HCMC – The first container train on a new international rail freight route linking Qinghai Province in China with Dong Nai City in Vietnam has officially entered service, cutting transit time from 12-15 days to around seven days.
The train departed China on May 27 carrying nearly 1,000 tons of PVC resin destined for southern Vietnam. The route spans nearly 4,000 kilometers, including more than 2,100 kilometers in China and over 1,700 kilometers in Vietnam. After crossing the Pingxiang-Dong Dang international border gate, the train was assembled at Yen Vien Station for customs clearance. The cargo was then transferred to Vietnam Railways wagons for the onward journey from Dong Anh Station in Hanoi to Trang Bom Station in Dong Nai.
Information about the inaugural service was announced at Dong Anh Station on June 3.
According to the railway sector, the new freight route will not only enhance logistics capacity for businesses but also serve as a key infrastructure link within the China-ASEAN economic corridor, facilitating trade and creating opportunities for both economic cooperation and tourism during the Vietnam-China Tourism Year 2026.
The service was made possible by Vietnam Railways’ policy of extending customs and border-related operations deeper into the country’s rail network. The approach allows trains departing from inland Chinese cities and provinces, including Qinghai, Nanning and Suzhou, to travel directly to destinations within Vietnam. To improve operational efficiency and avoid empty return trips, the railway industry is also developing two-way transport services to carry Vietnam’s key export products to the Chinese market.
Passenger rail services are also showing renewed potential as the Hanoi-Nanning and Hanoi-Beijing international train routes have resumed operations after years of suspension.
To strengthen railways as a strategic mode of connectivity, Vietnam is advancing several major infrastructure projects. The most notable is the 391-kilometer Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong railway, which has an estimated investment of more than VND203 trillion and is expected to provide a direct rail connection between Vietnam and China.
At the same time, planning studies are underway for the Hanoi-Dong Dang and Haiphong-Halong-Mong Cai railway projects, which aim to create an integrated transport network linking northern seaports to border gateways.
