HCMC pushes for early investment in Thu Thiem-Long Thanh railway project

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has emphasized the need for early investment and operation of a railway connecting Thu Thiem in the metropolis with Long Thanh International Airport in neighboring Dong Nai province.

According to the committee’s latest report, Long Thanh airport is expected to begin commercial operations by mid-2026, but transport connections between the new airport and HCMC’s downtown area remain limited.

The proposed railway is therefore considered a strategic transport link that would enhance regional connectivity, shorten travel times, and better serve foreign experts and investors traveling to the future International Financial Center in Thu Thiem.

The committee said that several investors have expressed interest in developing the line under public-private partnership (PPP) models, particularly via build-transfer (BT) contracts.

To accelerate project preparation under either public investment or PPP mechanisms, the committee proposed designating a single locality as the competent authority responsible for implementation.

If developed with public capital, the project approval procedures for works spanning more than one province will follow the three-step process outlined in Article 30 of the 2024 Law on Public Investment. A similar three-step process would apply under the PPP model.

To facilitate coordination and secure approval from both local People’s Councils, the HCMC People’s Committee has proposed that HCMC act as the lead implementing agency. The Departments of Finance and other relevant agencies from both HCMC and Dong Nai will jointly study investment options and make recommendations to their respective authorities.

According to a pre-feasibility study by the Railway Project Management Unit under the Ministry of Construction, the Thu Thiem-Long Thanh railway is expected to handle 30,000-40,000 passengers per hour per direction, with a total investment of approximately $3.5 billion.

The Ministry of Construction has submitted the project proposal to the Government, and the Prime Minister has since assigned HCMC as the authority leading project implementation.

Located about 40 km east of HCMC, Long Thanh International Airport is Vietnam’s biggest aviation infrastructure project to date, with a total investment of VND336.63 trillion ($12.76 billion). The airport is being developed in three phases.

The first phase, nearing completion and slated for opening next year, includes one runway, a passenger terminal, and auxiliary facilities designed to serve 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo annually.

Phase 2, scheduled by 2035, will expand capacity to 50 million passengers and 1.5 million tons of cargo by adding a second runway and terminal. In the final phase, Long Thanh is expected to reach full operational capacity of 100 million passengers and five million tons of cargo per year by 2050.

Once completed, the 5,000-hectare airport will help ease congestion at HCMC's Tan Son airport, which currently operates beyond its 25-million-passenger capacity.