HCMC – A 380-kilometer railway project linking Lao Cai, Hanoi, and Haiphong in northern Vietnam is expected to gain approval by 2025, with construction slated to start in 2027, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
The Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong rail line will feature a double track with a 1,435 mm gauge. The Hanoi-Haiphong section is set to be developed before 2030, with the Hanoi-Lao Cai section to follow.
With an estimated investment of US$11 billion, the Ministry of Transport is finalizing the necessary procedures to submit the project plan to the National Assembly for review and approval in 2025, aiming for construction to commence in 2027.
Earlier, the Government approved a VND4 billion allocation from the State budget to support the pre-feasibility study for the project.
The Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong-Quang Ninh railway project will span over 441 kilometers, with a maximum design speed of 160 kilometers per hour. It will traverse nine provinces and cities: Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Haiphong, and Quang Ninh.
The railway will include around 56 major bridges, covering a distance of 47.5 kilometers, crossing significant rivers like the Red River, Lo River, and Bach Dang River. It will also intersect highways such as the Hanoi-Lao Cai, Hanoi-Haiphong, and Haiphong-Quang Ninh routes, as well as national and provincial roads. The project will feature 11 tunnels, with a total length of approximately 10 kilometers.
