Rail really is the best way to travel. Trains have got that romantic thing going on. Most of the time, the views are better and the leg room is roomier than flying and it’s a much more sustainable, planet-friendly way to see the world. And when it’s speedy? That’s even better.
So good news, then, that Vietnam has just green-lighted a brand new high-speed railway line, which will connect Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south. The new route will make the epic, cross-country adventure take a mere five hours – an impressive improvement on the current 30+ hours it would take you to take a similar journey. It will also serve 23 stations across 20 cities and provinces, making parts of Vietnam more accessible than ever before.
Vietnam is currently home to some of the busiest air routes in Southeast Asia, so the new line, which will cost $67 billion, is hoped to provide a greener, but just as speedy, alternative.
The catch? You won’t be able to buy a ticket to ride until 2035. Work on the new high-speed line won’t start until 2027 and it’s projected to take eight years to complete. They say good things are worth waiting for.
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Plus: Your guide to the best train journeys in the world.
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