If Vietnam successfully funds its own high-speed rail network, it could reshape how developing nations approach major infrastructure projects, says a researcher. SENDAI, Japan: On Nov 30, 2024, Vietnam’s National Assembly rubber-stamped a high-speed rail network that will traverse 20 provinces, linking Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in five and a half hours. Vietnam has announced that, in the “spirit of independence and self-reliance”, it will not use foreign loans to fund the US$67 billion project