China group wants to restore French-built Da Lat railway suspended since 1968

At a Wednesday meeting with chairman of the Lam Dong People's Committee Tran Hong Thai, the group said it has helped construct several railways and other traffic infrastructures in around 50 countries.

Thai said the restoration of the Da Lat-Thap Cham railway is necessary, and that the project has already been planned. Lam Dong would request departments to cooperate and give instructions on investment procedures, he added.

The Thap Cham-Da Lat railway is among the first rack railways of the world. It began construction by the French in 1908 and was completed in 1932. Since 1968, the railway stopped operating due to wartime conditions. After 1975, almost the entire railway has been demolished and salvaged.

However, certain train cars of the line were bought by Swiss businesses and renovated to carry tourists through the Alps and traverse the Furka Pass.

Now, only the Trai Mat-Da Lat section, spanning 6.7 km, is still being used to serve tourists.

In July 2022, the Ministry of Transport approved the restoration of the railway, which would eventually span 84 km with 16 stations.

Besides the Chinese group, Swiss corporation Stadler last year expressed their wish to help restore the railway as well.