12 May 2016: A feasibility study is currently being conducted into plans to build a railway line from from the Laos capital of Vientiane to the Vietnamese sea port of Vung Ang.
Over 500 km of new railway track
Surveying is under wayThe line with cover a total distance of 569 km: 450 km in Laos and 119 km in Vietnam. This project has conceived of in tandem with the Chinese funded proposal to build a railway line running from Vientiane to the Chinese border, which will complete the Central Route of the Kumming-Singapore rail network otherwise known as the Pan Asia Railway Network.
Grant Funding from Korea
The study is being conducted with a $3 million grant from the Korea International Cooperation Agency. The study is scheduled for completion in December 2017 with the intention that it serves as the master plan for the design of the service.