The train arrives at Lưu Xá Station in the northern province of Thái Nguyên. VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Nguyên

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Transport aims to start the construction of the HCM City-Cần Thơ railway route before 2030.

The 174-kilometre railway will traverse six cities and provinces in the southern key economic region, enhancing connectivity between HCM City and the Mekong Delta.

As part of the 2021-2030 railway network plan, with a vision for 2050, the ministry is finalising a pre-feasibility study for submission to relevant authorities.

According to the draft study by the TEDI SOUTH-TRICC-TEDI consulting consortium, the railway will start at An Bình Station in Dĩ An City in the southern province of Bình Dương, and end at Cần Thơ Station in Cái Răng District, Cần Thơ City.

The railway will traverse six localities, including Bình Dương, Hồ Chí Minh City, Long An, Tiền Giang, Vĩnh Long and Cần Thơ.

The railway is planned to be a double-track electrified system with a 1,435mm gauge.

In the first phase, a single track will be built from An Bình to Cần Thơ, spanning 175.2 kilometres, including 76.6 kilometres 43.72 per cent) on embankments and 98.6 kilometres (56.28 per cent) over bridges and viaducts.

Designed for speeds of up to 120kph for freight and 160kph for passenger trains, the project’s first phase is estimated to cost in the region of VNĐ173.64 trillion (about US$7.16 billion), including VNĐ45.67 trillion for land clearance and resettlement.

In the second phase, the railway will be upgraded to a double-track system, requiring an additional VNĐ64.97 trillion (approximately $2.7 billion). 

The total estimated investment for both phases is VNĐ238.62 trillion ($9.84 billion), to be implemented as a public investment project. 

The planned route will feature 19 stations and three depots, including An Bình, Tân Kiên and Cần Thơ), along with four maintenance and inspection stations, namely Thạnh Đức, Tam Hiệp, Cai Lậy and Bình Minh, and three infrastructure maintenance facilities.

The project is set to be funded from the State budget. The projected timeline includes investment approval in 2025 and the groundbreaking for the first phase before 2030. Operations are expected to commence in 2035, with full completion of the second phase expected after 2055. — VNS