HO CHI MINH CITY: An updated plan for a proposed rail line linking central HCM City with Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai has raised the estimated first-phase investment to VNĐ134.2 trillion (US$5.1 billion), with trains designed to run at up to 120km per hour and carry nearly 47,000 passengers an hour.
The updated details are contained in the feasibility study, including front-end engineering design (FEED), prepared by Đại Quang Minh Real Estate Investment JSC and now being appraised by relevant authorities.
The project is among major works HCM City plans to break ground on around the National Day holiday on Sept 2, according to the study.
The proposed Thu Thiem-Long Thanh line would stretch about 46.44km from the eastern end of Thu Thiem Station on the Ben Thanh-Thu Thiem line in Binh Trung Ward, HCM City, to the Cam Duong depot in Xuan Duong Commune, Dong Nai Province.
About 11km would run underground and 34.5km on elevated structures, with the remainder consisting of transitional and ground-level sections.
The line would have 18 stations, including 16 elevated and two underground stations, excluding Thu Thiem Station. The first phase would build 14 stations to optimise investment efficiency.
The route would run along major transport corridors, including expressways and Vanh dai 3, and connect with six other railway lines to form a high-capacity transport network serving Long Thanh airport.
It would connect with the Ben Thanh-Thu Thiem line at Thu Thiem Station, Metro Line 6 at Vanh đai 2 and Phu Huu stations, and Metro Line 10 at Long Truong Station.
The project would also link with the Vung Tau-Ba Ria-Phu My railway at Xom Goc Station, as well as the extended Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien line and the North-South high-speed railway at Long Thanh airport.
The line is designed for a maximum capacity of nearly 47,000 passengers per hour, with average capacity of more than 23,400 passengers per hour in each direction.
Trains would have a maximum design speed of 120kph and operate at between 80kph and 110kph, depending on the section.
The project would use GoA4 automated operation, the highest level under European standards, similar to the system planned for the Tham Luong-Ben Thanh-Thu Thiem metro corridor.
The first-phase investment is estimated at VND134.2 trillion, excluding land clearance costs. The figure is higher than the VND84.7-trillion proposal reported in 2024, when the planned line was described as 48km long with a maximum speed of 110 kph.
The project is expected to be implemented under a build-transfer (BT) contract, with the investor mobilising capital and receiving payment through land funds combined with State budget funding.
The line is expected to be completed by 2030, providing a direct high-capacity rail connection between central HCM City and Long Thanh International Airport.
HCM City has plans for more than 1,000km of urban railway lines but currently operates only the nearly 20-km Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien line.
The city aims to expand its urban railway network to 255km by 2030. — Vietnam News/ANN
