HCMC – The Government has approved a revised national railway development plan that adds a new high-speed rail line linking Hanoi City and Quang Ninh Province, alongside adjustments to several key routes scheduled for investment before 2030.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has endorsed updates to the national railway network plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. The revised plan expands the scope, scale, and investment timeline of multiple corridors, reported the Vietnam News Agency.
The new Hanoi–Quang Ninh high-speed line will start at Co Loa Station, where it will connect with Hanoi’s Metro Line 4. It will pass through Gia Binh Station in Bac Ninh Province, the planned site of the Gia Binh International Airport, before ending at Ha Long Xanh Station in Quang Ninh. The route will also link to the Haiphong–Ha Long–Mong Cai line.
The Government’s decision follows a proposal submitted in July by Vingroup to invest in the Hanoi–Quang Ninh rail project. The conglomerate suggested developing a 350 km/h passenger line using a 1,435-mm standard gauge and full electrification. The project would require around 308 hectares of land and an estimated investment of US$5.4 billion, with implementation planned before 2030.
Several other routes have also been moved forward in the investment timeline. The 156-kilometer Hanoi–Dong Dang line in Lang Son Province, designed as a double-track standard-gauge route, is now slated for development before 2030 instead of after. Research and planning for the Haiphong–Ha Long–Mong Cai route, the Thap Cham–Dadat line, and the An Binh–Saigon (Hoa Hung Commune)–Tan Kien line will also be advanced to the pre-2030 period.
The updated plan sets a target to upgrade seven existing national rail lines, with priorities placed on the North–South high-speed corridor and routes connecting to key international seaports in Haiphong and HCMC. These include the proposed Lao Cai–Hanoi–Haiphong and Bien Hoa–Vung Tau lines.
Cross-border rail links with China, Laos, and Cambodia remain a priority to ensure compatibility with regional transport systems.
The planning update also outlines future railway connections to major ports such as Nghi Son in Thanh Hoa Province and Hiep Phuoc Commune in HCMC, as well as to major airports including Tan Son Nhat, Long Thanh, and the second Hanoi-area airport proposed in Gia Binh.
In addition, the Thu Thiem–Long Thanh line has been removed from the national rail plan and reclassified as an urban railway project. HCMC and Dong Nai Province will incorporate it into their local transport plans. The An Binh–Saigon (Hoa Hung)–Tan Kien line has also been added to the updated network blueprint.
