Vietnam: Consultant for North–South express railway feasibility study to be selected in Q4 this year; construction to begin late next year

【Hanoi, Vietnam—Correspondent Kim Jun-seok】Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction has reaffirmed its goal of completing the selection of a consulting firm for the North–South express railway project’s feasibility study (FS) in the fourth quarter of this year and officially beginning construction in December 2027.
Local media reported on the 6th that Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction had released a recent report on the progress of the North–South express railway project and its future schedule. According to the report, the project’s implementing agency is currently proceeding with the selection of a consulting firm to prepare the feasibility study report. To that end, it sent requests for proposals on August 21 to one overseas consulting consortium and five local consulting firms, and has received the final proposal from the overseas consortium on September 25. Although the selection has been somewhat delayed from the original plan to complete it in the third quarter, the ministry intends to finalize it in the fourth quarter of this year and proceed with the start of construction in December 2027 as planned.
The Ministry of Construction expects the preparation, review and approval of the feasibility study report, along with preparations for the start of construction, to proceed in stages from the fourth quarter of this year through the fourth quarter of 2028, in accordance with the approved roadmap.
Land acquisition work, including land compensation and site clearance, has been separated into an independent project, with investment decisions and implementation led by the local governments through which the railway will pass. Site clearance is also expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2028, and local governments have begun procedures related to developing resettlement complexes and acquiring sites.
Regarding funding, Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction is working with the Ministry of Finance to review funding needs and implementation capacity. In line with the policy approved by the prime minister, it is adjusting support funds for local governments and revising and supplementing the 2026 funding allocation plan.
Vietnam’s North–South express railway is a major infrastructure project spanning 1,541 km from Ngoc Hoi Station in the capital, Hanoi, to Thu Thiem Station in Ho Chi Minh City. It is designed for a maximum speed of 350 km/h and will be built as a double-track, standard-gauge (1,435 mm), electrified railway along its entire route. It is expected to have 23 passenger stations and five freight stations.
The estimated total project cost approved by Vietnam’s National Assembly is approximately $67.34 billion (about 90 trillion won). The project will be funded entirely by the Vietnamese government from 2025 to 2035, with the goal of completing the main construction by 2035.
[email protected] Kim Jun-seok Reporter