Quang Ninh high speed line construction has started. The inter-regional railway is planned to connect Hanoi with Hạ Long. The start of works followed a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and other senior government officials. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Quang Ninh high speed line starts work
Photo: Vietnam News Agency. Quang Ninh high speed line starts work

The 121 km route is being developed by VinSpeed, a subsidiary of Vingroup. Completion is expected by the end of 2028. The estimated project cost is more than 147tr dong.

Route and speed of the Quang Ninh high speed line

The electrified double-track railway will be built to 1 435 mm gauge. It will run from Co Loa in Hanoi’s northeastern suburbs to Hạ Long in the coastal province of Quảng Ninh. Four intermediate stations are planned. They include stops at the future Gia Binh Airport in Bac Ninh, Ninh Xa in Hai Phong and Yen Tu in Quảng Ninh. A depot is expected to be located near the Hạ Long terminus.

The line is being designed for a maximum speed of 350 km/h. Still, trains will be limited to 120 km/h within the capital. The fastest full-route journey is expected to take 23 min. That compares with about 3 h today.

VinSpeed project with Siemens Mobility supply role

The railway is being delivered as a turnkey project. Siemens Mobility is due to supply the rolling stock, signalling and communications systems. Last year, the company signed a comprehensive strategic partnership and framework co-operation agreement with VinSpeed High Speed Railway Investment & Development Joint Stock Co.

Speaking at the April 12 groundbreaking ceremony, Siemens Mobility CEO Michael Peter said the company would deliver ‘world-proven’ high speed rail technology. He explained that the long-term agreement with Vingroup covered technology transfer, joint assembly, and maintenance. The aim was to support a high speed rail ‘ecosystem’ in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Vingroup Vice Chairman & CEO Nguyen Viet Quan told local media that the start of works demonstrated the group’s commitment to contributing to infrastructure development, ‘supporting socio-economic growth and improving quality of life’.

Vingroup focus on other rail schemes

Bui Van Khang, Chairman of the Quảng Ninh provincial People’s Committee, described the ‘mega-project’ as evidence of the investor’s capacity and commitment. He also pointed to the growing importance of the private sector in developing Vietnam’s critical infrastructure. He suggested that the country’s first inter-regional high speed railway would strongly support the northern economic region. He said it marked ‘a new phase of accelerated development’ and would help to enhance national competitiveness.

In May 2015, Vingroup expressed interest in bidding to develop the long-planned high speed railway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. In December, it asked the government to allow it to withdraw from the 1 541 km north-south scheme. The group said it intended to focus its resources on other projects. Separately, these included the Hanoi – Hạ Long line. They also included a recently approved 54 km railway running south from Ben Thanh in Ho Chi Min City to Cần Giờ on the coast, following approval by the HCM City People’s Committee.

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