An estimated $7 billion will be invested in building the Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho high-speed railway line, according to the Ministry of Transport (MoT).

In response to queries from voters in the Mekong Delta’s Can Tho city about the project, the MoT said it is carrying out a feasibility study and calculating the necessary resources.

It will work to submit the project to authorized agencies for appraisal and approval before 2025 for construction to begin before 2030, it said.

The ministry stressed that careful study and assessment is needed as it is considered a difficult large-scale project using complex techniques.

The railway line will play an important role in connecting the southern key economic zone with the key economic zone of the Mekong Delta region, helping improve competitiveness and the supply of goods.

The line will stretch more than 174 km and pass through six cities and provinces, running between An Binh railway station in southern Binh Duong province and Can Tho railway station in Can Tho city.

It is designed to have a speed limit of 200 km/h for passenger trains and 120 km/h for goods trains.