A railway spanning 175 kilometers, valued at over VND171 trillion (US$6.5 billion), is being planned between Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho, marking the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam with its initial train connection in almost seventy years.
The project management committee for the My Thuan initiative, responsible for preparing the preliminary feasibility report sent to the Ministry of Construction, has suggested financing the entire railway line using government funding. The route would start from An Binh Station in Di An District of Ho Chi Minh City and terminate at Can Tho Station in Hung Phu District of Can Tho, covering a distance of 175.2 kilometers across Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, and Can Tho.
Passenger services would operate at a maximum designed speed of 160 kilometers per hour, while cargo trains would travel at 120 km/h. There would be 12 stops and three maintenance facilities throughout the route. The initial stage would feature a single line using the standard 1,435 mm rail width, which would eventually be expanded to a dual-track system.
Can Tho is often regarded as the capital of Vietnam's Mekong Delta region, known as the nation's primary rice producer and a major contributor to its seafood and fruit exports.
The delta ceased to have a railway after the Saigon-My Tho line from the French colonial period shut down near 1958. Now, goods and passengers mainly travel through heavily crowded roads and rivers to get to Ho Chi Minh City and its harbors.
According to the board's research, the HCMC-Can Tho route is expected to manage approximately 1.46 billion tons of cargo and over 326 million passenger journeys each year by 2050, with rail potentially handling around 23 million tons and 16 million travels per annum.
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A KTX train in South Korea travels at approximately 150-180 km/h. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Duy |
The line forms part of a rail initiative Vietnam is advancing at an exceptional pace. At its core is the approximately $67 billion North-South high-speed railroad, a 1,541-kilometer route capable of reaching speeds up to 350 kilometers per hour, stretching from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, scheduled to start construction by the end of 2026. Meanwhile, the broader national network strategy outlines 25 routes covering around 6,354 kilometers.
The HCMC-Can Tho route is a traditional rail system designed for multiple types of traffic, not an actual high-speed line, yet it follows the same key timeline as the main project: both aim to be largely completed by 2035.
Approximately 56% of the route would run over bridges or viaducts, primarily passing through city zones, densely populated regions, rivers, and locations where it connects with current facilities, whereas the rest, amounting to 44%, would be built on embankments where the soil is solid and flood risks are lower. The first phase bridges would measure around 6.5 meters in width, featuring span lengths ranging from 24 meters up to 450 meters. At the Hau River location, the rail system would use the upcoming Can Tho 2 Bridge. The track will be powered using 25 kV AC electricity, with commuter train operations utilizing decentralized power electric multiple units, cargo transport handled by engine-pulled trains, and full implementation of fiber optic communication along with digital signaling systems.
The advisor presented two financial alternatives. Constructing a shared road bridge spanning approximately 4.7 kilometers at the Hau River crossing would result in an initial investment of roughly VND171.3 trillion ($6.51 billion), whereas building an independent railway bridge would increase this amount to around VND175.11 trillion ($6.65 billion). Referring to the scale of Vietnam's economy and its ability to secure funds, the advisor suggested financing the project through government resources.
Having been under development for over ten years, the initiative has now entered its most advanced phase. It will be submitted to the National Assembly for investment policy endorsement in August 2026, with preliminary engineering designs completed during the first quarter of 2028, land clearing beginning in the same period, and a construction company chosen to commence work in the third quarter.
The railway system of Vietnam will manage the route upon its inauguration.
