HCMC to complete land handover for Ben Thanh-Can Gio metro project in Oct

Ho Chi Minh City aims to complete land handover by October 2026 to VinSpeed, a high-speed rail subsidiary of Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate Vingroup, for constructing a railway line from the city center to the Can Gio coastal urban area.

As a strategic urban railway project of the city, the over-54-kilometer Ben Thanh-Can Gio metro is expected to be operational by 2028. Designed for speeds of up to 350 km/h, it will reduce travel time between downtown HCMC and Can Gio to just 13-20 minutes.

With a total investment of more than VND102.43 trillion ($3.89 billion), the project broke ground on December 19, 2025, and is set to become Vietnam’s first privately funded high-speed rail line.

Its investor VinSpeed, established in May 2025, is led by billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of Vingroup, who holds a 51% stake. His two sons, Pham Nhat Minh Hoang and Pham Nhat Quan Anh, each own 0.5%.

Under the approved plan, the municipal People’s Committee has assigned key departments to oversee the project implementation. The Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Department of Construction are responsible for appraising and approving compensation, support, and resettlement plans.

Meanwhile, the Department of Planning and Architecture will coordinate with the investor to review and finalize route alignments and the locations of project structures. The Department of Finance will give advice on balancing and allocating funding in line with the city’s budget capacity, while also guiding the investor in advancing funds for site clearance.

At the local level, the people’s committees of wards and communes along the route are tasked with reviewing and reporting detailed data on affected land, houses, and infrastructure based on preliminary project designs.

The project is part of HCMC’s broader urban rail development plan following its merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces. Accordingly, the city plans to develop nine metro lines between 2026 and 2035, targeting a total of 355 km of urban rail with an estimated investment of $44 billion.

HCMC’s first metro line, Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien, began commercial operations in December 2024 after nearly two decades of development, while the second line, Ben Thanh-Tham Luong, is currently under construction.

Once completed, the Ben Thanh-Can Gio metro will play a key role in advancing the national transport strategy, unlocking new urban development space, and boosting trade, tourism, real estate and especially the marine economy of Ho Chi Minh City and the southeastern region.

In other news, the Hanoi-Quang Ninh high-speed railway project, developed by VinSpeed - part of the Vingroup ecosystem, is set to break ground next month.

The groundbreaking ceremony for a high-speed railway linking Hanoi with Quang Ninh province - home to the UNESCO world heritage site Ha Long Bay - will take place on April 12, at the construction site of Ha Long Xanh Station, located in Tuan Chau and Viet Hung wards.

The Hanoi-Quang Ninh high-speed railway will feature a double-track, standard-gauge (1,435mm), electrified line. The total length is 120 kilometers, with a maximum designed speed of 350 km/h. The line will start at Co Loa Station in Hanoi and end at the Tuan Chau public park area in Tuan Chau ward, Quang Ninh province.

The route will include five stations: Co Loa, Gia Binh, Ninh Xa, Yen Tu, and Ha Long Xanh, along with one depot at Ha Long Xanh Station in Tuan Chau ward.

The total investment for the project is estimated at VND147.37 trillion ($5.6 billion), excluding about VND10.27 trillion in land clearance and compensation costs, which will be covered by the state budget.

Once operational in 2028, the railway will cut travel time between Hanoi and Quang Ninh to about 23 minutes, helping meet growing travel demand and serving as a new backbone corridor linking the capital with major economic and tourism hubs, thereby promoting broader regional development.