HCMC — VinSpeed, an infrastructure arm of Vingroup, has proposed starting work on the Hanoi–Quang Ninh high-speed railway at the end of this year and beginning commercial operations in the first quarter of 2028.
The plan is outlined in the project’s environmental impact assessment, which the company released for public comment. The Government has added the project to the national railway development plan for 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.
The Hanoi–Quang Ninh line is one of two high-speed rail projects scheduled for investment before 2030. The other is the planned 1,500-kilometer North–South line linking Hanoi’s Ngoc Hoi Station and HCMC’s Thu Thiem Station.
VinSpeed estimates the Hanoi–Quang Ninh project will cost VND138.93 trillion. The company expects investment approval in the fourth quarter of 2025. Construction would take 24 months, with test runs by late 2027 and full operations from early 2028.
The proposed 120-kilometer route would run through Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Haiphong and Quang Ninh. It would use the standard 1,435-millimeter gauge and be fully electrified. The line would begin at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Hanoi City and end at Ha Long Station in Tuan Chau Ward, Quang Ninh Province.
Trains would run at up to 350 km/h, with speeds limited to 120 km/h in the Hanoi section.
VinSpeed plans to operate four 16-car trains from 2028 to 2035 and increase the fleet to eight from 2035 to 2050. Services would run from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., departing every 60 minutes. The frequency is expected to drop to 30 minutes from 2030.
VinSpeed has initial charter capital of VND6 trillion. The company has also registered interest in the North–South high-speed railway, which is estimated to require over VND1.56 quadrillion, excluding land clearance and resettlement costs.
The firm also plans to start work on a high-speed urban railway linking former District 7 and the coastal area of Can Gio this month.
