Travelling by train is currently a new trend, as rising prices of domestic air tickets are leading to an increase of 10-15% in tour prices.

North-South passenger and freight trains have been allowed to run again through Bai Gio tunnel in central Vietnam at reduced speed since landslides occurred inside the tunnel, disrupting North-South rail service eight days ago.

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) wants to build a new North-South Railway with a designed capacity of 350 kilometers per hour for passenger transport, and cargo transport when necessary. The current railway will be used for cargo transport only.

The Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) on February 21 started the first international freight transport train in the Year of the Dragon from Song Than station in Binh Duong province to Zhengzhou in China's Henan province.

Two high-quality trains SE19 and SE20 were launched into operation on the Hanoi – Da Nang route on October 20 by the Vietnam Railway Corporation.

The Ministry of Transport has allowed a joint venture between Laos Petrotrade and Deo Ca Group to conduct a pre-feasibility study for a section of the Vietnam-Laos railway project.

Authorities of southern Binh Duong province and the Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) held a ceremony on September 27 to launch an international multimodal train transporting goods from Song Than station to China.

Vietnam’s railway network planning expects to have 16 new national lines with a total length of about 4,802km by 2030.

For years, the railway industry has grappled with the challenge of sourcing significant funds to replace outdated locomotives and carriages to meet regulatory requirements and industry standards.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Danh Huy has said Spain can invest in Vietnam’s transportation industry and launch education and training programs for local personnel, particularly in railway projects.

The Ministry of Transport on February 18 inaugurated an international freight transportation service at Kep railway station in Bac Giang province, linking Vietnam and China and other countries in Europe.

According to historical documents the 70 km long Saigon-My Tho railway line was the first railway line in Vietnam in the once Indochina region which began operations on 20 July 1885.

A container cargo rail route between Vietnam and Kazakhstan was launched last December, according to the Railways Transport and Trade Joint Stock Company.

The Ministry of Transport has submitted a plan to increase international freight transport by rail by 2030, with a target of shipping between 4 and 5 million tonnes.

The initial successes of the railway container transport network from Vietnam to Europe have inspired engagement with the international railway network.

Hanoi and Saigon railway companies, the two subsidiaries of the Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR), reported their respective after-tax profits of almost VND35.2 billion and over VND38.3 billion in January-September.

The 131-km-long railway project was approved in 2004, and construction started the following year. However, the project's completion has been delayed several times.

We have to make an important choice which will determine the future of the transport sector and give a driving force to economic development.

The Politburo will decide on the development of a North-South high-speed railway in September, which was previously turned down by the National Assembly in 2010.