When I was researching for the map of current and proposed railways of Southeast Asia I uncovered some future railways that seemed too good to be true. Since the map has been published I’ve discovered other lines that weren’t included. One of those lines not included is the proposed Hanoi - Chiang Mai railway, via Luang Prabang.

I couldn’t find the original source for this, but it’s probably a Chinese railway company trying to conjure up some future projects. I love all three of those cities, so I would happily spend my time shuttling between them by rail.

For no other reason apart from the fact that I want to help manifest this ridiculous proposal, I have made a resource page for this project

While a Hanoi-Chiang Mai railway msy never happen in anyone’s grandchildren’s lifetime, remember that 10 years ago it would have seemed improbable that the China-Laos railway would ever be built.

The China-Laos Railway is scheduled to open in December this year, and news reports are saying that Laos is looking to start a railway connection to Vietnam in December. A new railway announcement might come after the China-Laos railway is open, as it would make sense to connect the new railway in Vientiane to a port in Vietnam. And if the China-Laos railway is a success then who knows, maybe all or parts of the Hanoi-Chiang Mai railway could become a reality.

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Hanoi – Chiang Mai Railway

The Hanoi – Chiang Mai Railway is an unofficially proposed railway that would connect Hanoi (Vietnam) to Chiang Mai (Thailand), via Luang Prabang (Laos).

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Hanoi to Chiang Mai by rail