Transport in Vietnam

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Bac Sum Pass on National Road 4C DuonglencongtroiQuanBa.jpg
Bắc Sum Pass on National Road 4C

Transportation in Vietnam is improving rapidly in terms of both quantity and quality. Road traffic is growing rapidly but the major roads are dangerous and slow to travel on due to outdated design and an inappropriate traffic mix. In recent years, the construction of expressways has accelerated. Air travel is also important for long distance travel. Metro systems are under construction in the two metropolises of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Contents

Vietnamese road traffic is dominated by motorcycles. Traffic In Saigon (244218359).jpeg
Vietnamese road traffic is dominated by motorcycles.

Road transport

National Road 4E milestone QL4E - Lao Cai to Pho Lu - P1380570.JPG
National Road 4E milestone
Yen Bai Provincial Road 163 milestone Van Yen District - Hwy DT163 - P1380759.JPG
Yên Bái Provincial Road 163 milestone

The total length of the Vietnamese road system is about 222,179 km with 19.0% paved, mainly national roads and provincial roads (source: Vietnam Road Administration, 2004). The national road system length is 17,295 km with 27.6% of its length paved. The provincial road system is 27,762 km of length with 23.6% paved. The road network is relatively well developed, but in poor condition. [1] Due to congestion and lack of safety, the average speed on the national roads is a mere 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph). [2]

Road financing comes from a number of sources including the government, overseas donors such as the ADB, WB, JBIC and business organizations. Road investment recovery is mainly through tolls collected on bridges and roads, in accordance with laws mentioned above.

Vietnam's road system is classified according to the administrative hierarchy. Each classification is assigned a milestone color and abbreviation.

Expressways

North-South Expressway near Ninh Binh Cao toc Cau Gie Ninh Binh.JPG
North-South Expressway near Ninh Binh

Expressways are a rather new concept for Vietnam. Traffic is growing rapidly but the major roads are dangerous due to inappropriate design and an inappropriate traffic mix. Expressways would solve these problems along the key corridors, by separating high speed traffic from slower, local traffic.

Vietnam currently recognizes two classes of expressway. Both have a minimum of two lanes in each direction, but Class A has grade separated interchanges, while Class B has at-grade intersections. There are 4 design-speed categories: 60, 80, 100 and 120 km/h.[ citation needed ] Generally all cars, buses and trucks are permitted on the expressway but công nông (agricultural vehicles) and all types of motorcycles are not. [7]

Road vehicles

Motorbikes

Vietnam is renowned for its motorbike culture. In 1995, over 90% of trips in both Hanoi and Saigon were done by motorcycle. [8] In 2017, 79% of Vietnamese reported using a motorbike regularly. [9] With 45 million registered motorbikes on a 92 million population headcount, Vietnam has one of the highest motorbike ownership rates worldwide. [10] Vietnam is the 4th largest market for motorbike sales, after China, India and Indonesia. [10] 87% of Vietnamese households own a motorbike, a number only surpassed by Thailand. [11]

In recent years, the government has expressed the desire to reduce the number of motorbikes in an effort to curb congestion. [10]

Cars

As of 2015, 2 million passenger cars were registered. [12]

Car prices are kept high by import taxes and sales tax, which put Vietnam as one of the most expensive countries to buy a car, with up to 2 or 3 times the final price consisting of taxes and fees. [13] [14] In 2016, a Lexus LX was priced at 7.3 billion VND (USD 315,000), [15] a Toyota Innova at 800 million VND (USD 35,000), [16] Despite this, car sales are growing at double digit rates each year. [17]

Water transport

Ferries

Ferry over the Cau River BP DongXuyen.JPG
Ferry over the Cầu River

Most river crossings have long been replaced by bridges, however ferry crossings still operate for vehicles not allowed on expressways.

Ports and harbors

Vietnam has 17,702 km of waterways; 5,000 km of which are navigable by vessels up to 1.8 m draft.

Merchant marine

Air transport

Air travel is rapidly increasing in importance. The route between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City has been world's 7th busiest airline route by seat capacity since 2016. [18] [19]

Airports

Vietnam operates 37 civil airports, including three international gateways: Noi Bai serving Hanoi, Da Nang serving Da Nang City, and Tan Son Nhat serving Ho Chi Minh City. Tan Son Nhat is the largest, handling 75 percent of international passenger traffic. Vietnam Airlines, the national airline, has a fleet of 82 aircraft that link Vietnam with 49 foreign cities. [20] The second largest domestic carrier is VietJet Air, serving 16 domestic destinations and 5 international destinations, and the third largest is Bamboo Airways.

Airports with civil service

Heliports

Railways

The Vietnamese railway network. Vietnam Railway Map.png
The Vietnamese railway network.

The Vietnamese railway network has a total length of 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi), dominated by the 1,726 kilometres (1,072 mi) single track North–South Railway running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The national railway network uses mainly 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) metre gauge , although there are several 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge and mixed gauge lines in the North of the country. There were 278 stations on the Vietnamese railway network as of 2005, most of which are located along the North–South line. The Vietnamese railway network is owned and operated by the state-owned enterprise Vietnam Railways (VNR), which operates a number of different subsidiaries involved in construction, communications, training, and other activities connected to railway maintenance. [21] [22] [23]

The overall condition of railway infrastructure in Vietnam varies from poor to fair; most of the network remains in need of rehabilitation and upgrading, having received only temporary repair from damages suffered during decades of war. A joint Japanese-Vietnamese evaluation team found that the poor state of railway infrastructure was the fundamental cause for most railway crashes and derailments, of which the most common types are train collisions involving vehicles and pedestrians, especially at illegal level crossings; derailments caused by failure to decrease speed was also noted as a common cause of collisions. [23]

People's Republic of China

Two railways connect Vietnam to the People's Republic of China: the western Yunnan–Vietnam Railway, from Haiphong to Kunming, and the eastern railway from Hanoi to Nanning. The railway into Yunnan is a metre gauge line, the only such line to operate inside China; it may, however, be converted to standard gauge. Railway service along the Chinese portion of the route is currently suspended. Cross-border service was available until 2002, when floods and landslides, which frequently caused delays along the route, [24] caused serious damage to the tracks on the Chinese side. [25] Hanoi–Đồng Đăng Railway access to Nanning is done through the border at Đồng Đăng, in Lạng Sơn Province. Regular service generally entails stopping at the border, changing from a Vietnamese metre-gauge train to a Chinese standard-gauge train, and continuing on to Nanning. [25]

The Yunnan–Vietnam Railway will form the Chinese part of the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link, which is expected to be completed in 2015. [26]

Cambodia and Laos

There are currently no railway connections between Vietnam and Cambodia or Laos. As part of plans established by ASEAN, however, two new railways are under development: Saigon–Lộc Ninh Railway connecting Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and one connecting the North–South Railway to Thakhek in Laos. The Vietnamese portion of the Phnom Penh railway would begin with a junction of the North–South Railway at Dĩ An Railway Station, and would end in Lộc Ninh, Bình Phước Province, close to the Cambodian border, linking up with a similar project on the Cambodian side. According to the plan established by ASEAN, this stretch is scheduled for completion by 2020; it will form part of the Kunming–Singapore railway project, overseen by the ASEAN–Mekong Basin Development Cooperation (AMBDC). [26] [27] Vientiane - Vũng Áng Railway would run between Vung Ang, a port in Hà Tĩnh Province, to connect with the North–South Railway at Tân Ấp Railway Station in Quảng Bình Province, then crossing through the Mụ Giạ Pass towards Thakhek. According to plans established by ASEAN, the line may then be extended via Thakhek all the way to the Laotian capital Vientiane. Both Laos and Thailand have expressed interest in the project as a shorter export gateway to the Pacific Ocean. [26] [28]

High-speed rail

North–South Express Railway

National railway company Vietnam Railways has proposed a high-speed rail link between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, capable of running at speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph). Once completed, the high-speed rail line—using Japanese Shinkansen technology—would allow trains to complete the Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City journey in less than six hours, compared to around 30 hours taken on the existing railway. [29] [30] [31] Vietnamese prime minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng had originally set an ambitious target, approving a 1,630 km (1,010 mi) line to be completed by 2013, with 70 percent of funding (initially estimated at US$33 billion) coming from Japanese ODA, and the remaining 30 percent raised through loans. [30] Later reports raised estimated costs to US$56 billion (almost 60 percent of Vietnam's GDP in 2009) for a completion date in the mid-2030s. On June 19, 2010, after a month of deliberation, Vietnam's National Assembly rejected the high speed rail proposal due to its high cost; National Assembly deputies had asked for further study of the project. [29] [31]

In 2018 a new feasibility study was submitted and based on that the government wants to reconsider the cost-benefit of the project. [32] [33] Plans show the first phase of construction to build sections between Hanoi and Vinh, and simultaneously between Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang both to be finished by 2032 with the entire north-south link to be finished by 2045. [34]

Ho Chi Minh City–Cần Thơ Express Railway

Another high-speed rail has been proposed to connect Ho Chi Minh City to Southeast Vietnam and Can Tho.

Metro

Metro line under construction in Hanoi in 2016 Hanoi metro L2 construction.jpg
Metro line under construction in Hanoi in 2016

The two biggest cities in Vietnam, Hanoi and Saigon, with Ho Chi Minh City Metro (Saigon) currently under construction, both projects have suffered from delays, budget deficits and budget overruns. The Hanoi metro system began operations on November 6, 2021, [35] and the Ho Chi Minh City Metro is expected to be opened in 2024.

Pipelines

In April 1995, a 125-kilometer natural gas pipeline connecting Bach Ho with a power plant near Vũng Tàu went into operation. With the subsequent addition of compressors, the volume pumped rose to more than 1 billion cubic meters per year. In 2005 a 399-kilometer underwater pipeline, the world's longest, began to carry natural gas onshore from the Nam Con Son basin. The pipeline's anticipated capacity is 2 billion cubic meters per year, while the basin has an estimated 59 billion cubic meters of natural gas reserves. [20] Vietnam has 28 km of condensate pipeline, 10 km of condensate/gas pipeline, 216 of natural gas line, and 206 km of pipeline for refined products.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ho Chi Minh City</span> Largest municipality in Vietnam, previously named Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City, commonly known as Saigon, is the most populous city in Vietnam, with a population of around 10 million in 2023. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the eponymously-named Saigon River is the largest. As a municipality, Ho Chi Minh City consists of 16 urban districts, five rural districts, and one municipal city (sub-city). As the largest financial centre in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has the highest gross regional domestic product out of all Vietnam provinces and municipalities, contributing around a quarter of the country's total GDP. Ho Chi Minh City's metropolitan area is ASEAN's 6th largest economy, also the biggest outside an ASEAN country capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Đồng Nai province</span> Province of Vietnam

Đồng Nai is a province in the Southeast region of Vietnam, located east and northeast of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The capital city and the largest city in Đồng Nai is Biên Hòa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnam Railways</span> State-owned railway company of Vietnam

Vietnam Railways is the state-owned operator of the railway system in Vietnam. The principal route is the 1,727 km (1,100 mi) single-track North–South Railway line, running 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ho Chi Minh City Metro</span> Rapid transit network under construction in Vietnam

The Ho Chi Minh City Metro is a planned rapid transit system that will serve Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Thanh International Airport</span> Future airport to serve Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Long Thanh International Airport is an international airport under construction in Long Thành District, Đồng Nai Province, Vietnam, approximately 40 km (25 mi) east of Ho Chi Minh City. It will be the second airport to serve the Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area, after the existing Tan Son Nhat International Airport. It is being built as an alternative to the existing airport, in order to relieve its increasing traffic, demand and congestion, as it could not be further expanded due to urban growth around it. The Government of Vietnam approved its construction on 4 January 2021. Construction began the next day on 5 January, and its first phase was scheduled to be finished by September 2025, but now it is expected to be finished by the first half of 2026. The airport will serve over 100 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo annually when built to the maximum designed capacity, making it the largest airport in Vietnam, Southeast Asia and one of the largest in the world. The project is the most expensive infrastructure project in Vietnam's history. Once open, both airports will operate together. The national carrier, Vietnam Airlines, is suggested by the project consultants as the only Vietnamese carrier to operate flights from Long Thanh, while other airlines will wholly stay at the existing airport.

Ho Chi Minh Road or Ho Chi Minh Highway is a highway in Vietnam. It runs from the north to the south of Vietnam, west of National Route 1. The highway was named after Hồ Chí Minh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area</span> Place in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area is a metropolitan area that was in June 2008 proposed by the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam to the Government of Vietnam for approval. According to this master plan, this metropolitan area will include provinces around Ho Chi Minh City in the Southeast region and 2 provinces in the Mekong Delta region.

The North–South express railway is a proposed high speed railway in Vietnam. The line would begin in Lạng Sơn and end in Cà Mau, connecting the two most urbanised areas in the country: Hanoi in the North, and Ho Chi Minh City in the South. The total proposed length would be 2,070 kilometres (1,290 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North–South Expressway East</span> Road in Vietnam

The North–South Expressway East is an expressway in Vietnam located very close to National Route 1, acting as an artery traversing the entirety of Vietnam from North to South. Similar to National Route 1, the expressway starts from Lạng Sơn and ends at Cà Mau. At the northern border, the expressway will connect to Nanning-Youyiguan Expressway in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in Vietnam</span>

The railway system in Vietnam is owned and operated by the state-owned Vietnam Railways. The principal route, the single track North-South Railway running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, accounts for 1,726 kilometres (1,072 mi) of the network's total length of 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi). The national railway network uses mainly metre gauge, although there are several standard gauge and mixed gauge lines in the north of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North–South railway (Vietnam)</span> Trunk railway line in Vietnam

The North–South railway is the principal railway line serving the country of Vietnam. It is a single-track metre gauge line connecting the capital Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south, for a total length of 1,726 km (1,072 mi). Trains travelling this line are sometimes referred to as the Reunification Express, although no particular train carries this name officially. The line was established during French colonial rule, and was completed over a period of nearly forty years, from 1899 to 1936. As of 2005, 191 of Vietnam's 278 railway stations were located along the North–South line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railway accidents in Vietnam</span>

Railway crashes and derailments in Vietnam are common. In 2010, 451 railway incidents were reported across the country's railway network, having caused 211 deaths and 284 injuries. A joint Japanese-Vietnamese evaluation team reported in 2007 that the poor state of railway infrastructure was the fundamental cause for most railway incidents, of which the most common types were train crashes against vehicles and persons, especially at illegal level crossings; derailments caused by failure to decrease speed were also noted as a common cause of accidents. As of 2010, around 90% of all railway incidents occurred at level crossings without safety fences, and most were said to have been caused by motorists failing to follow traffic safety laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Line 2A (Hanoi Metro)</span> Metro line in Hanoi, Vietnam

Line 2A, Hanoi Metro, also known as Cát Linh line, is an elevated mass transit railway line, and part of the Hanoi Metro network. It is the first rapid transit line to operate in Vietnam, and was opened for service on 6 November 2021.

The Vientiane–Vũng Áng railway is a proposed 1,435 mmstandard gauge railway that ran for 555 kilometres (345 mi) between the capital of Laos, Vientiane, and port in Hà Tĩnh Province via Mụ Giạ Pass on the border between Laos and Vietnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expressways of Vietnam</span> Road network in Vietnam

The Expressway network of Vietnam is a recent addition to the transport network of Vietnam. The first expressways were opened in the early-2000s, by 2020, the expressway network is expected to stretch 1,276 kilometres (793 mi) and plans are for over 7,000 kilometres (4,300 mi) of expressway by 2030.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway</span> Road in Vietnam

The Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway (CT.28) is an expressway planned in the Southeast region of Vietnam. With a total length of 77.6 km, this expressway when completed is expected to connect Dong Nai with Ba Ria - Vung Tau.. The design speed is 100 km/h and the road will have 4 lanes. According to the project proposal investment report of the Transport Design Consultancy Corporation (TEDI), the expressway is 77.6 km long. Of which, the expressway section is 66 km long, the urban road part is about 2.8 km, and the part of scale II is about 8.8 km. Of these, the section Bien Hoa - Phu My (expressway) is 38 km long; section of Phu My - coastal road of Ho Chi Minh City. Vung Tau (expressway) is 28 km long; from the coastal road of the Vung Tau City to National Route 51C is 2.8 km long and the section connecting Phu My - National Road 51 is 8.8 km long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thủ Đức</span> Municipal City in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Thủ Đức is a municipal city (sub-city) under the administration of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The Ho Chi Minh City–Phnom Penh railway is a proposed railway between Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The railway is envisioned to complete the missing link on the eastern line of the Kunming–Singapore railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Line 1, Ho Chi Minh City Metro</span> Metro line of Ho Chi Minh City metro

Line 1 is a rapid transit line of the Ho Chi Minh City Metro, Vietnam. Line 1 is the city's first metro line, connecting District 1 and Thu Duc City. The line began construction in 2012, initially scheduled for completion in 2018. The project's completion date has been delayed to the end of 2024. Ticket prices will range from VND9,000-23,000 ($0.39-1) per trip.

References

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PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook. CIA.

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