Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng (centre) and delegates attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the construction project of the Hà Nội–Quảng Ninh high-speed railway on Sunday. VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG NINH — Construction of the Hà Nội–Quảng Ninh high-speed railway, Việt Nam’s first inter-regional high-speed rail line, officially began on Sunday, with the project expected to slash travel time between the two localities by five to seven times, to just around 23 minutes.

Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng attended the groundbreaking ceremony.

The project is being developed by VinSpeed, a subsidiary of Vingroup, with a total investment of over VNĐ147 trillion (approximately US$5.6 billion), excluding site clearance costs.

Scheduled for completion by the end of 2028, the railway will span 120.2km, passing through four localities of Hà Nội, Bắc Ninh, Hải Phòng and Quảng Ninh.

Designed as a double-track, standard-gauge of 1,435mm, fully electrified line, it will support maximum speeds of up to 350kph, with sections in Hà Nội capped at 120kph.

The line will start at Cổ Loa Station in Hà Nội and end at Hạ Long Station in Quảng Ninh, with intermediate stops at Gia Bình (Bắc Ninh), Ninh Xá (Hải Phòng) and Yên Tử (Quảng Ninh), as well as a depot located at the Hạ Long terminus.

The project is set to deploy the latest generation of high-speed trains, alongside advanced signalling and communications systems supplied by Germany’s Siemens Mobility, which will also gradually transfer technology to VinSpeed during operations.

Speaking at the ceremony, Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility, affirmed that the company would deliver world-proven high-speed rail technology that is highly efficient and safe. He also pledged long-term cooperation with Vingroup, including deep technology transfer, joint assembly and maintenance, aimed at building a new high-speed rail ecosystem in Việt Nam.

Bùi Văn Khắng, Deputy Secretary of the Quảng Ninh Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, described the project as a 'mega-project' carrying high expectations. It reflects both the investor’s strong capacity and commitment, and the increasingly significant role of the private sector in developing the country’s critical infrastructure.

Quảng Ninh has pledged close coordination with central ministries and the investor throughout implementation, with a focus on swiftly addressing emerging challenges, ensuring site clearance, resettlement and all necessary conditions for the project to proceed on schedule and meet the highest quality standards, he said.

As the first inter-regional high-speed railway in Việt Nam, the line is expected to provide a powerful boost to the northern key economic region, while marking a new phase of accelerated development and contributing to the country’s ambition to enhance national competitiveness.

Nguyễn Việt Quang, Vice Chairman and CEO of Vingroup, said the groundbreaking underscores the group’s determination to contribute to infrastructure development and gradually build a modern, internationally standardised transport system, thereby supporting socio-economic growth and improving quality of life.

He noted that the Hà Nội–Quảng Ninh line is the second high-speed rail project undertaken by VinSpeed. Previously, in late 2025, the company broke ground on the Bến Thành–Cần Giờ railway in HCM City, which is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2028.

The near-simultaneous launch of high-speed rail projects in both the north and south not only demonstrates VinSpeed’s execution capabilities but also helps lay the foundation for a multi-billion-dollar rail and supporting industry, enhancing Việt Nam’s global competitiveness.

Prime Minister Hưng and former Party and State leaders, along with representatives from ministries and localities, performed the ceremonial groundbreaking, expressing confidence that the project will be delivered on schedule and serve as a key driver for a new phase of regional and national development. — VNS