The Vietnam Railway Department (VRD) is working on a US$200-million plan to build a time-saving railway tunnel through the Hai Van Pass in central Vietnam, Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper reported Saturday. 
The tunnel is projected to be 10km long and wide enough for duel tracks with width of 1.425m, the newspaper quoted the Zone 2 Railroad Infrastructure Management Board in Danang as saying.

When completed, the tunnel will help ensure safety for trains traversing the treacherous Hai Van pass, and at the same time enhance the transportation capacity of the north-south railway.

The tunnel will serve to cut transport times on the lengthy north-south route by a full two hours.

The Hai Van Pass, which connects Danang city and Thua Thien-Hue province, has long been considered a bottleneck for north-south trains, hindering transportation because of high mountains and deep valleys.

Source: Sai Gon Giai Phong – Translated by Thu Thuy