Ho Chi Minh City (VNS/VNA) - An updated plan for a proposed rail line linking central Ho Chi Minh City with Long Thanh International Airport in neighbouring Dong Nai city has raised the estimated first-phase investment to 134.2 trillion VND (5.1 billion USD), 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 deliberations study, including front-end engineering design (FEED), prepared by Dai Quang Minh Real Estate Investment JSC and now being appraised by authorities.
The project is among major works Ho Chi Minh City plans to break ground around the National Day (September 2) holiday, 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, Ho Chi Minh City, to the Cam Duong depot in Xuan Duong commune, Dong Nai city.
About 11km will run underground and 34.5km on elevated structures, with the remainder consisting of transitional and ground-level sections.
The line will have 18 stations, including 16 elevated and two underground stations, excluding Thu Thiem Station. The first phase will build 14 stations to optimise investment efficiency.
Six stations will be located in Ho Chi Minh City: Binh Trung, Do Xuan Hop, Belt 2, Phu Huu, Long Truong and Vuon Dua; while eight in Dong Nai: Long Tan, Phu Thanh, Tuy Ha, Nhon Trach, Phuoc Thien, Xom Goc, Long Thanh 1 and Long Thanh 2.
The route will run along major transport corridors, including expressways and Ring 3, and connect with six other railway lines to form a high-capacity transport network serving Long Thanh airport.
It will connect with the Ben Thanh-Thu Thiem line at Thu Thiem Station, Metro Line 6 at Belt 2 and Phu Huu stations, and Metro Line 10 at Long Truong Station.
The project will 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 will have a maximum design speed of 120kph and operate at between 80kph and 110kph, depending on the section.
The project will 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 134.2 trillion VND, excluding land clearance costs. The figure is higher than the 84.7-trillion-VND proposal reported in 2024, when the planned line was described as 48 km 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 Ho Chi Minh City and Long Thanh International Airport.
Ho Chi Minh 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. It aims to expand its urban railway network to 255 km by 2030.
Other projects currently in preparation include the Binh Duong New City–Suoi Tien line, the first phase of Metro Line 6 (running from Tan Son Nhat Airport to Phu Huu), the Thu Dau Mot–Tao Dan line, and the Tham Luong–An Ha–Northwestern Urban Area section of Metro Line 2./.
VNA
