The line will begin at Haiphong, the largest port in the north of the country
Vietnam is slated to commence the construction of a new railway line from the northern port city of Haiphong to the Chinese border before the year ends.
In a statement made on 22nd December, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chan declared that the government will submit the project to the National Assembly for formal approval in February.
The rail line will be 417 kilometres long and run from Haiphong through Hanoi to Lao Cai Province which borders Yunnan Province in southern China.
It is expected to be the first of two high-speed links with China, which is Vietnam’s biggest trading partner.
Taking a cue from the neighbours
Officials from the two countries have been discussing rail links for some time, but the success of the high-speed line built through northern Laos, and similar lines in China, are believed to have convinced the senior officials they should do the same to bolster trade and tourism.
Rail services have clearly become a priority for the Vietnamese, with President To Lam discussing high-speed links with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping during a state visit to Beijing in August.
Last year, China said it was ready to offer grants to Vietnam to boost the railway between Kunming and the Vietnamese port city of Haiphong, and other transport links from southern China to Hanoi.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has been preparing the pre-feasibility report for the project which may be considered an initiative under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
As of October 2024, the Southeast Asian nation is slated to invest about US$11 billion in the railway initiative.