, with construction slated to begin before 2030 and completion targeted for 2035.
