During a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on Tuesday, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Danh Huy outlined that by 2045, the two cities will add another 369 km of railways, with an additional 158 km to be completed by 2060.

The goal is for urban railways to account for at least 30% of public transportation capacity by 2035 and exceed 55% after that.

Both Hanoi and HCMC have made preparations for these projects, including research, land allocation and infrastructure planning. Upon approval of the railway development plans, the cities will proceed with feasibility studies, project investments and the proposal of specific mechanisms and policies to ensure smooth implementation.

Funding for the projects will come from a mix of local budgets, central government support, loans and other sources. Private investors are being sought to help finance the construction of stations, railways, and vehicles.

Ha stressed the importance of addressing key questions, such as immediate priorities, integration of the metro lines with the national railway network, and the technologies required to realize these projects. He urged cooperation between the Ministry of Transport and city authorities to gather input from other sectors before presenting the projects to the Politburo. HCMC, in particular, was instructed to prepare underground spaces for its railways.

Hanoi currently has two operational metro lines: the 13-km Cat Linh-Ha Dong line and the 8.5-km Nhon-Hanoi Station line.

The capital city’s long-term plan envisions a network of 10 metro lines totaling over 410 km by 2030, with an additional five lines being considered to extend the network by another 200 km. By 2065, Hanoi is expected to have 15 railway lines spanning 617 km, with an estimated total investment of $55 billion.

In HCMC, the first metro line, the 20-km Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien between downtown District 1 and Thu Duc City, is 98% complete and set to begin commercial operations by the end of the year.

By 2030, the southern city aims to have 31 km of metro lines. By 2035, the network will expand to 183 km, with an estimated investment of $36 billion over the next decade. A full 510-km urban railway network for HCMC is expected to be completed by 2060.