The Ministry of Construction is finalising the investment proposal for the Hanoi-Dong Dang railway and consulting relevant ministries, agencies and local authorities along the planned route.
According to the project's completed pre-feasibility study, the line would begin north of Yen Vien Station in Hanoi and end at Dong Dang border gate in Lang Son Province. It would be about 138km long and pass through Hanoi, Bac Ninh and Lang Son.
The railway would use the standard 1,435mm gauge and carry both passengers and freight. Its main design speed would be 160km/h, with provision for an upgrade to 200km/h. The section from Dong Dang to the international rail connection would have a design speed of 80km/h.
The project would be developed in phases. The first phase would build a single-track railway while reserving land for conversion to a double-track system in the final phase.
The project is expected to have 11 stations along the route. Operations would be organised separately for passenger and freight services.
Passenger services would include international through trains running along the entire route, as well as domestic express and regular services.
For freight, international intermodal trains would connect directly with China and the Asia-Europe rail network, alongside domestic freight services serving demand within Vietnam.
The first phase is preliminarily estimated to cost more than USD 5 billion. The proposed funding would come primarily from the state budget, supplemented by other lawful sources. Local authorities could contribute to site clearance and part of the construction costs.
The proposed operating model would separate infrastructure management from transport services. The infrastructure operator would be responsible for running the railway system, while transport companies would use the infrastructure and pay access fees.
The project completed its pre-feasibility study in July and is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for approval of its investment policy in the third quarter of this year.
Construction is scheduled to begin before 2030, with the railway expected to be largely completed by 2035.