Future Southeast Asia News #269

Connecting Vietnam's high-speed railway stations with urban rail transit, Java sea wall, trying to revive Forest City, new Chonburi city dubbed “Bangkok 2”, Ho Chi Minh City plans 1,000km metro network

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James Clark
June 11, 2025

The Future Southeast Asia Newsletter features transport and urban development news in Southeast Asia, edited by James Clark.

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Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are planning to build metro lines to their high-speed railway stations, and Da Nang has proposed a rail connection. Here are some other cities on the high-speed rail route that should also consider a rail link.

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News

🇰🇭 Cambodia

🇮🇩 Indonesia

🇱🇦 Laos

🇲🇾 Malaysia

"Plans are underway to transform the Forest City project in Johor, and current developments could work in its favour. Will they be enough? The programme Insight looks at the prospects for what was once billed as a “living paradise”."

"The reclaimed island will also be connected to the second bridge and Penang airport via an elevated highway."

 🇵🇭 Philippines

"The Philippines can rise to become the 14th largest economy in the world by 2075, according to Goldman Sachs. But to realize this, we must urgently address challenges such as corruption toward good governance; criminality toward better peace and order; climate change toward protecting and enhancing our environment; and other challenges."

🇸🇬 Singapore

"Construction will be undertaken by a joint venture between Japanese firm Penta-Ocean Construction and a subsidiary of Koh Brothers Eco Engineering."

🇹🇭 Thailand

"the government has designated 14,619 rai (approx. 2,340 hectares) in Huai Yai subdistrict, Banglamung district, Chonburi for the construction of a new city under the EEC initiative — widely referred to as “Bangkok 2.”"

🇻🇳 Vietnam

"The city will break ground on Metro Line 2’s Xuân Đỉnh depot in October and start Line 5 construction within the year."

"A Vietnam-US investment group has offered to fund a $100 billion railway without state aid, including six months of free rides."

"Vietnam has an ambitious plan for the building of infrastructure. But it needs to be mindful of significant risks such as corruption and subpar construction quality."

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