There’s much to love about train travel. Like air travel, it can bring you across great distances, but often at a fraction of the price and without the hassle of lengthy security checks. And, let’s be honest, there’s a certain romance to it – just see these incredibly scenic train journeys in Asia.
For all the reasons above, we're pumped to hear that Vietnam will soon get a high-speed rail connecting two of its biggest economic and tourism hubs. Vietnam’s National Assembly announced on Saturday (Nov 30) that it’s approved a $67 billion high-speed rail stretching between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).
That is massive for the country. Just in August 2024, British aviation data provider OAG reported that Vietnam has three of the top 10 busiest domestic air routes in Southeast Asia: Hanoi-HCMC, Danang-HCMC, and Danang-Hanoi. Loads of business people and tourists fly between these cities daily, so you can imagine how an express rail alternative would be much welcome.
Plus, the express rail will connect 23 stations across 20 cities and provinces along the north-south line, bringing greater accessibility to these regions. The entire journey will also take just five hours – a significant improvement over the existing Reunification Express, which takes 30 hours to travel a similar route between Hanoi and HCMC (by no means an ‘express’ train, as its name might suggest).
The only downside to this news is that you’ll have to wait till 2035. Project works begin in 2027 and will take eight years to complete if things stay on the right track. Don't let that stop you from visiting the country now, though – check out some of the best things to do in Vietnam, including its hottest island destination, Phu Quoc.
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