Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 53 minutes ago
Vietnam approved the most expensive infrastructure project in its history: a $67 billion high-speed railway from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. It could cut the trip from 30 hours to about 5. But the project also comes with huge risks: land, debt, ticket prices, foreign partners, and whether Vietnam can actually finish it by 2035.
Inquiries: behindasian@gmail.com
Brought to you by the Behind Asian Team.
Source list:
AP News — Vietnam’s $67 billion high-speed railway approval, route, speed, timeline, and domestic funding rule.
Reuters — Project approval, 1,541 km route, 2035 target, China railway cooperation, Lao Cai–Hanoi–Haiphong railway, and fiscal-risk concerns.
Vietnam Government Portal / Chinhphu.vn — Official project resolution, 350 km/h design speed, 23 passenger stations, 5 freight stations, defense use, and passenger-first strategy.
Vietnam News / VietnamPlus — Funding structure, state budget plans, public debt concerns, and wider infrastructure push.
Vietnam Government News — Vietnam’s wider infrastructure drive, including 234 major projects worth about $129 billion.
World Bank — Vietnam’s fiscal space and public debt context.
IEA / EEA / UIC — Rail emissions, climate benefits, and construction carbon payback.
Vietnam approved the most expensive infrastructure project in its history: a $67 billion high-speed railway from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. It could cut the trip from 30 hours to about 5. But the project also comes with huge risks: land, debt, ticket prices, foreign partners, and whether Vietnam can actually finish it by 2035.
Inquiries: behindasian@gmail.com
Brought to you by the Behind Asian Team.
Source list:
AP News — Vietnam’s $67 billion high-speed railway approval, route, speed, timeline, and domestic funding rule.
Reuters — Project approval, 1,541 km route, 2035 target, China railway cooperation, Lao Cai–Hanoi–Haiphong railway, and fiscal-risk concerns.
Vietnam Government Portal / Chinhphu.vn — Official project resolution, 350 km/h design speed, 23 passenger stations, 5 freight stations, defense use, and passenger-first strategy.
Vietnam News / VietnamPlus — Funding structure, state budget plans, public debt concerns, and wider infrastructure push.
Vietnam Government News — Vietnam’s wider infrastructure drive, including 234 major projects worth about $129 billion.
World Bank — Vietnam’s fiscal space and public debt context.
IEA / EEA / UIC — Rail emissions, climate benefits, and construction carbon payback.
