Proposed Trans-Asian Railway: Boosting Economic Development in Southern Vietnam
On September 3rd, the People’s Committee of Tay Ninh province proposed to Ho Chi Minh City to coordinate and petition the Ministry of Construction and the Government to update and supplement the Bau Bang-Moc Bai railway line into the adjusted and supplemented master plan for the national railway network.
The starting point of the railway line is at Tan Hung station, Ben Cat ward, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Ben Cat district, Bau Bang town, Binh Duong province); the endpoint is Moc Bai station in the Moc Bai border gate economic zone, Ben Cau district, Tay Ninh province.
According to the Tay Ninh authorities, the Bau Bang-Moc Bai railway line has great potential for freight and passenger transport development, while also boosting economic growth associated with eco-tourism along the Saigon River and Dau Tieng Lake.
The Trans-Asian Railway line originates from Song Than station (Di An, formerly Binh Duong) to Hoa Lu border gate (Loc Ninh, Dong Nai), including a station in the former Bau Bang district.
The railway is also expected to promote industry and logistics in the border area between the former Binh Duong province (now part of Ho Chi Minh City) and the Moc Bai border gate economic zone, contributing to the economic growth of Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh province in particular, and the Southern Key Economic Region in general. This railway line has been included in the master plan for the Southern Key Economic Region for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050, according to the Prime Minister’s Decision 370/QD-TTg dated May 4, 2024.
Previously, the NLD reported that the two provinces of former Binh Duong and Tay Ninh had included this railway line in their master plans for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050.
The railway will connect industrial parks in the former Binh Duong and Tay Ninh provinces. It will also link Ho Chi Minh City – Loc Ninh railway with Ho Chi Minh City – Moc Bai railway, as well as connect Bau Bang district and Moc Bai border gate, which is a branch of the Trans-Asian Railway passing through the former provinces of Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc (now part of Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province, respectively).
Earlier, the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction) sent a document to the People’s Committee of the former Binh Duong province, expressing support for the two provinces to review transport demands and study the inclusion of the Bau Bang-Moc Bai railway line in their local planning and the master plan for the Southern Key Economic Region, thereby ensuring land fund management and proactive investment attraction for the aforementioned railway project.
Therefore, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the Tay Ninh provincial People’s Committee agreed to propose to the Ministry of Construction and the Government to soon update this railway line into the adjusted and supplemented master plan for the national railway network (adjusted according to the Prime Minister’s Decision 1769/QD-TTg dated October 19, 2021) and include it in the detailed planning for the railway system in Ho Chi Minh City, which is currently being formulated by the Ministry of Construction.
