French enterprises are looking beyond merely providing technology and equipment, aiming instead for long-term cooperation in planning, design consultancy, human resource training, operations, and the development of the railway industry in Vietnam.
The information was highlighted by the French Ambassador to Vietnam, H.E. Mr. Olivier Brochet, at the Vietnam-France Railway Transport Forum 2026, held on May 8 in Hanoi.
The event saw the participation of major French corporations such as Alstom, SNCF, and Systra, alongside various infrastructure and technology firms.
The ambassador affirmed the support of French businesses for Vietnam’s efforts to develop modern transportation infrastructure, with a particular focus on the North-South high-speed railway and urban rail systems.
France boasts over 40 years of experience in high-speed rail operations, with a network spanning approximately 2,700 km
According to the Ambassador, placing railway transport at the heart of bilateral cooperation is a "natural" choice. This partnership builds on long-standing ties and ongoing projects, such as Hanoi’s Metro Line 3.
Following the upgrade of ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2024, both nations committed to strengthening cooperation in priority sectors, including rail transport. This commitment was further solidified when major French groups, including AFD and SNCF, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction on training railway project managers. The signing took place on the sidelines of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Vietnam in late May 2025.
Speaking at the forum, Mr. Duong Hong Anh, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Railway Authority, stated that Vietnam is entering a new phase of railway developmentunt, with a focus placed on the comprehensive modernization of the national rail system, the development of the North-South high-speed railway, and investments in regional connectivity, seaports, airports, and the expansion of metro networks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
The Deputy Director noted that these are large-scale projects requiring high technological standards, modern management capacity, and complex system integration. In this process, Vietnam highly values French expertise in high-speed rail, urban transport, signaling and control, operations, safety management, and digital transformation.
“Vietnam is particularly interested in comprehensive cooperation—from planning and design consultancy to construction, human resource training, and technology transfer, through to operations and industrial development. These are also the key pillars for building a domestic railway industrial ecosystem,” Mr. Anh said.
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