HANOI, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam on Sunday morning began construction on its first high-speed railway, a 120-kilometer line, linking Hanoi, Bac Ninh province, Hai Phong city and Quang Ninh province, local media VnExpress reported.
The line is designed as a double-track, standard-gauge electrified railway with a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour, according to the report.
With a total investment of around 147.37 trillion Vietnamese dong (about 5.87 billion U.S. dollars), the project is slated for completion in 2028, helping cut travel time between Hanoi and Quang Ninh from between 2 and 2.5 hours to between 25 and 30 minutes, while boosting regional connectivity and economic growth, the report added. ■