Vietnam Railways
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The railway system in in Vietnam is operated by the state-owned Vietnam Railways (Đường sắt Việt Nam). The principal route is the thousand-mile single-track line, running north-south between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This was built at the metre gauge in the 1880s during the French colonial rule. There are also standard gauge lines running from Hanoi to the People’s Republic of China, eventually leading to Beijing, and some mixed gauge in and around Hanoi.
Notwithstanding the poor state of the country’s road network, the railway system does not make a great contribution to the national transport infrastructure, carrying only about seven per cent of all freight. The thirty-five or forty-hour passenger trip between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is undertaken by few, although visitor resorts such as Huế, Hoi An and Da Nang lie along the route and generate some tourist traffic. Following the Sino-Vietnam war of 1978 some travel restraints are still in place in the border region and the usage of the lines north and east of Hanoi is curtailed as a result.
A parliamentary resolution of 2005 proposed that foreign lenders be invited to invest in Vietnam Railways. Although on the face of things the possibility of a good return might appear small, there are precedents: the lines into China have benefited from Chinese investment and, more recently, Japanese investment was spent on the Hai Van Tunnel project, a new road tunnel alongside the north-south rail line near Da Nang.
There is certainly a need for such investment: The Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi line is poorly maintained and the engineering infrastructure, much damaged by war, has even now received only temporary repair in many places. In addition, the center of the country is subject to violent annual flooding and bridges are often swept away, causing lengthy closures. There is a long-term plan to build a completely new standard-gauge line to serve the two cities. New international routes to Phnom Penh and thus via Bangkok to Singapore are also under consideration. At a more local level, the picturesque hill town and resort of Da Lat was once connected by a scenic little railway to the main north-south line at Phan Rang. Although there is now little visible trace of the trackbed in the green and fertile landscape, local businesses are seeking its reinstatement to develop their tourist trade. However, the projects most likely to receive foreign money are proposed light-rail systems within Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
The official Vietnam Railways website lists twenty-seven steam locomotives in use between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but only diesel engines are in evidence along the route.
Contents |
[edit] Routes
- North-South
- Local
- Hanoi-Beijing
[edit] Lines
- Hanoi-Saigon
- Hanoi-Lao Cai
- Hanoi-Quan Trieu
- Hanoi-Dong Dang
- Hanoi-Haiphong
[edit] Stations
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- Saigon
- Nha Trang
- Dieu Tri
- Quang Ngai
- Da Dang
- Hue
- Dong Hoi
- Vinh
- Haiphong
- Hanoi
- Dong Dang
- Lao Cai
- Bien Hoa
- Bong Son
- Duc Pho
- Nui Thanh
- Ta Ky
- Tra Kieu
- Dieu Tri
[edit] Gauges
- 1000 mm
- 1435 mm (standard gauge)
- 1435 mm and 1000 mm-gauge (mixed gauge)
[edit] Trackage
- Total 3160 km
- 506 km of siding
[edit] Fleet
- 331 diesel locomotives
- 34 steam locomotives
- 852 coaches
- 3922 cars
[edit] Hotels
- Hai Can Nam Hotel
- Saigon Hotel
- Kham Thien Hotel
- Mat Son Hotel
- Sam Son Hotel
- Ha Thanh Hotel
- Le Ninh Hotel
- Nha Trang Hotel
- Ca Na Hotel
- Dat Lat Railway Hotel
- Ky Dong Hotel
- Hai Van Bac Hotel
- Mua Xuan Hotel
