At the event, leaders from the railway sectors of both countries discussed and proposed measures to boost international freight transport and resume international passenger train services.
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Tran Thien Canh, Director of the Vietnam Railway Authority, stated that the Vietnamese Government had completed internal procedures and authorized the Minister of Transport to sign an agreement with the Chinese government on cooperation in implementing standard-gauge railway projects connecting Vietnam and China in December 2024.
The Ministry of Transport in Vietnam has been actively preparing investments for three railway lines linking Vietnam and China, including the standard-gauge Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong line, which will connect to Yunnan Province, China, with construction targeted to begin in 2025. Detailed planning is also underway for the Dong Dang-Hanoi line and the Hai Phong-Ha Long-Mong Cai line, both of which will connect to Guangxi Province, China.
A representative of China's national railway sector shared that China is advancing the development of railways at border crossings between the two countries. This includes upgrading the Nanning-Pingxiang line, which connects to Vietnam’s Dong Dang International Railway Station.
The conference also reported that from 2020 to the present, rail freight between Vietnam and China has grown steadily. In 2022, the volume reached approximately 1.2 million tons. Although there was a decline in 2023 due to the global economic slowdown, 2024 saw a gradual recovery and growth in international freight volumes.
From 2024, fast customs clearance container trains have been operated regularly, reducing travel times and enhancing operational efficiency. These services have also improved in scale and quality, making them a vital pathway for promoting trade.
The signing ceremony for the Vietnam-China Border Railway Protocol is planned to take place as soon as the negotiating teams finalize the issues discussed during this conference.
