This list enumerates railway lines in Vietnam. The Vietnamese railway system is owned and primarily operated by the state-owned Vietnam Railways (), although private railway companies also offer special service to key destinations. Its principal route is the single track NorthâÂÂSouth Railway line running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; as of 2007, 85% of the network's passenger volume and 60% of its cargo volume is transported along this line. Besides this one, the system includes lines connecting Hanoi to the People's Republic of China, to surrounding cities such as Thái Nguyên, Hai Phong and Hạ Long.
Most existing Vietnamese railway lines use metre gauge, although standard gauge (used in China) and mixed gauge are used northeast of Hanoi. As of 2005, approximately of track was in use throughout Vietnamâ meter gauge, standard gauge and mixed gauge. As of 2005, there were 278 stations on the Vietnamese railway network, 191 of which are located along the North-South Railway line.
New railway lines have been proposed for construction, such as the high-speed NorthâÂÂSouth express railway connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which would reduce travel times from 30 hours to 6 hours. Other proposals aim to restore or completely rebuild previously existing lines that fell into disuse after the French Indochina War and the Vietnam War, such as the Da LatâÂÂThap Cham line, which now serves only to ferry tourists between ÃÂàLạt and the nearby village of Trại Mát. International links to Cambodia and Laos are also under consideration.
Several railway lines have been proposed for construction in Vietnam in recent years. The largest such project is the high-speed NorthâÂÂSouth express railway connecting Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, valued at approximately US$56 billion. Due to its cost, plans for the line are currently on hold pending further study of the project. Other projects involve the restoration of previously existing lines, such as the Da LatâÂÂTháp Chàm line and the Ho Chi Minh CityâÂÂLá»Âc Ninh, both of which were originally built in the 1930s, but fell into disuse after decades of war. The Ho Chi Minh CityâÂÂLoc Ninh line, along with a new Mu GiaâÂÂVung Ang line, would permit new international railway links to Cambodia and Laos, respectively.
The metric lines are able to speeds up to 140km/h (130km/h used in Taiwan metric railways), and 160km/h with pendular trains (done in New Zealand), depending on curve radius and maintenance.