Plans to restore Vietnam’s iconic cog railway for over $1.2 bln

A private Vietnamese company has proposed a public-private partnership (PPP) that would cost nearly VND29 trillion ($1.23 billion) to restore the Thap Cham-Dalat railroad, the only cog railway in Vietnam built before 1975.

The 84-km line is a unique feature of Vietnam’s railroad history because globally, the only remaining operating cog railway is in Switzerland. A cog railway, or rack railway, is a steep-grade railway with a toothed rack rail between the running tracks.

Bach Dang Hotel Complex, Trading, and Service JSC, based in the central coastal city of Danang, has proposed the mammoth restoration project more than four decades after the iconic line was abandoned due to a lack of fuel after 1975.

The Ministry of Transport is looking at the firm’s proposal, and an investment decision will be made by the Prime Minister’s office.

One end of the project would be Thap Cham Station in the south-central province of Ninh Thuan, which is also part of the national North-South railway network. The other end would be Dalat Station, designed in 1932 by two French architects named Moncet and Reveron. It opened in 1938, becoming Indochina’s most beautiful railway station, and now serves as a tourist destination popular among both Vietnamese and foreign travelers.

In the proposal by Bach Dang JSC, the project would be completed in 2029, with a test run period expected for December of that year.

In terms of cost and financing, the estimated price tag (not including interest on loans to finance the project) would be VND24.9 trillion ($1.06 billion). Of this, nearly VND2.2 trillion ($93.52 million) would come from the state budget for site clearance, while the investor would contribute over VND26.8 trillion ($1.14 billion), or 92.54%.

The investor’s proposal is that preparations for the project, completing the feasibility report, and getting government approval are expected to be completed by December 2024. From January 2025 to June 2029, the design of the project, site clearance, construction, and the purchase of rolling stock and carriages would be completed.

Dalat, which used to be called a "Little Paris" in Vietnam by the French, is the capital of the Central Highland province of Lam Dong. The highland town, about 1,500 meters above sea level, is one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations.

Located in the highland province, Dalat Railway Station incorporates the high, pointed roofs of the communal buildings of Vietnam’s Central Highlands. Its three gables represent an art deco version of Normandy's Trouville-Deauville Station.

In 2015, the Vietnamese government approved comprehensive planning for Vietnam’s railway transport development until 2020 with a vision to 2030, including the restoration of the Thap Cham-Dalat railway.