Phase 1 to start before 2030
According to the report of the Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City sent to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on the situation of projects connecting with the Mekong Delta, the Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho railway project is in the stage of completing the pre-feasibility study report.
The Ministry of Transport started the report preparation in February 2022. However, due to the need to adjust the planning in the relevant localities, the appraisal and reporting process has been prolonged. It is expected that the State Appraisal Council will complete the appraisal process in December 2024.
After completing the appraisal, the project will be submitted to the Politburo and the National Assembly for investment policy approval in 2025.
The feasibility study and project approval phase will take place from 2026 to 2027, with the goal of starting construction before 2030. The project will begin operation and exploitation from 2035.
Two investment phases
The Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho railway project will be divided into two investment phases. In phase 1, a single-track line will be built from An Binh station (Di An city, Binh Duong) to Can Tho station (Cai Rang district, Can Tho city) with a total length of 175.2km. The route includes 76.6km of low-level track and 98.6km of viaduct and river crossing.
The project passes through 6 localities including Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Long An, Tien Giang, Vinh Long and Can Tho City.
The total investment for this phase is expected to reach VND155,433 billion (about USD6.48 billion), striving to start construction before 2030 and put into operation from 2035.
The Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho railway line will have 12 main stations and 4 future passenger stations, along with 3 large depots in An Binh, Tan Kien and Can Tho. In addition, the line will have 4 maintenance and inspection stations located in Thanh Duc, Tam Hiep, Cai Lay and Binh Minh, along with 3 other infrastructure maintenance stations.
This railway line also has 3 major river crossings (Saigon River, Dong Vam Co and Tay Vam Co), along with 2 particularly major river crossings, Tien River and Hau River.
In phase 2, the project will complete the system with 1,435mm double-track standards, using electrification technology. The total investment in phase 2 is estimated at VND64,736 billion (USD2.7 billion).
This phase is expected to be implemented after phase 1 comes into operation, striving to put into operation in 2055 to increase the passenger and cargo transport capacity of the entire route.
The Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho railway is not only an important transport project, but also has strategic significance in the economic development of the region. When put into operation, this railway will connect Ho Chi Minh City - the largest economic center in the South with the Mekong Delta.
It is expected that by 2055, the Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho railway will help transport about 26 million tons of goods and 18 million passengers per year, increasing economic competitiveness and supporting the circulation of goods from the Mekong Delta to major markets.
