Becamex Tasked with Critical Role in $7.3 Billion Railway Project Connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai

On January 14th, Mr. Le Nguyen Bao Trong, Director of the Technical Economics Department at Becamex Corporation, shared insights into the development plans for railway lines in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), connecting to southern provinces.

Becamex, a state-owned enterprise, has been tasked by the HCMC People’s Committee to concentrate resources and personnel on conducting feasibility studies for railway projects, including the Chon Thanh – Bau Bang – An Binh – Cai Mep line.

The Chon Thanh – Bau Bang – An Binh – Cai Mep railway spans approximately 154 km, with an estimated investment of 168 trillion VND. It comprises three segments: An Binh – Cai Mep (88.44 km), An Binh – Bau Bang (52.25 km), and Bau Bang – Chon Thanh (12.7 km).

This strategic railway project aims to connect industrial zones in HCMC and Dong Nai Province with the Cai Mep – Thi Vai deep-water port, addressing logistics bottlenecks, expediting cargo transport, and reducing road congestion. The proposed double-track line supports speeds of 160 km/h for passenger transport and 120 km/h for freight, with plans for public-private partnership (PPP) investment.

Upon completion, the railway is projected to save over $2 billion annually in logistics costs.

According to the HCMC Department of Construction, the Chon Thanh – Bau Bang – An Binh – Cai Mep railway is part of the national railway network, integrating with the HCMC – Loc Ninh and Bien Hoa – Vung Tau routes.

National railway network planning is approved by the Prime Minister, with detailed planning overseen by the Ministry of Construction. Infrastructure development and investment are executed by authorized state agencies and enterprises under the 2025 Railway Law, following clear planning and consensus.

For the An Binh (Di An) – Cai Mep segment, the Railway Project Management Board (Ministry of Construction) is preparing a pre-feasibility study. The project is expected to seek National Assembly approval in early 2026, with construction starting in 2027 and Phase 1 operations commencing in 2035.

The Bau Bang – An Binh (Di An) segment was previously assigned to the former Binh Duong Province for pre-feasibility studies.

To advance the Chon Thanh – Bau Bang – An Binh – Cai Mep project, the HCMC Department of Construction has recommended that the HCMC People’s Committee task Becamex with exploring investment options.

This railway is pivotal for linking major industrial hubs with the Cai Mep – Thi Vai port, leveraging new legal frameworks such as Decree 123/2025/ND-CP and special resolutions from the National Assembly. Decree 123 enables advanced technical standards, including the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) model and BIM technology, optimizing design and project management.

Critically, the project benefits from special mechanisms for investment and land clearance under resolutions for the Southern Key Economic Region, accelerating PPP-based investment studies and enhancing regional logistics and economic growth.