The rail line, which will link the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City to the capital Hanoi, is expected to cost $67 billion.

Vietnam has approved the construction of a high-speed railway connecting the capital Hanoi in the north with the financial capital of Ho Chi Minh in the south

AirAsia has expanded its reach in Vietnam, launching a new direct route from Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia to Ho Chi Minh City.

The railway, which will stretch more than 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from the capital in the north to the country's business hub in the south, will reduce the current journey time by rail from 30 hours to around five.

Vietnam has approved the construction of a high-speed railway connecting the capital Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh city in the south at an estimated cost of $67 billion.

Vietnam is going ahead with a multi-billion-dollar high-speed rail line that will link around 20 destinations and span over 957 miles, the country's federal parliament confirmed on Saturday.

The 15th National Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution on the investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway project with 443 out of 454 deputies voting in favor.