Vietnam’s Hateco Group and APM Terminals, a unit of A.P. Moller – Maersk, are evaluating four rail freight locations in northern Vietnam as they seek to connect industrial areas with seaports.
The companies signed a memorandum of understanding in Copenhagen on Oct. 20, the Vietnamese government said. Their study centers on a proposed station in Hai Phong equipped for cargo handling and container storage. Three other northern locations are under consideration. Reuters reported that the memorandum is nonbinding.
The government said the proposed network would carry freight between manufacturing and logistics areas and seaports. It expects the links to ease pressure on roads if the project proceeds. For now, the agreement calls for further research and investment proposals.
The government’s preliminary estimate for projects the partners plan was about $3.5 billion, with no amount assigned to rail. Reuters reported that Maersk put the partners’ total investment in Vietnam at $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion after the new plan. That range covers their wider Vietnam activity, rather than a construction budget for the proposed stations.
The partnership already has a presence in Hai Phong. APM Terminals and Hateco held the grand opening of Hateco Haiphong International Container Terminal in April 2025. APM Terminals says the port had begun operating earlier that year.
The partners also agreed in April 2026 to develop Lien Chieu Container Port in Da Nang. Estimated investment in that separate project exceeds $1.7 billion, and APM Terminals aims to start operations in early 2029. That operating target applies to the Da Nang port.
For the northern rail proposal, the partners’ next stated work is to examine the locations and prepare investment proposals. The government gave no date for a final investment decision or a construction timetable for the rail sites.
