Examples of bike blockers in cities around Southeast Asia. From the thoughtfully designed barriers that allow wheelchair access, to pedestrian-hostile metal bars.

In my research trips around Southeast Asia, I like to walk as often as possible to get a feel for the city I am in. It’s a tough region for flâneurs, as sidewalks are often broken or nonexistent. The notable exception is Singapore, and I have previously written about how sidewalks are the secret sauce to simulating Singapore’s success in Southeast Asia cities.

Another problem with urban walking in Southeast Asia is that where there are sidewalks, they become auxiliary bike lanes during peak-hour traffic. Cities have taken different approaches to try to stop bikes from riding on sidewalks, with motorbike barriers being used as a physical block when law enforcement doesn’t work.

I have been taking photos of good and bad examples of motorbike barriers in Southeast Asia, and I will keep adding to this list when I encounter another barrier. I am also accepting photos from readers who have seen good and bad bike barriers. Send me your photos if you would like to add to the list (it can be anonymous or I can add your name with a link to your site).

 Indonesia

Jakarta

This bike barrier in Jakarta is designed to allow wheelchairs through while blocking access to motorbikes.

Bali

In my travels around Southeast Asia, I would say that Bali has the worst motorbike traffic congestion outside of Vietnam. Bali’s road system is a dysfunctional mess, and motorbikes resort to sidewalks as a temporary bike lane when traffic is gridlocked.

I have not seen many bike blockers in Bali, but here is a reel of a rider attempting to pass through a bike blocker.

This bike blocker looks like a citizen’s attempt to tame bike traffic.

Palembang

This is a textbook example of the laziest type of bike blocker.

Also in Palembang is this example of a bike blocker that allows pedestrians to pass through.

Surabaya

This creative bike blocker in Surabaya allows wheelchair access through the two stick figures.

  Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur

In a perfect world, there shouldn’t be the need for a “No Motorbikes” sign, let alone a motorbike barrier.

Kuala Lumpur has been rolling out these motorbike barriers across the city that allow wheelchair access.

Penang

This bike barrier in Penang is shaped to allow wheelchairs through.

Fort Cornwallis underwent moat restoration and landscaping in 2025. A wheelchair gate was added, but the path around the moat is not wheelchair-friendly.

 Singapore

Maybe you didn’t expect to see Singapore on this list. Singapore is a fine city, but sometimes fines aren’t enough when there is a path as tempting as this for motorbikers to turn into a shortcut.

 Thailand

Bangkok

Bangkok has the problem of motorbikes on sidewalks, though the lack of long and clear sidewalks is a natural obstacle. If I encounter a motorbiker riding on the sidewalk, I will sometimes not get out of the way until they stop in front of me. A Japanese woman made the news with this tactic when she blocked bikers and directed them to use the road.

I have seen several iterations of bike blockers in Bangkok over the years. The most cost-effective deterrent is a sign reminding riders that there is a fine.

By 2025, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) started rolling out signs that proclaimed that AI cameras are now used to detect motorbikes on sidewalks. I don’t know how these are different from regular traffic cameras that have been successfully used to fine motorists for decades, but I welcome the use of AI for more practical purposes instead of being used for writing articles about things to do in Bangkok.

I like barriers that have the least amount of tight corners for a wheelchair.

Painting a wheelchair sign seems redundant, as it is obvious to the wheelchair user where to go. Wheelchair signs should be used to instruct when the alternative path is not obvious.

This motorbike barrier is in front of a school, though as you can see, it is not going to work.

Motorbike barriers should be mandatory in front of schools, and it shouldn’t be up to the school to sponsor them.

I returned to this location on another trip and saw that they had plugged the gap with some potted plants.

Bangkok installed more motobike barriers on Sukhumvit Road in 2026, to mixed reviews.

Khon Kaen

This park has a ramp with a wheelchair-friendly gradient that is also protected by a bike blocker.

Pattaya

Pattaya has one of the nicest beachfront promenades in Thailand. Yes, the beach itself is not great, but few beaches in Thailand have so many kilometres of uninterrupted beach walk.

It would be a shame to ruin the beach walk with bike blockers, so Pattaya have signs reminding you that there is a 1000 baht fine for driving on the sidewalk.

 Vietnam

Ahh, Vietnam, the motorbike capital of Southeast Asia, and possibly the world.

Ho Chi Minh City

I have spent most of my time in Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, and I have watched the city try to tame bike traffic over the years.

In the 2010’s, the deputy chairman of District 1, Doan Ngoc Hai, became known as Captain Sidewalk in the local media when he spearheaded a campaign to clear the sidewalks. He became a minor local celebrity for taking on this Sisyphean task of clearing the sidewalks, only to have them revert to how they were the next day.

Part of the problem was that the city was trying to remove street vendors from the sidewalks, when the biggest grievance is the motorbikes that use the sidewalks as a road.

I am quite happy to walk along a sidewalk with vendors, as long as they are not completely blocking the way. The vendors are what give the city character. What doesn’t give the city character is the threat of being mown down by a motorbike on a footpath.

Mr Hai ended up resigning from the government and took up a job providing free ambulance services for the poor. Thank you for your service, Captain Sidewalk.

After the Captain Sidewalk era, the city started installing motorbike barricades in the old city area where there are tempting sidewalks to use as shortcuts.

The lower barrier in the middle allows wheelchairs to pass over, while theoretically blocking motorbikes. I have seen some of the barricades mangled by motorbikes that have forced their way through.

Bikes will also go around the barricades if there is enough of a gap.

The installers of the bike barricades underestimated the Saigonese’s ability to find a shortcut in bad traffic.

A partial bike barricade is completely useless in this city.

This bike barrier is a classic sidewalk design fail. This is on Nguyen Canh Huu Street, which went through a major renovation to fix flooding issues.

One of the problems with the sidewalks of Vietnam is that the gutters are angled to allow motorbike access. This is useful for where parking is allowed, but there should be a hard gutter for where bikes are not allowed. A hard gutter here would have eliminated the need for the bar. It would have been even better if there had been a nature strip along the gutter instead. A nature strip is a natural bike barrier, and it also helps soak up rainwater instead of flowing onto the street.

Ironically, this road was rebuilt as it was always flooding, so they should have added more nature strips to soak up water runoff.

For example, this nature strip on Ly Tu Trong doubles as a motorbike barricade.

The sidewalk around the Reunification Palace is a good example of how a hard gutter deters motorbikes from trying to take a shortcut.

This bike barrier was added when the riverside walk was renovated. The blocks were added when it was discovered that bikes were still entering the walkway.

This single-bar bike barrier is on one of the major roads in the middle of the city.

This barrier is narrow, and I’m not sure if a wheelchair could fit through it.

An older barricade with a nature strip as an extra deterrent.

Saigonese like to sit by the river on their bike, so this bike blocker was an attempt to keep the riverfront walk for pedestrians.

Bikes were still getting through, so the gap was removed, and a single barrier now blocks everything in its way. A desire path soon formed around the blockage.

Perhaps the most effective way to stop bike riding on sidewalks is to have a law that bans the practice. This occurred in 2025, when hefty fines were imposed for driving on sidewalks. I was in Ho Chi Minh City not long after the new crackdown, and it was noticeable that bikes were not riding on sidewalks. This change of habit even made the news in The New York Times.

Traffic has since crept back onto the sidewalks, though riders are generally more cautious before the Tet holiday, when the police are out in force looking to fine anything that moves.

Phan Rang-Thap Cham

A seaside promenade ruined by a single-bar bike blocker.

Ha Long City

Another lazy single-bar barricade.

This bike barrier is even worse, as there is enough metal to have made an opening for pedestrians and wheelchairs. Why go to all this effort to make an elaborate barrier while still being pedestrian-hostile?

Sapa

This would have been a pleasant walk around the lake if it weren’t for the bike barrier with no pedestrian access.

Other countries

I will collect examples of good motorbike barriers from around the world in this section.

China

At Nanning Railway Station, I was greeted by this sturdy bike blocker at the main exit.

I was soon to discover that Nanning is teeming with electric scooters, and bikes are parked wherever there is a spare space on the pavement.

Province and city mergers, the two dragon towers restart, HCMC becomes an International Financial Center, BIDV Tower, reclaiming land of stalled and abandoned projects, COVID-19 memorial park, Saigon River Pedestrian Bridge, the Thu Thiem New Urban Area is gaining momentum.

This is the annual construction report for Ho Chi Minh City. Most of these photos are from my visits between January and May of 2026, with news articles from the last year.

Province and city mergers

Since my last update in 2025, Ho Chi Minh City has been merged with the neighbouring provinces of Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. This was part of a nationwide merger that saw 63 provinces and cities merged into 34.

In addition to the provincial mergers, districts were abolished, and wards were merged. Ho Chi Minh City was divided into 22 districts and a sub-city before the merger, which were subdivided into wards. The districts have now been abolished, and the expanded city now has 168 wards and communes. Here is a full map of the wards and communes of HCMC.

I mention this because this report will mainly cover central Ho Chi Minh City. I usually do a report for Vung Tau, but I am still getting my head around the fact that Vung Tau is now in Ho Chi Minh City. I also have a trip planned for Binh Duong (or what used to be Binh Duong), but that will also be separate from this report.

The merger means that the old addresses are now redundant, though it will be some time before people get used to not having a district to refer to an area.

Districts and wards performed similar functions, so the restructuring of local government has removed a layer of bureaucracy that will ultimately save money.

The main problem is that having a city with 168 subdivisions makes identifying an area in the city difficult, as no one is going to remember all of those names. I wrote an article about redrawing new districts and geographical zones in Ho Chi Minh City.

The two dragon towers restart

I have been keeping track of One Central HCM (formerly Spirit of Saigon) as it is in the most central location of Ho Chi Minh City opposite Ben Thanh Market.

After a decade of stop-start construction, work is back in full swing. The two towers (240m and 218m) will include apartments and a Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The podium will host a mall, and the basement will be connected to Ben Thanh Station of the HCMC Metro.

The two towers represent dragons, and the cantilevered heads will makes these towers the new landmark of the city when completed.

HCMC becomes an International Financial Center

Vietnam has designated Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang as International Financial Centers of Vietnam. The HCMC IFC will be in the riverfront area of former District 1, and the Thu Thiem New Urban Area on the other side of the river.

The International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City (VIFC-HCMC) was launched at its new headquarters at 8 Nguyen Hue Street in February.

The tallest tower that was finished in the last year was the Saigon Marina International Financial Centre. At 240 metres, it is currently the third-tallest building in the city. This was originally known as Sun Tower, but was rebranded to be associated with the IFC.

New towers built in Vietnam are following the same playbook as Chinese towers by being covered in programmable lights. Saigon Marina IFC is lit up like a proverbial Christmas tree at night.

BIDV Tower

It appears that the IFC development has woken up one of the prominent abandoned projects on Nguyen Hue (the street facing the city hall).

The BIDV Tower (a local bank) was announced in 2007, and the site has been a temporary motorbike park for as long as I can remember (at least 2012).

The site now features refreshed advertising that shows what the future tower will look like. The advertising includes the address in the newly-formed Saigon Ward, which is in what used to be District 1.

Reclaiming land of stalled and abandoned projects

Central Ho Chi Minh City has been characterised by blue construction fences at prominent locations (the so-called golden land plots). The city has now moved to either reclaim the land or at least turn it into temporary parks until work can resume.

On Nguyen Hue (not far from BIDV Tower) is the stalled/abandoned Okura Prestige Saigon.

This hotel is at the former location of the Saigon Tax Trade Centre. The centre was demolished, but work on the hotel never began. After years of being an eyesore on one of the most prominent corners of the city, the blue construction fences were removed in early 2026.

The land has now been turned into a temporary park with trees that can be easily transported. It will be interesting to see how long this park remains.

The triangle of golden land at the corner of Le Loi and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia has also had its blue fences removed and turned into a park. This plot has been abandoned for so long that trees have grown in it.

This was originally going to be the Saigon Jewelry Center (SJC) Tower.

Behind the One Central HCM project is the abandoned Eximbank Tower project. The blue fence has been moved in slightly, and the new space was used to set up Tet decorations in January.

The Phan Dinh Phung Stadium was planned to replace the dilapidated sports facility on the same site.

The sports centre was demolished, and then the familiar blue fence surrounded the block for the next decade.

The stalled project has now been turned into a temporary park.

This has been a good idea to convert idle land into parks, but they are temporary parks. The city now runs the risk of people getting used to these parks, and then being disappointed when the parks are removed when the original projects resume.

COVID-19 memorial park

One plot of idle land that has been turned into a permanent park is the COVID-19 memorial park at 1 Ly Thai To Street. This land included 7 abandoned villas, and 3 of the villas were demolished to make way for the park. The remaining villas have been renovated and incorporated into the park as display centres and cafes.

I visited the week it opened, and there was a display of life in the city during Covid.

The centrepiece of the park is the teardrop fountain.

I have gone past this plot of land many times over the years, and I didn’t appreciate how big it was. The new park has a good combination of public space and old trees.

Saigon River Pedestrian Bridge

The IFC development has given a new lease of life to the Thu Thiem area (more on that below). One of the projects I am most looking forward to is the pedestrian bridge that will connect the old city with the new.

The bridge project broke ground in March 2025, and the bridge is slowly taking shape on both sides of the river.

The Thu Thiem New Urban Area is gaining momentum

The Thu Thiem New Urban Area was billed as the Pudong of Southeast Asia, but it has been mired in controversies and delays for decades. The mood feels different this year with the launch of the IFC, though there are still some notable project delays.

This image at one of the construction sites shows what Thu Thiem might look like in the future.

One of the notable delays has been at the Empire City site. This project includes a signature tower by Büro Ole Scheeren.

Some sections are completed and lived in, and another stage is under construction.

The signature tower has still not begun construction. The project has been bogged down in land title issues and a disputed tax bill.

Another promising project that can’t seem to get off the ground is Eco Smart City by Lotte. This project was supposed to begin construction over a decade ago, but Lotte threatened to abandon the project last year. They have since recommitted to the project, though with a reduced stake.

The Lotte project is of a similar scale to One Bangkok, which began construction in March 2018 and opened in October 2024.

The International Financial Center has given new momentum to Thu Thiem, and on April 29, the city broke ground on the City Center Square and Administrative Center project. 

This imposing building will be the new city hall of HCMC, replacing the famous French Hôtel de Ville in the old city area (which will become a tourist site).

There will be a park with a landscaped lake behind the admin building. The tall building on the left of the image below is the Empire City signature tower (333 metres, with speculation of it being built higher). The tallest tower in the image is a proposed 99-story financial tower, which is planned to be 500 metres.

I visited the site two days after the groundbreaking ceremony, and there were construction workers on the site. Here is the view from the back of the admin centre, which will be the park and lake area.

These new renders of Thu Thiem look promising, but it’s hard to get excited when there are still so many unresolved issues. In the first image of the admin center, there is an oddly-shaped building on the riverfront. This is the City Planning Exhibition Center, which has remained in an unfinished state for a decade. There was an announcement last year that the unfinished project will be repaired.

I haven’t mentioned any metro projects in this article, as I will publish that in a separate report. Thu Thiem will play an important role in future railway development in HCMC, as it is the site of the future high-speed railway station and a hub for trains to the future Long Thanh Airport. The Thu Thiem area has so many projects going on that I will have to make it a separate report next year.

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Greetings from Ho Chi Minh City! It’s been a busy month of travel, so I have not published as many new articles as usual. The weekly newsletter for paid subscribers continues to be sent out every Wednesday, so consider becoming a paid subscriber to support this site.

I have been on the road for most of April, so I will be posting new articles here and at Nomadic Notes over the coming months. Here is where I have been and what articles to expect.

Train from Hanoi to Nanning

The Hanoi-Nanning train is the only international train line from Vietnam, and I was curious to see how the international crossing works. I also wanted to ride it in its current format, as there is a plan to upgrade the Vietnam section from Hanoi to Dong Dang on the Vietnam-China border.

I have started a factsheet to keep track of the Hanoi–Dong Dang Railway upgrade, and I will be posting a review at Nomadic Notes.

Nanning and the high-speed railway to Hong Kong

I had not been to China since 2019, so it was good to be back and see how modern Chinese cities have become. One of the most startling aspects of Nanning is that it is a city of electric scooters. Vietnam is trying to go electric, with an ambitious timeline to ban petrol bikes in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It seems like a giant task, but it feels possible after seeing what Nanning has achieved.

From Nanning, I got the high-speed railway to Hong Kong. I wanted to see if it was practical to go from Hanoi to Hong Kong by train, and I wanted to experience high-speed railway again. Vietnam is in the preparation phase of building a high-speed railway, so it is good to remind myself of how China is doing it.

Philippines: Manila to Cebu

After Hong Kong, I went to Manila to ride the old railways of Luzon. While I was in Manila, I visited Bonifacio Global City, and in Cebu, I visited Cebu IT Park. Both of these new urban areas are like private cities within each city. I will post a review of each city in the coming months.

Philippine Railways

My main mission in the Philippines was to ride the remnants of the Manila to Legazpi railway (the Bicol Express). Two sections are still operating, so I had to get a bus between the discontinued sections.

The railway isn’t useful for tourism, but I wanted to ride it to be able to say I’ve been on every railway in Southeast Asia. There is also a plan to build a modern railway in this corridor (PNR South Long Haul), so it was instructive to see what the current railway looks like.

I will be posting about this trip on Future Southeast Asia and at Nomadic Notes.

[Waiting to board the train at Calamba (south of Manila).]

Travel plans

I will be heading back to Chiang Mai for the next two months, so I will start working through articles from my most recent trips.

Weekly news

The weekly news was previously at the domain news.futuresoutheastasia.com. The weekly news roundup is now posted here at futuresoutheastasia.com for paid subscribers. Upgrade to Premium to get the weekly news updates.

Here are the last month’s issues of the weekly newsletter (click article links to upgrade).

• Future Southeast Asia News [29 Apr 2026]

World Bank’s $300M fund to enhance Cambodia’s transport transformation, Indonesia plans 14,000-km rail network outside Java, Sabah mulls Trans Borneo Railway, Clark second runway project, Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link testing, Thailand outlines 20 transport projects under THB1.38tn plan, mega urban area project near Halong Bay.

• Future Southeast Asia News [22 Apr 2026]

Sihanoukville stalled projects persist, Papua railway line survey in Jayapura, funding for 1,743 infra projects across the Philippines, common ticketing set for Bangkok, Da Nang metro project expected to break ground early next year.

• Future Southeast Asia News [15 Apr 2026]

Construction of Funan Techo Canal, Jakarta eyes Kota Tua as its flagship tourist hub, Laos advocates use of EV trucks to counter soaring fuel price, plans for Silicon Island on display, San Miguel pushes ahead with Boracay bridge, land half the size of Marina Bay expected to be reclaimed as part of Greater Southern Waterfront, feasibility studies behind Land Bridge ‘inaccurate’, construction begins on Hanoi-Quang Ninh high-speed railway line.

• Future Southeast Asia News [8 Apr 2026]

Old Phnom Penh Airport opens as public park for KNY, Indonesia’s seawall bet, Laos–Vietnam Railway Company, Penang Mutiara Line LRT project on track for 2031 opening, Singapore’s first 3D concrete printed pedestrian bridge, Thailand Transport Ministry fast-tracks Bt1.96tn mega-project pipeline, 99-story financial tower in Ho Chi Minh City’s Thu Thiem.

• Future Southeast Asia News [1 Apr 2026]

Former Phnom Penh International Airport all set to be cultural landmark, housing plan for Jakarta railway slum area, Kuching ART progress, Singapore to start preparatory works for Long Island, U-Tapao airport construction set for April 3, mountain expressway to cut Nha Trang-Da Lat drive from 4 hours to under 2.

Article updates

A cable car for Kinabalu?

Updated: Cable cars in Southeast Asia

I keep a list of current and proposed cable cars in Southeast Asia, and Mount Kinabalu has now joined the list of proposed cable car locations:

Proposed cable car for Mount Kinabalu must prioritise conservation, says minister

“The remarks come following a presentation by Jesselton International Sdn Bhd on its proposed Kinabalu Cable Car project, along with a feasibility study covering the Kundasang area.”

The report doesn’t specify whether the cable car would ascend the mountain or be located nearby.

Mount Kinabalu has an elevation of 4095 metres above sea level. For comparison, the world’s highest passenger ropeway station is China’s Dagu Glacier Gondola (4,843 metres), while the highest in Europe is the Matterhorn Glacier Ride (3,883 metres).

My flight from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur flew near Mount Kinabalu, and I got a great view of the mountain sticking its peak through the clouds.

The Da Nang Metro is a proposed rail transit system for the city of Da Nang in Central Vietnam. There have been various proposals over the years that include underground and elevated metro rail, trams, light rail, and BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) systems. The network will also extend to Hoi An and Tam Ky, which are now in Da Nang after the merger of Quang Nam province in 2025.

There isn’t a name for this system, so this article is called Da Nang Metro until the official name is known.

Da Nang is the third-largest city in Vietnam by population, and its geographical location halfway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City makes it an ideal business hub in Vietnam. Da Nang has been designated as a financial hub of Vietnam (alongside Ho Chi Minh CIty). Da Nang is also a popular tourism centre, with Hoi An being one of the most visited destinations in Vietnam.

Plans for a metro system were mentioned in 2012, with a proposed pre-feasibility study in 2013. A feasibility study for a tramway project was announced in 2014, and by 2017 the city was calling for investors for a transit network.

In 2019 South Korea’s Seoul Metro Corporation proposed a network with 2 metro and 8 tramway lines. Covid put a dampener on planning in 2020, and then an update in 2021 called for 3 lines:

– East-West Line
Nam O 1 residential area (Lien Chieu District), downtown areas, My Khe Beach (Son Tra District).

– South-North Line
Son Tra Tinh Vien nature reserve on Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang Airport, Khue Trung (Cam Le District).

– Da Nang – Hoi An Line

In 2025 the proposed system includes almost 300 km of railways, connecting the future high-speed railway station, Da Nang International Airport, My Khe Beach, Hoi An, Tam Ky, and Chu Lai Airport.

The links below are an archive of news updates, studies, and reports. These include diagrams and maps of potential routes. I will make a map one more detailed routes have been published.

Another proposal is for a Da Nang – Lang Co Line (Hue).

Links And Resources

The Study on the Integrated Development Strategy for Danang City and Its Neighboring Area FINAL REPORT [PDF]
Part IV: Danang City Development Master Plan.

News Archive

2026

Da Nang’s $10bn metro project expected to break ground early next year – [21/04/26]
“Da Nang City in central Vietnam plans to begin the construction of its first urban railway, linking Da Nang International Airport with Hoi An, Tam Ky, and Chu Lai Airport, in February 2027 with a total investment of VND265.972 trillion ($10.1 billion).”

Da Nang maps out 3 MRT, 15 LRT lines in urban railway network – [06/02/26]

2025

Central Vietnam hub Danang seeks private investment for urban railways – [31/10/25]
“With plans for 16 urban railway lines spanning over 200 kilometers, Danang is prioritizing private investment to develop a modern public transport-oriented urban model.”

[The planned urban rail system in Danang city, central Vietnam. Photo courtesy of the municipal Department of Construction.]

Da Nang will plan and build nearly 300km of urban railway – [24/10/25]
“…the Da Nang urban railway system will include 16 routes, a total length of 294 km, connecting important locations inside and outside the city. In the first phase, Da Nang prioritizes investment in 2 routes: the route connecting Da Nang – Hoi An – Tam Ky – Chu Lai international airport and the route connecting the high-speed railway station with the central urban railway station.”

Da Nang prioritizes building an urban railway connecting the airport with Hoi An. – [24/10/25]
“In the urban railway system, the priority research route includes the first route connecting Da Nang International Airport – Hoi An – Tam Ky – Chu Lai.

This route is divided into 2 phases. Phase 1 connects Da Nang International Airport to Hoi An, including LRT2 railway connecting Da Nang Airport – My Khe Beach, more than 7km long, and MRT2 connecting Vietnam – Korea University – Da Nang Station, currently more than 17km long with investment plan from 2025-2030.

Phase 2 of the post-2030 investment plan connects Hoi An – Tam Ky – Chu Lai.

Line 2: The priority for research is the railway connecting the high-speed railway station to the Central Urban Railway Station. The goal of this railway line is to serve the connection between the National High-Speed ​​Railway Station area and the city center area.

This route will be implemented according to the progress of the national high-speed railway project through Da Nang city.”

Urban rail connecting Da Nang, Hoi An proposed – [16/09/25]
“The urban traffic route, designed with Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in mind, will be developed through a joint venture of key investors including Kita Group, Futa Group, China Design Group, CRRC Chongqing, Arup, A2Z and Kim Long Motors, with financial support from the two private banks – VPBank and TPBank.”

“Earlier, the city held a session with Thaco Group on urban railway routes connecting Da Nang, Tam Ky, and Chu Lai.

Da Nang is seeking investment for 11 Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines, three tourism LRT routes and two Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) systems to support future traffic and tourism growth.”

Deo Ca Group says to complete Da Nang–Hoi An urban railway by 2030 – [12/09/25]

Transport infrastructure builder Deo Ca eyes metro line in Vietnam’s central tourism hub – [11/09/25]

Da Nang wants THACO to research and participate in urban railway project – [17/08/25]
“Da Nang City leaders want THACO to participate in researching and investing in the urban railway project connecting Da Nang airport – Hoi An – Chu Lai airport.”

Da Nang explores new urban rail link to connect with Quang Nam – [10/05/25]
“Da Nang has established a task force to study the potential investment in an urban railway project that would connect the city with neighboring Quang Nam Province.”

Da Nang sets up working group to study investment in urban railway connecting Quang Nam – [10/05/25]
“The People’s Committee of Da Nang City has just decided to establish a Working Group to study investment in the Da Nang – Quang Nam urban railway line (hereinafter referred to as the Working Group).”

Will there be a railway connecting Da Nang to Hoi An ancient town after the merger? – [21/04/25]
“In the list of 277 projects announced by Quang Nam province to prioritize investment attraction in 2025, there is an urban railway connecting Da Nang city with the ancient town of Hoi An. This information is receiving much attention because such a railway line existed in history.”

Central Vietnam province Quang Nam calls for investment in 277 projects – [21/04/25]
“Quang Nam province is also calling for investment in urban railways connecting its tourism town of Hoi An and Chu Lai Economic Zone with the neighbouring coastal city of Da Nang.

These two urban railway projects aim to comprehensively develop the province’s strategic transportation infrastructure system with five modes of transport: road, rail, inland waterway, maritime, and air, in a modern way consistent with national planning orientation.”

Quang Nam prioritises investment in 2 urban railways to Da Nang. – [21/04/25]
“Quang Nam prioritises attracting investment in two new projects within the region: the Hoi An – Da Nang and Chu Lai – Da Nang urban railways.”

Hoi An – Da Nang urban railway project – [16/04/25]
“Quang Nam has a golden opportunity to enhance its socio-economic and tourism development with the urban railway linking Hoi An and Da Nang.”

Building and expanding transport infrastructure links in economic development cooperation – [06/04/25]
“The construction of a public transport route (such as an urban railway or an equivalent system) to connect Da Nang with Hoi An in Quang Nam Province and Lang Co Town in Hue City will be carried out.”

2024

Beach hub calls investment on urban railway system – [17/11/24]
“The central city of Đà Nẵng has called for investment on an urban railway route connecting the Đà Nẵng International Airport and tourism beach of Mỹ Khê on 14.9km in the Master Plan 2021-30, vision 2050.”

Central Vietnam hub Danang seeks investment for urban railway airport link – [14/11/24]
“Under the masterplan, the central city aims to develop two MRT (mass rapid transit) lines and two LRT (light rail transit) routes by 2030, followed by another four LRT lines and one BRT (bus rapid transit) route by 2045.”

Da Nang researches on public transport-oriented urban development – [20/04/24]
“For Da Nang, in the content of the Da Nang Master Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050 issued by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 1287/QD-TTg dated November 2, 2023, land funds (underground, surface) are pre-arranged and suitable for terminal and transfer stations (underground, surface, elevated) of MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) and LRT (Light Rail Transit) systems with an orientation to boost the development of these stations according to the TOD model, synchronously connecting with other types of public passenger transport (buses, public bicycles, taxis) combined with centralised trade and service development planning.”

2023

Da Nang strives to complete transportation network as a logistics centre – [10/11/23]
“…the city also eyes the building of 2 MRT lines, 11 LRT lines, 3 tourist LRT lines or other methods equivalent to transportation capacity and speed, a public transport line (urban railway or other equivalent method) connecting Da Nang with Hoi An in Quang Nam Province and Lang Co Town in neighbouring Thua Thien Hue Province.”

Quang Nam plans urban railway line connecting Da Nang and Chu Lai airports – [04/07/23]
“According to the plan of Quang Nam province, the urban railway will connect Da Nang city from Tran Dai Nghia street through the axes connecting to Chu Lai airport.”

2022

Urban traffic planning in Da Nang approved – [04/07/22]
“For urban transport system planning, heed is paid to conducting the classification and organisation of urban road network, urban railway lines (on the ground, overhead, underground works), locations and the scale of railway stations, parking lots in urban areas and traffic hubs.”

2021

Da Nang seeks investment for $2 bln metro routes – [03/03/21]
“The central city of Da Nang is seeking investors for two metro routes with an estimated investment of VND54.5 trillion ($2.37 billion).”

2019

Seoul Metro to build Da Nang’s first railway system – [21/03/19]
“Seoul Metro, the operator of Seoul’s subway lines 1 through 8, signed a special memorandum of agreement with the People’s Committee of Vietnam at the committee’s regional office in Da Nang”.

South Korean metro operator proposes $3 billion Da Nang urban railway – [25/02/19]
“South Korea’s Seoul Metro Corporation has proposed a Da Nang rail network with 2 metro and 8 tramway lines.”

2018

Foreign funding sought for Da Nang-Hoi An metro line in central Vietnam – [23/11/18]
“Da Nang City is seeking foreign investment for a metro line from the Da Nang International Airport to ancient Hoi An Town. The line will run 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) along the coast and reduce road congestion, authorities say.”

South Korea pledges to assist Da Nang in planning urban railway system – [14/07/18]

Seoul Metro to construct urban railway in Vietnam – [18/01/18]
“Seoul Metro, operator of Seoul Subway Lines 1 – 8, will participate in construction of urban railway in Da Nang, Vietnam. This will be the first city railway built in Da Nang.”

Seoul Metro advises Danang on elevated railways – [18/01/18]

2017

Investment appeal for Da Nang-Hoi An electronic railway line – [20/10/17]
“In the seminar of attracting investment into infrastructure under the Invest Da Nang Forum 2017 last week, Quang Nam province and Da Nang city promoted the project of Da Nang – Hoi An electric railway line.”

Da Nang leaders seek investment in railway linking city center with Hoi An – [17/10/17]

Da Nang wants investment in infrastructure projects – [15/10/17]
“Central Da Nang City is calling for investment in a metro line project to connect it with its neighboring city of Quang Nam Province’s Hoi An.”

Case study of Da Nang City [PDF] – [September 2017]
“Reviews of the transport master plan of Da Nang City”.

2014

Central city studies tramway feasibility – [10/11/14]
“The central city of Da Nang has assigned the municipal Transport Department to collaborate with Peterson International Inc (PI) and Emerging Asean Capital Partners (EACP) on carrying out a feasibility study for a tramway project.”

2013

Marubeni eyes on metro construction in Da Nang – [13/08/13]
“Japan’s Marubeni company will conduct a pre-feasibility study of the metro system project in Da Nang, director of the city’s investment promotion centre Lam Quang Minh has said.”

2012

Italy’s Geo-Data Engineering seeks involvement in Da Nang’s metro project
“Geo-Data Engineering has a great interest in the urban transport system of Da Nang and wants to become involved in the implementation of the city’s metro project. This was announced by Mr Giuseppe Astore, Technical Director of the Bangalore Office of Geo-Data Engineering Group, during a recent meeting with the Vice Chairman of Da Nang People’s Committee, Mr Nguyen Ngoc Tuan.”

The Hanoi–Dong Dang Railway is a dual-gauge railway, with a metre-gauge line for Vietnam Railways and a standard-gauge line for China Railways. There is a passenger service operated by China Railways that connects Hanoi to Nanning and Beijing.

[Dual-gauge track of the Hanoi-Dong Dang Railway at Bac Ninh.]

The current line is 162 km, but it takes 3.5 hours to travel from Gia Lam (Hanoi) to Dong Dang. The line is a single track and at grade, and the trains use diesel locomotives. The new line will be a double-tracked, standard-gauge, electric railway.

The upgrade is part of a plan to connect Vietnam to China with three railway lines. The upgrade of the Hanoi-Lao Cai Railway is currently underway, and a plan for the Hai Phong-Ha Long-Mong Cai Railway is also in development.

The Hanoi-Lao Cai Railway is planned to be a semi-high-speed railway (160 km/h). The speed of the new Hanoi-Dong Dang Railway hasn’t been announced, though it has been referred to as high-speed in local media. Some news sites in Vietnam refer to 160 km/h as high-speed, so it could be either.

There is a high-speed railway from Pingxiang to Nanning (250 km/h), so another possibility is that the line is built to accommodate this train.

This page keeps track of news updates, and it will be updated when significant announcements are made about the project.

Hanoi–Dong Dang Railway Map

[Map of Hanoi-Dong Dang Railway]

Links and Resources

Hanoi–Đồng Đăng railway – Wikipedia.

Hanoi–Dong Dang Railway – Travel guide.

News Archive

2026

Vietnam, China sign cooperation agreement on planning two railways – [25/03/26]

“Vietnam and China have signed a technical cooperation agreement on planning two standard-gauge railways Hanoi – Dong Dang and Hai Phong – Ha Long – Mong Cai, marking progress in bilateral railway connectivity.”

Vietnam plans two new rail links to China – [20/03/26]

“According to a report by the Ministry of Construction, planning is under way for the 156km Hanoi-Dong Dang line and the 187km Haiphong-Ha Long-Mong Cai route, with both expected to be finalised this year.

The lines will be built as double-track, standard-gauge railways of 1,435mm, with investment targeted before 2030.”

2025

Vietnam, China ink seven transport cooperation deals – [15/04/25]

“Four of the seven agreements relate to railway development. These include a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint committee for Vietnam–China railway cooperation and technical support from China for feasibility studies and planning of several standard-gauge rail lines, including Lao Cai–Hanoi–Haiphong, Dong Dang–Hanoi, and Mong Cai–Ha Long–Haiphong.”

2024

Vietnam and China agree to build three key railway lines – [11/12/24]

“The agreement between the two governments to cooperate on the Lao Cai–Hanoi–Hai Phong, Lang Son–Hanoi, and Mong Cai–Ha Long–Hai Phong railway projects is seen as a major step forward in infrastructure development.”

President Xi Jinping hastens construction of 3 Vietnam-China rail routes – [19/11/24]

“Last month, the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport said it was drafting plans to invest $13 billion in building and upgrading two rail routes linking with China: the 156-kilometer Hanoi-Dong Dang route and the 187-kilometer Hai Phong-Ha Long-Mong Cai route.”

Vietnam invites China railway builder to join project linking 2 nations, begin in 2025 – [07/11/24]

“He also suggested CRCC join other key traffic projects of Vietnam, including the Hanoi-Lang Son railway, Mong Cai-Ha Long-Hai Phong railway, North-South high-speed railway, and border expressways linking Vietnam-China.”

Vietnam plans to invest $13 bln in 2 railways linking to China – [27/10/24]

“The 156-kilometer Hanoi-Dong Dang railway (linking Hanoi capital city with Lang Son province bordering China) is set to have an investment of $6 billion.

Based on its 1,435 millimeter gauge, the passenger train and cargo train can run at 160 and 120 kilometers per hour, respectively.”

PM requests prioritized investment into railways linking with China – [24/10/24]

“He suggested the two sides continue enhancing high-level exchanges and meetings, and foster practical collaboration in all areas, particularly pushing ahead the construction of the three standard-gauge railways of Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong, Lang Son – Hanoi, and Mong Cai – Ha Long – Hai Phong to promote connectivity between the two economies.”

Vietnam Party chief welcomes China’s engagement in 3 railway projects – [20/08/24]

“…Li showed China’s readiness to improve the rail linkage between Vietnam and Europe via China and accelerate the feasibility study of the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway. In addition, he agreed to make planning for the Dong Dang-Hanoi and Mong Cai-Ha Long-Hai Phong railways.”

Vietnam Railway proposes US$87 million for Hanoi–Dong Dang railway upgrade – [22/07/24]

“The Vietnam Railway is proposing an investment of over VND2.2 trillion (US$87 million) to upgrade the Hanoi – Dong Dang railway line. This project is part of a broader initiative to modernize and enhance the railway network.”

Vietnam plans 3 railway links with China under Belt and Road Initiative – [27/06/24]

“Speaking at the Vietnam-China strategic transport infrastructure development cooperation conference held in Beijing, Chinh said the three railway routes under consideration are Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong, Lang Son-Hanoi, and Mong Cai-Ha Long-Hai Phong.”

Prime Minister: Prioritize investment in the Hanoi – Lang Son high-speed railway. – [21/04/24]

“Specifically, the Prime Minister emphasized the mobilization of resources; prioritizing investment in key, strategic projects that directly impact socio-economic development goals and have a significant ripple effect, especially the Hanoi-Lang Son high-speed railway connecting with China and the construction of smart border gates.”

Government says high-speed rail route to China priority – [09/04/24]

“The government has decided to prioritize the construction of two high-speed railroad lines in the north before 2030, including one connecting with China.

They are the Hanoi – Lang Son line, which will extend to the Chinese border, and a line connecting Hanoi with Lao Cai Province, home to Sa Pa City, passing through the port city of Hai Phong and Quang Ninh Province, home to Ha Long Bay.”

2023

Vietnam, China to enhance railway connectivity under Belt Road Initiative – [14/12/23]

“The two governments will promote a 1.435m- gauge railway across the Vietnam-China border, study and push for the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong standard-gauge line. The port city of Hai Phong is Vietnam’s international gateway in the northern region.

They will also study the Dong Dang-Hanoi and Mong Cai-Ha Long-Hai Phong standard-gauge routes at appropriate times.”

2016

Vietnam province proposes high-speed rail link with China – [02/11/16]

“The administration of a northern Vietnamese province bordering China has called on the government to consider its plan to build a new high-speed railway, compatible with the rail in the Chinese province of Guangxi.”