“Mega Project”: $67 Billion High-Speed Rail Link Proposed by Vingroup and Thaco to Connect North and South Vietnam, Requiring 490 Ha Land Reclamation in Dong Nai Province.

According to information from the Dong Nai Provincial Portal, to expedite land clearance for the high-speed North-South railway project through the province, the provincial leaders had a working session with consultants, departments, sectors, and local authorities.

According to the consulting unit, the North-South high-speed rail project is a large-scale project with a total length of over 1,500 km, passing through 20 provinces and cities, and a total investment of over $67 billion.

This railway will be built with advanced technology, operating on rails at a speed of up to 320 km/h (design speed of 350 km/h), mainly serving passenger transport but can be switched to freight transport if needed. The line is expected to have 23 passenger stations, 5 freight stations, 9 depots, and 45 maintenance stations.

With a length of nearly 82 km passing through Xuan Loc, Cam My, Long Thanh, Nhon Trach, and Long Khanh city, the North-South high-speed railway section through Dong Nai province will be arranged with 1 passenger station at Long Thanh airport, 1 freight station in Quang Tien commune (Trang Bom district), and 2 maintenance stations in Lang Minh commune (Xuan Loc). County) and Cam Duong Commune (Long Thanh District).

Mr. Ho Van Ha, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, requested that the consulting unit provide specific data on land clearance for localities to review and plan for implementation. It is known that the expected land recovery area in the province is about 490 hectares, with a cost of nearly VND 11,700 billion.

Regarding the station planning, the provincial leaders proposed that the consulting unit consider adding a passenger station in Xuan Loc district, in addition to the station planned at Long Thanh airport, to create more favorable conditions for the development of the province.

Recently, Thaco Group and VinSpeed High-Speed Railway Investment and Development Joint Stock Company – a subsidiary of Vingroup – have proposed to invest in the North-South high-speed rail project. While both companies aim to complete the project, they have proposed different financial, technological, incentive, and implementation plans.

The North-South high-speed rail project is a key national project with a large scale, high technical and technological requirements, and a very urgent implementation schedule, which is being implemented in Vietnam for the first time. The project is allowed by the National Assembly to apply many specific mechanisms and policies, especially for implementation.

According to the Resolution, the North-South high-speed railway must meet the conditions to start construction before December 31, 2026.