HCMC – An investor has submitted to the Ministry of Transport a proposal for restoring the Thap Cham-Dalat cog rail at a total cost of VND24,920 billion.
The 83.5-kilometer railway project is to be executed under the build-operate-transfer contract, connecting Phan Rang City in the coastal province of Ninh Thuan and Dalat City in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.
The construction will be divided into two components, with 16 stations and stops added along the route, according to the pre-feasibility study conducted by the investor.
As planned, the project will be carried out between January 2025 and June 2029. Its speed limit ranges from 30 to 60 kilometers per hour.
The investor, Bach Dang Hotel Complex Trading-Service Joint Stock Company, has requested a State budget investment of VND2,169 billion for the project. The company will be in charge of securing a VND22,800-billion loan.
The Thap Cham-Dalat railway was previously built by the French between 1908 and 1932. In 1968, it ceased operations due to wartime safety conditions. Since then, the railway line has not been put into service.
By reestablishing the historic and scenic significance of the cog rail, the investor believes that the project will enhance tourism in the cities of Dalat and Phan Rang as well as the neighboring areas.
Some 6.7 kilometers of the railway, ranging between Trai Mat and Dalat, are now used for travel activities.
