Taking the train in Vietnam is set to get faster and more convenient by 2020. Last Friday, the Vietnam Railways Administration (VRA) announced plans to change the face of rail in Vietnam with eight new railways, at a total estimated cost of VND341,261 billion (US$16.1billion). Most of the lines will focus on the country’s southern corridor with the central hub located in Saigon.
The network, scheduled to be completed by 2020, will be financed by the Official Development Assistance (ODA), government bonds, the State budget, contributions by private companies and other sources.
Here’s a breakdown of each line courtesy of Tuoi Tre:
According to the Transport Engineering Design Joint Stock Incorporated South (TEDI South), the first railway will be 39 km long, providing service from the Saigon Railway Station to Trang Bom District, southern Dong Nai Province.
The second is planned to run from the city through Tien Giang province’s My Tho City to southern Can Tho City, with a total length of 174 km, of which 62 km will be for express trains.
The third will be 366 km long, including 32 km for high-speed trains. It will connect the city with the south-central coastal city of Nha Trang.
The fourth will link the city to southern Tay Ninh Province, with a length of 39.8 km.
The fifth will stretch 128 km from Binh Duong Province’s Di An town, which borders HCM City, to Loc Ninh District in southern Binh Phuoc Province.
The sixth will connect Thu Thiem, HCM City, to the Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province. It will serve passengers who want to get to the airport from the city.
The seventh will link southern Long An Province’s Can Duoc District to Hiep Phuoc Port in Nha Be District, HCM City.
The last railway, with 54.6 km in length, will run from Dong Nai Province’s Bien Hoa City to the coastal city of Vung Tau.
If completed according to plan, rail would become the preferred method of transportation in southern Vietnam, allowing for quick and safe access to nearby cities. We’d love nothing more than to do away with long, life-threatening bus rides and expensive airplane tickets.
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[Tuoi Tre]
