Bold proposal: Extending the high-speed railway across the sea to connect to the southern megacity of Ho Chi Minh City
enCity International Consulting Company, the unit participating in planning Ho Chi Minh City, has proposed to expand the Ho Chi Minh City - Can Gio high-speed railway line to continue crossing the sea to connect to Ba Ria - Vung Tau (old).
According to expert Nguyen Dinh Nen from enCity, the goal of the proposal is to reduce travel time between Ho Chi Minh City, Can Gio and Vung Tau to less than 60 minutes.
This is considered a key step to turn the large area expanded after the merger between Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau into a megacity with a population of more than 14 million people and an area of nearly 7,000 km².
This unique concept includes a hybrid sea crossing (bridge combined with tunnel) that allows both rail and road to operate in parallel. The goal is to optimize costs, ensure that existing shipping lanes are not obstructed, and create a strategic traffic axis connecting the extended Ho Chi Minh City area.
Mr. Nen said that the expected travel demand between Can Gio and Vung Tau could reach about 100,000 passengers/day by 2035, thanks to the development of population, urban encroachment in Can Gio, ports concentrated in the area and Cai Mep - Thi Vai port.
Currently, the Can Gio - Vung Tau ferry route only serves about 8,400 passengers/day with 24 trips per day.
The proposal also aims to learn from the 8km Øresund bridge-tunnel model connecting Denmark and Sweden. This project will reduce travel time from 1 hour by ferry to 35 minutes using the bridge/tunnel, while promoting continuous growth in trade, employment and tourism.
The project is a bold idea and can be a lever to turn Can Gio into a new sustainable urban area in the future. However, from idea to reality, there are still many technical, financial and social challenges that need to be thoroughly resolved.
