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.”

Why there won’t be a high-speed railway from Singapore to China, and how Thailand and Malaysia have set back a truly unified system by years.

The Singapore-Kunming Rail Link (SKRL) is a planned network of railways to create a unified line from Kunming to Singapore. This is part of the Pan-Asian Railway, which envisions three routes connecting Kunming to Southeast Asia:

– Western route via Myanmar
– Central route via Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore
– Eastern route via Vietnam and Cambodia

This article covers the central route from Kunming to Singapore, connecting China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The SKRL is planned for passenger and freight services. There is talk of extending a high-speed railway all the way to China, and freight trains will be able to travel on a single line without having to transfer containers to another railway system.

The problem with the high-speed rail dream is that there is no way for a high-speed railway to be built on the entire line.

The problem with the freight line is that Thailand and Malaysia have wasted time and money by rehabilitating their metre-gauge railway when they should have built out a standard-gauge railway.

Railway segments

Here are the current and under-construction railways in the Kunming-Singapore corridor.

Country	Line	Corridor	Speed	Length	Gauge
China	Yuxi–Mohan	Yuxi–Mohan	160	507	Standard
Laos	Boten–Vientiane	Boten–Vientiane	160	422	Standard
Laos	Vientiane–Nong Khai	Vientiane–Nong Khai	~100	14	Metre
Laos	Northeastern HSR	Vientiane–Nong Khai	250	16	Standard
Thailand	Northeastern Line	Nong Khai - Bangkok	~100	627	Metre
Thailand	Northeastern HSR	Nong Khai - Bangkok	250	609	Standard
Thailand	Southern Line	Bangkok-Padang Besar	~100	974	Metre
Malaysia	West Coast Railway Line	Padang Besar-Johor Bahru	140	1,151	Metre
Malaysia	Shuttle Tebrau	Johor Bahru-Woodlands	~100	4	Metre
Malaysia	KL-Singapore HSR	Kuala Lumpur-Singapore	320	335	Standard

(The Northeastern HSR is under construction, and the KL-Singapore HSR is proposed.)

Why there won’t be a high-speed railway from Singapore to Kunming

Not to be a downer on the high-speed dream, but unless China wants to rebuild/retrofit the line from Kunming to Vientiane, this is never going to happen. There is also the problem of Thailand and Malaysia upgrading their antiquated metre-gauge railways when they should have been upgrading to a standard gauge..

Defining high-speed rail

The definition of high-speed railway has some variations from country to country. For the Pan-Asia Railway it’s best to use the definition as set by China. The Wiki page for high-speed rail in China has this definition from Chinese sources:

“High-speed rail in China is officially defined as “newly-built passenger-dedicated rail lines designed for electrical multiple unit (EMU) train sets traveling at not less than 250 km/h (155 mph) (including lines with reserved capacity for upgrade to the 250 km/h (155 mph) standard) on which initial service operate at not less than 200 km/h (124 mph).” EMU train sets have no more than 16 railcars with axle load not greater than 17 tonnes and a headway of three minutes or less.”

The Laos-China semi-high-speed railway

The Laos-China Railway (comprised of Yuxi–Mohan and Boten–Vientiane) has an operating speed of 160 km/h. This is a semi-high-speed railway, and not a high-speed railway (as some media outlets persist in calling it).

[160 km/h top speed of Laos-China Railway.]

A semi-high-speed railway is still an impressive system, and it’s an ideal speed for a country the size of Laos. This is what functional intercity railways in Europe look like, and it’s great for connecting cities at a medium distance.

[Laos-China Railway at Luang Prabang.]

As we can see from the high-speed railway definition from China, this is not a high-speed railway and it has not been built to be upgraded as one in the future. The media can now stop saying there will eventually be a high-speed railway from Singapore to Kunming.

The need for a unified gauge and operating system

There doesn’t need to be a unified high-speed railway from Singapore to Kunming. Passengers have to leave the train with their bags at border crossings, so there is no extra friction by switching over to another train at the border.

What would have been better is for a unified gauge across the region so freight trains can travel without a break of gauge.

Thailand’s mixed-gauge mess

Thailand is currently building a high-speed railway from Bangkok to Nong Khai, which will be extended to Vientiane. This is a standard-gauge railway with an operating speed of 250 kh/h. It could be debated if it should have been 350 instead of 250, but this very much a high-speed railway.

Thailand is also rebuilding their metre-gauge railway in the same corridor, so there will be a metre-gauge line and standard-gauge line from Bangkok to Vientiane.

I have written in detail about how Thailand is building out a railway network with two gauges.

This dual-gauge system is also a possibility for the Southern Line (Bangkok to Padang Besar). The current single-track railway is being upgraded to a double-track railway, though it is not electrified. There are also proposals to build a high-speed railway to the south, in the same corridor as the line that is being double-tracked.

[Double-tracking of the metre-gauge line near Hua Hin.]

What Thailand should have done was to rebuild the system as a standard-gauge electric railway. Freight could then travel to Laos and China without having to be transferred to another train. The debatable point would have been if the passenger railways should have been semi-high-speed (up to 200 km/h) of high-speed (250-350 km/h).

Malaysia’s mixed-gauge mess

To complicate matters further, Malaysia is about to join the mixed-gauge club with Thailand.

The main railway in Malaysia is the West Coast Line, from Padang Besar on the Thailand border to Johor Bahru on the Singapore border. This was formerly a single-track metre-gauge railway with diesel trains. Malaysia has been upgrading this railway to a double-tracked metre-gauge electric railway.

[New metre-gauge electrified line between Gemas and Johor Bahru.]

Most of the upgrade is now complete, with Gemas to Johor Bahru being the only section that isn’t finished. I took a ride a on the Gemas to JB section in May 2024 to experience this railway before its gone.

[Transferring from the Electric Train Service (ETS) to the old diesel train at Gemas Station.]

While the double-tracking electrification project has been an improvement for Malaysia’s railways, they should have moved to the standard gauge. The old single-track metre gauge was completely rebuilt to a modern double-track line. They also replaced the trains from the old diesel locomotives to the fancy-looking EMU’s. The tracks, overhead electrical systems, and trains are all new, so they should have just moved to standard gauge instead of staying on a metre gauge.

Malaysia spent time and money on what is really a completely new system, for a railway with an operating speed of 140 km/h. This is one of the fastest metre-gauge railways in the world (the record appears to be 163 km/h), but it’s still slower than the Laos-China Railway.

[The ETS is one of the fastest metre-gauge railways in the world.]

Defenders of this upgrade say that Malaysia is a metre-gauge country. However, Malaysia is now building the East Coast Rail Line, which will be a standard-gauge electric railway. The railway is being built in partnership with China, and the railway shares similarities with the Laos-China Railway. It’s a standard-gauge railway with an operating speed of 160 km/h, and it runs on a single track.

The railway of the ECRL is what they should have built on the West Coast Line (though double-tracked), with an operating speed of up to 200 km/h.

The KL-Singapore high-speed railway plan

Malaysia is now planning to build a high-speed railway to Singapore. This line almost went ahead with construction until it was cancelled in 2021. The proposal has been revived, with the government now looking for investors.

Malaysia and Thailand’s high-speed railway plan

In addition to the KL-Singapore HSR, there have been other proposals for the high-speed railway to continue to the Thailand border. This presents the same problem that Thailand created for itself, where they would be building a standard-gauge high-speed railway in the same corridor as the recently-renovated metre-gauge railway.

If Thailand went ahead with the Southern high-speed railway, that would enable a Bangkok – Kuala Lumpur high-speed railway.

A long-term plan with without a plan for gauge unification

Plans of railway links from Southeast Asia to China go back to colonial times, and the current SKRL vision was formulated in 2000. The original plan was to go via Vietnam, because no one was expected that the Laos-China Railway would get built.

Considering how long this plan has been known, there should have been a consensus on gauge unification. China should have been the adult in the room and ensured that future railways be built on a standard gauge.

At the very least, the railways are getting faster in Southeast Asia and there are news lines where there were previously none.

I will cover China and Vietnam in a future article. Vietnam has been a laggard in building new railways (they haven’t built any long-distance railways in modern times), but this might work in their favour now as they are now considering building three rail links to China and a 350 km’h high-speed railway.

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