Vietnam Railway Corporation (VRC) plans to build a US$200M tunnel through the Hai Van Pass in the middle of the country as part of its five-year investment plan.
The rail company wants to build a 10km long twin-bore tunnel through the pass to cut journey times by two hours. Growing passenger and freight demand has forced the move following earlier tunnel upgrades.
The Hai Van Pass, which connects Da Nang on the coast of central Vietnam with the province of Thua Thien-Hue, is a transportation bottleneck for train services between the north and south of the country.
VRC is using its infrastructure management board, based in Da Nang, to plan the new rail scheme.
In 2001, the company began construction work to upgrade four existing rail tunnels through Hai Van Pass. The volume of rail demand has quickly required additional capacity and led to the go-ahead for a new tunnel.