Vietnam’s National Assembly has approved building a high-speed rail line connecting its northern and southern regions at speeds of 350 km/hour, with construction starting in 2027.
The 1541-km railway will link Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as well as 20 other cities and provinces. Cost is estimated at $67 billion, but planners say it will add at least 1% to the country’s GDP each year while generating $22 billion in revenue, as well as be a boost for national defense and security.
The line was originally proposed in 2010, but was turned down because the economy wasn’t strong enough then to support it. Vietnam has become one of the region’s fastest-growing economies, and new feels it can afford it.
Another planned rail line will eventually connect with it; that’s a $7.2 billion line that will connect significant ports and cities in Vietnam to its border with China.
