North-South high-speed railway: A formidable rival to aviation

With the view that ticket prices must be competitive with aviation and affordable for the majority of people, the North-South high-speed railway is expected to compete directly with the aviation industry in the future.

North-South high-speed railway: A formidable rival to aviation

According to the draft of the Ministry of Transport, the North-South high-speed railway project is considered a large-scale project, bringing strong potential to compete with the aviation industry. Specifically, the expected ticket price of this railway line will compete directly with airfares, which could change the way we travel between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in the near future.

According to the draft proposal of the Ministry of Transport, the expected ticket price for the North-South high-speed railway will be about 75% of the average price of economy and low-cost airline tickets. This is a reasonable price when compared to the international market. To be more specific, the first-class ticket price on this railway will be about 0.18 USD per km, equivalent to about 6.9 million VND for the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route. Second-class tickets will cost about 0.074 USD per km, equivalent to about 2.9 million VND, and third-class tickets will cost about 1.7 million VND/way, with a fee of 0.044 USD per km.

The North-South high-speed railway project has a design speed of 350 km/h.

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Looking at the world, countries with similar conditions to Vietnam also have high-speed railway lines with quite similar prices. For example, the Beijing - Shanghai route in China has ticket prices ranging from 2 - 8 million VND for a length of more than 1,300 km. In Japan, the Shinkansen high-speed train line connecting Tokyo and Aomori, 674 km long, has an average ticket price of about 0.18 - 0.3 USD/km, equivalent to 3 to more than 5 million VND each way. This shows that the ticket price proposed by the Ministry of Transport is quite competitive compared to international standards, while ensuring the affordability of Vietnamese people. Talking to reporters of Thanh Nien Newspaper, a representative of the Ministry of Transport said that the ticket price is only an estimate, calculated based on comparison with current airfares. However, this price is not fixed, because the market and the economy will fluctuate in the next 10 years, when the project is expected to be put into operation. However, the consistent view of the Ministry of Transport is to ensure competitiveness with aviation and suitability for people's ability to pay. After the railway is completed, there will be many ticket classes to meet the diverse needs of passengers.

North-South high-speed railway: Is the 10-year schedule feasible?

The potential of the high-speed railway does not stop at competing with aviation. Economists have pointed out that the development of this project can significantly change the structure of the passenger transport market, especially between long-distance vehicles. Instead of having to travel dozens of hours by bus from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, the high-speed railway will make this journey more convenient and safer. Trains will be classified, with faster routes and fewer stops having higher ticket prices. The goal of the North-South high-speed railway project is not to completely replace aviation but to provide more options for people, while reducing pressure on roads.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/duong-sat-toc-do-cao-bac-nam-doi-thu-dang-gom-cua-hang-khong-185241012085046291.htm