$7-bln HCMC-Can Tho railway set to take shape before 2030

Can Tho authorities have proposed construction of the $7-billion Ho Chi Minh City-Can Tho express railway before 2030 to catch up with Mekong Delta transport demand.

Can Tho is considered Mekong Delta's heart and transport hub. Therefore, the railway needs to be constructed in the 2026-2030 period, in order to keep up with the region’s development, Can Tho officials told a meeting with the Railway Management Agency and the project’s consultancy.

The Prime Minister previously added the project to the government’s plan on railway network development in the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.

The 174.7-kilometer railway begins at An Binh station in Di An town of Binh Duong province, and ends at Cai Rang station in Cai Rang district of Can Tho city.

It is expected to transport 6.4 million passengers and 9.1 million tons of goods per year by 2035. These figures are set jump to 22 million passengers and 41 million tons of cargo by 2050, according to Phuong Nam Scientifi and Technological Institute, the project’s consultant.

The rail line connects with six localities, namely Binh Duong, HCMC, Long An, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, and Can Tho, with 13 stations spaced 10-15 kilometers apart.

Its design speed is 190 kph for passenger transit and 120 kph for freight, cutting travel time for the entire route to 70 minutes from the current three to four hours.

The project has attracted the interest of more than 20 foreign companies and international investment funds in recent years.

Hitachi, a Japanese conglomerate, has expressed interest in participating in the project, which the Prime Minister has authorized to be developed in the form of a public-private partnership (PPP).

Besides railways, the government has prioritized the development of aviation, roads, waterways, and maritime transport infrastructure in the delta to synchronize and modernize its transport system.

These moves are consistent with the government’s orientation of socio-economic development and maintenance of security and defense in the Mekong Delta region until 2030, with a vision to 2045.