The rail route of Yên Viên – Phả Lại – Hạ Long – Cái Lân which was suspended from 2011 will be replaced by Hà Nội-Quảng Ninh high-speed route. Photo tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn

HÀ NỘI – Việt Nam is set to add another high-speed railway line capable of reaching 350km per hour, connecting Hà Nội with Quảng Ninh Province in just 30 minutes over a distance of 121km.

The route was added under the decision approving adjustments to the Railway Network Planning for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà on October 29.

The addition of the Hà Nội–Quảng Ninh route reflects the Government’s strategy to strengthen connections within the northern key economic region, linking the national political and administrative centre with the region’s leading industrial, seaport and tourism hub. It also marks a step toward modernising the transport network and realising the goal of developing a national high-speed railway system by 2050.

The project is not entirely new but an upgrade of the existing Yên Viên–Phả Lại–Hạ Long–Cái Lân line, which was approved in 2004 with a total investment of more than VNĐ7.6 trillion (US$288.4 million). However, construction progress reached only 56 per cent before being suspended in 2011 due to cuts in public investment.

Since 2023, localities and ministries have repeatedly proposed reviving the route with a more modern approach aligned with the national high-speed rail strategy.

According to a proposal by Vingroup Corporation, reviewed by the Ministry of Construction and the Việt Nam Railway Authority earlier this year, the new Hà Nội–Quảng Ninh line will span approximately 120–125km, with a 1,435mm gauge, electrified system and design speeds of 250–350km per hour for passenger transport.

The line may begin at Cổ Loa or Yên Viên Station in Hà Nội and end in Hạ Long City, Quảng Ninh Province, with four main stations planned at Cổ Loa, Gia Bình, Yên Tử and Hạ Long.

Total investment is estimated at VNĐ133 trillion ($5.4 billion), covering 300ha of land, with completion expected before 2035. The existing Yên Viên–Phả Lại–Hạ Long–Cái Lân route will be converted for freight transport, separating passenger and cargo flows to improve operational efficiency across the region.

This development aligns with the Government’s multimodal infrastructure plan through 2030. The Hà Nội–Quảng Ninh route is currently in the pre-feasibility study stage. Issues concerning capital, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mechanisms, site clearance and urban infrastructure connectivity will be further reviewed by ministries and agencies before submission to the Government for consideration during the 2026–2030 period.

Transport experts say the inclusion of the route demonstrates a clear vision for developing the Hà Nội–Hải Phòng–Quảng Ninh economic triangle to modern regional urban standards. Once operational, the high-speed line will reduce travel time between Hà Nội and Quảng Ninh from more than two hours to about 30 minutes, boosting logistics, industry, tourism and satellite urban growth along the northern strategic transport corridor.

According to the Việt Nam Railway Authority, the new route will also connect with Gia Bình Airport, forming an integrated air–rail–road transport model to lower logistics costs and enhance international trade.

Under the deputy prime minister’s decision, the national railway plan also adjusts the scope and scale of seven other routes, including Yên Viên–Phả Lại–Hạ Long–Cái Lân east of Hà Nội; Nam Định–Thái Bình–Hải Phòng; Vũng Áng–Mụ Giạ; Biên Hòa–Vũng Tàu; HCM City–Cần Thơ–Cà Mau; and Đà Nẵng–Kon Tum–Gia Lai–Đắk Lắk–Đắk Nông–Bình Phước.

The scales and investment timelines for the Lào Cai–Hà Nội–Hải Phòng; HCM City–Lộc Ninh; Hà Nội–Đồng Đăng; Hải Phòng–Hạ Long–Móng Cái; and Tháp Chàm–Đà Lạt routes have also been adjusted.

In addition, the Thủ Thiêm–Long Thành line has been removed from the national railway network and will instead be converted into an urban railway managed by HCM City and Đồng Nai Province. — VNS