First freight train safely passes through S. Korean ODA-funded tunnel in north-central Vietnam
The first freight train has safely passed through Khe Net Railway Tunnel in Quang Tri Province, north-central Vietnam, marking the start of a six-day trial operation before the tunnel, financed by South Korea’s official development assistance (ODA) loans, officially enters service on Vietnam’s North-South railway line.
A freight train was selected for the first test run to ensure the safety of people and equipment while assessing the tunnel’s load-bearing capacity, the Vinh Railway Signalling Telecom branch under Dong Le Railway Signalling Telecom Enterprise said on Monday morning.
According to the operator, the test train travelled at 5 kph before gradually increasing its speed to 15 kph.
Once the tunnel is officially put into service, trains are expected to travel through the area at up to 60 kph, reducing the travel time through the Khe Net area to about 10 minutes.
Although classified as a trial run, the operating train through the tunnel effectively marked the introduction of a new section of railway.
As the new route consists of a single track, railway authorities are conducting test runs in accordance with safety procedures before increasing operating speeds.
Khe Net Railway Tunnel is now connected to the North-South railway line.
Trains travelling through the area will no longer have to use the old railway route across Khe Net Pass, with numerous sharp curves.
The tunnel was part of the Khe Net Pass railway improvement project, which got off the ground in March 2024.
The project was jointly implemented by the former Ministry of Transport, which emerged into the Ministry of Construction in March 2025, the former Quang Binh Province, which is now part of Quang Tri Province, and the Economic Development Cooperation Fund established by the government of South Korea.
The project was designed to remove a major bottleneck at Khe Net Pass on the North-South railway line.
The project carried a price tag of more than VND2 trillion (US$76.8 million).
It was Vietnam’s first railway project to use ODA loans from the South Korean fund and reciprocal capital from the Vietnamese government.
Khe Net Pass stretches for more than 10 kilometers.
The old railway route running though the pass contained 43 dangerous curves, forcing trains to travel at speeds of less than 30 kph and taking about an hour to pass through the area.
Tieu Bac - Hoang Tao / Tuoi Tre News