The first phase of the Lao Cai–Hanoi–Haiphong railway project recently held a groundbreaking ceremony in Lao Cai Province in northern Vietnam. According to the project plan, the railway will be designed to Chinese railway standards, creating a seamless cross-border rail connection between southwestern China and northern Vietnam. The line will also integrate with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, strengthening regional connectivity and economic cooperation.
China–Vietnam railway cooperation has been personally promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. During his visit to Vietnam in 2023, the joint statement issued by both countries emphasized advancing the China–Vietnam cross-border standard-gauge railway and studying the construction of the Lao Cai–Hanoi–Haiphong standard-gauge line. The aim is to better align the two countries’ development strategies and jointly develop the Belt and Road Initiative and the China–Vietnam “Two Corridors and One Economic Belt” transnational economic zone. During Xi Jinping’s second visit to Vietnam in April this year, the two sides signed a railway project cooperation agreement.
Vietnam’s existing railways, many of which were built during the French colonial period, use track gauges that differ from China’s, preventing trains from crossing the border directly and requiring passengers and cargo to transfer at border points. The new project will replace these outdated lines. The total investment is expected to exceed US$8.3 billion, with part of the funding provided through loans from the Chinese government.
According to the Vietnam News Agency, and based on a resolution approved by the Vietnamese National Assembly in February, the Lao Cai–Hanoi–Haiphong railway will span approximately 419 kilometers. It will run westward from Haiphong—Vietnam’s largest port in the north—through the capital Hanoi to Lao Cai, which borders China’s Yunnan Province. The designed operating speed will increase from the current 50 km/h to a maximum of 160 km/h, supporting both passenger and freight transport.
The line is planned to include 18 stations and 13 technical operation stations. Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam He Wei stated that the project will significantly reduce geographical barriers, enhance cross-border transport capacity, lower logistics costs, and strengthen the integration of China–Vietnam supply chains. Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son also attended the groundbreaking ceremony, according to the Vietnamese government’s electronic newsletter.
In addition to the newly launched route, the existing China–Vietnam cross-border railway runs from Nanning in Guangxi to Dong Dang in Vietnam via Pingxiang (Friendship Pass) and onward to Hanoi. Cross-border passenger trains currently operate on this line, and the Pingxiang crossing remains a key channel for China–Vietnam freight transport.
