Vietnam’s ability to keep the project on schedule and within budget is another significant concern. The country’s experience with metro projects in Hanoi and HCMC, where cost overruns totalled US$3.4 billion and almost doubled the initial estimates, highlights the risk of financial mismanagement.[15] It is not uncommon for projects of this magn

a passenger line with a speed of 350 km/h and a capacity of 364,000 passengers per day, when projected demand by 2050 is estimated to be only 40 per cent of that capacity.[12] There are also doubts about the cost-effectiveness of an HSR line exceeding 800 kilometres.[13] Moreover, the projected cost per kilometre for the North-South HSR is approxim

by the Ministry of Transport, the state budget would need to cover about 22 per cent of the total cost, or approximately US$16 billion. This proportion suggests that the project would not, at least on paper, exceed the government’s fiscal capability. The ongoing Long Thanh Airport project, which costs US$19 billion follows a similar financing mod