The Vietnam Railway Authority is seeking Ministry of Transport approval for the planning of a VND179 trillion (USD7.2 billion) railway project in Vietnam's northern region.

Under the proposal, the railway will span 421 kilometres, starting at Lao Cai Station (connecting with Hekou Station's rail line in China) and ending at Ha Long Station in Quang Ninh Province. The route will have 41 stations and pass through 10 provinces and cities, including Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Haiphong, and Quang Ninh.

The consultancy group TRICC-TEDI recommended two main rail lines and two branches for the project, with the most extended section spanning more than 391 km from Lao Cai Station to Lach Huyen Port in Haiphong.

The route will have ten stations serving passengers and cargo in Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Viet Tri, Vinh Phuc, Vinh Yen, Tam Hop, Bac Hong, Dong Anh, Lac Dao, and Hai Duong. Meanwhile, five stations dedicated exclusively to freight or passenger trains will be placed at Lach Huyen, Nam Do Son, Nam Dinh Vu, and Dinh Vu ports. It will also include 11 tunnels.

Of the total investment for the project, VND23.45 trillion will be allocated for site clearance.

According to the consultancy group TRICC-TEDI, the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong-Quang Ninh railway network is expected to handle 12.7 million tonnes of freight and 4.6 million passengers by 2030. By 2040, these figures will increase to 14.9 million tonnes of cargo and 6.2 million passengers.

The project is crucial for connecting economic zones, industrial parks, and major seaports, and it is part of Vietnam's Two Corridors, One Belt strategy.

The consultancy group has proposed carrying out the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Haiphong section by 2030, and the construction of the Haiphong-Quang Ninh segment will be considered after 2030.