The Diplomat
The Government of Vietnam is interested in the experience of the Spanish High Speed Rail (AVE) for the development of its railway projects, especially the express railway that will link the North and the South of the country.
This was highlighted in a recent meeting held in Hanoi by the Deputy Minister of Transport, Nguyen Danh Huy, with the Spanish ambassador in Vietnam, Pilar Méndez, to discuss the cooperation between the two countries, mainly in the railway field.
The Vietnamese are very interested in the Spanish experience in this field, especially in the High Speed Rail. They appreciate the fact that Spain, with 3,700 kilometres, has the second largest high-speed railway network in the world, after China, and the longest in Europe, thanks to which Renfe operates 229 AVE trains in 57 cities, serving 70% of the country’s population.
Deputy Minister Huy reminded the ambassador that her government approved an investment of 200 billion dollars for the railway network between 2021 and 2030, with a vision until 2050, in which 60 billion will be allocated to the North-South express railway project.
He also recalled that Vietnamese authorities have been trying to access international technology and experience to develop the country’s high-speed railways, and therefore, he called on Spain to support the development of transport in Vietnam by promoting business investment and launching training initiatives.