Vietnam approves $US 10bn privately-financed commuter line

Thaco Group will build a 103km line linking Da Nang with its airport and Chu Lai.

Da Nang is one of the largest stations on Vietnam's North-South inter-city line.

Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0/Christophe95

THE city of Da Nang in the central coastal region of Vietnam has approved a proposal for a privately-built 103km commuter line that will connect the city with Hoi An, Tam Ky, the Chu Lai economic zone and Da Nang International Airport.

The line will be financed and built by Vietnamese conglomerate Thaco Group, which has committed to invest Dong 265.9 trillion ($US 10.1bn) in the project, which will be built in two phases.

The first 30.2km section will link the city centre with the airport and Hoi An, while the 73.6km second section will run from Hoi An to Chu Lai. Journey times from central Da Nang are forecast to be 20 minutes to the airport and 40 minutes to Chu Lai.

Thaco Group subsidiary, Dai Quang Minh, is expected to start construction in the first quarter of next year, with the line scheduled to open to passengers in 2032. Thaco is working in partnership with Hyundai Rotem of Korea on the supply of rolling stock and railway systems for the new line.

For detailed information on rail projects across Asia, subscribe to IRJ Pro.