While China is also growing its appetite, Vietnam has requested support from Japan for the “high-speed rail plan” Once the dream of a high-speed rail that has been crushed, will it be realized with Japanese support (1/5) | JBpress (JBpress)

Will Japan’s support realize the dream of a high-speed railway that was once crushed?

A unified railway running through a dense residential area around Hanoi Station (Photo: Archyde.com/Aflo)

It was widely reported in Vietnam that the Vietnamese government had requested assistance from Japan for a high-speed railway project to connect Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City, a major city in the south, a long-held dream of the people.

The country stretches for about 1,650 kilometers from north to south, facing the South China Sea on the east side and bordering Laos and Cambodia on the west side. The planned high-speed rail will cut across the country from north to south.

29 hours between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh on conventional lines

Vietnam already has a “traditional railway” running across the country. The main route is the North-South Line connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, commonly known as the “Unified Railway”. This railway, which was temporarily cut off during the Vietnam War, has supported the traffic of Vietnamese people from north to south. Of course, there are domestic flights, but railroads have been used by ordinary citizens as a familiar means of transportation.

However, the non-electrified, single-track unified railway had the inconvenience of taking 29 hours from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, and the construction of a new high-speed railway had long been a desire of the people.