Comments on: Vietnam Looks to Fund $56 Billion High-Speed System Between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

By: Nguyen

Nguyen — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:12:32 +0000

This is a great news for prosperity of Vietnam in the future, with a condition that finance and budgeting is somehow cleared. From a technological perspective, Shinkansen is far more superior compared to ICE or TGV, and would provide a stable and accident free operational infrastructure for Vietnam. It’s the only system in the world that allows operating average speed of 350 kmph or better even on a curved lines with 5-minute intervals between the trains. Not to mention the low energy consumption and greater axle load capacity per net power. Lot more people can be transferred with Shinkansen system per hour than with TGV.
Technicality aside, Shinkansen would provide increased traffic between Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi and boost the economy and vitality of these cities significantly, without resorting to pollution inducing industrialization.

By: Dean

Dean — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:34:15 +0000

It would be somewhat ironic that a country which was blown into the stone age not so long ago will have better railways than the country which did the above.

By: Deacon

Deacon — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:50:41 +0000

Vietnam is planning this what does Burma have to do with it? Do they have a plan?

“…the electorate which considers such projects a waste of Their Money…”

Thats where they get it wrong, It’s not THEIR money, we pay their salaries. It’s our money that we give to them, through our screwed tax system, in the hopes of them improving our standard of living by way of investment in Better Infrastructure for one. Public Works Projects. Just another way of stimulating the economy.

As we clearly see now, the electorate in general doesn’t want to do anything that resembles a long term investment because that would mean initiative and accountability would be a requirement.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:44:31 +0000

What does Burma have to do with anything?

By: jon

jon — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:12:59 +0000

sadly theyll probably have it before the US

By: Jarrett at HumanTransit.org

Jarrett at HumanTransit.org — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:20:05 +0000

Note by the way that the initial Delhi Metro was funded in part by Japanese aid, which went directly to Japanese companies to design and build the project. Signs expressing official gratitude to the Japanese government can be found in some Delhi Metro stations.

By: EngineerScotty

EngineerScotty — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:19:55 +0000

Busy kissing the posteriors of Big Oil, perhaps? :)

It’s fair to point out that countries like Burma, Vietnam, and China don’t have the same political pressures being applied to them that the US government faces; where there is a significant port of the electorate which considers such projects a waste of Their Money. (And indeed, governments around the world routinely squander money on poorly-hatched ideas and/or outright self-dealing; though the same is true for private concerns).

By: Ned

Ned — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:56:50 +0000

Vietnam most likely selected Shinkansen technology because Japan is the countries largest donor. Construction would actually be a boon to Japanese contractors who would probably get the lion share of work.

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:35:51 +0000

If countries like Burma are willing to make the investment, why are we so hesitant? Every time I read one of these posts I wonder where the heads of our elected officials are.