Vietnam officially broke ground on the Hanoi – Quang Ninh high-speed railway on April 12.

Attended by Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, the ceremony marks the commencement of the nation’s first inter-regional high-speed rail link.

The project is developed by VinSpeed High Speed Rail Investment and Development JSC, a subsidiary of Vingroup, with the total investment estimated at over VND147 trillion (approximately $5.6 billion), excluding land clearance costs. According to the current timeline, the project is slated for completion by the end of 2028.

The railway will span 120.2 km, passing through four provinces and cities: Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong, and Quang Ninh.

Designed to international standards, the line will feature double tracks with a 1,435 mm standard gauge and will be fully electrified. While the train is designed for a maximum speed of 350 km/h, the section passing through Hanoi will be restricted to 120 km/h.

Once operational, travel time between Hanoi and Quang Ninh is expected to be slashed to just 23 minutes—five to seven times faster than current travel options.

The route begins at Co Loa Station (Hanoi) and terminates at Ha Long Station (Quang Ninh). It includes three intermediate transit stations: Gia Binh (Bac Ninh), Ninh Xa (Hai Phong), and Yen Tu (Quang Ninh), along with a primary maintenance depot located at the Ha Long terminus.

According to the developer, the project will utilize the latest generation of high-speed trainsets, as well as advanced signaling and technical systems provided by Siemens Mobility.

As part of the partnership, Siemens has committed to a phased technology transfer to VinSpeed, with the long-term goal of developing a domestic high-speed rail industrial ecosystem in Vietnam.