This will be one of two high-speed railway lines in Việt Nam, along with the 1,541km North-South line from Ngọc Hồi Station to Thủ Thiêm Station. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — VinSpeed High-Speed Rail Investment and Development Joint Stock Company (VinSpeed) has unveiled plans to build the Hà Nội-Quảng Ninh high-speed railway by the end of this year and put it into commercial operation in the first quarter of 2028. The announcement was made in the project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) report released for public consultation.

The Government has recently added the project to Việt Nam’s Railway Network Planning for the 2021-30 period, with a vision to 2050. It will become one of only two high-speed railway lines in the country, alongside the 1,541km North-South line from Ngọc Hồi Station to Thủ Thiêm Station, scheduled for investment before 2030.

VinSpeed proposes a total investment of about VNĐ138.93 trillion (US$5.3 billion) for the Hà Nội-Quảng Ninh line. The company expects the project to receive investment approval in the fourth quarter of 2025, with construction taking 24 months. The railway could be tested at the end of 2027 and officially open for commercial operation from the first quarter of 2028.

The line will stretch approximately 120km and pass through 22 communes and wards across four provinces and cities: Hà Nội, Bắc Ninh, Hải Phòng and Quảng Ninh.

Initially, VinSpeed plans to operate four trains with 16 carriages each during 2028-2035, increasing to eight trains with 32 carriages from 2035 to 2050. Trains are expected to run 18 hours a day, from 5am to 11pm. In the early years, intervals between trains will be 60 minutes, reducing to 30 minutes from 2030. — BIZHUB/VNS