The delegation took part in the exhibition on September 22, meeting with leading European and international railway corporations to learn about their experience and technological solutions. These included Deutsche Bahn (DB), Siemens Mobility, Alstom, SNCF International, Vossloh, CRRC, Skoda, and infrastructure, signalling, and railway technology providers such as Ericsson and PORR.
Photo: The Ministry of Construction
During the working sessions, the delegation focused on learning about international experiences in research, investment, construction, and operation of high-speed railways; experiences in technology selection and system configuration; project management; cost and schedule management; technical and safety standards; as well as models for operation, maintenance, and asset management throughout the entire project lifecycle.
Regarding the field of vehicles and technical systems, the delegation explored modern high-speed train generations, electrification solutions, information and signaling systems, train operation control according to European standards, control centres, depots, and predictive maintenance technology.
For infrastructure, the delegation was interested in high-speed rail technology, ballastless rail, recording systems, rail couplings, as well as automated inspection and maintenance solutions.
Businesses also shared experiences on organising and operating high-speed railways, managing infrastructure, train scheduling, safety management, developing supporting industries, and training engineers and experts for operation and maintenance.
According to Deputy Minister Bui Xuan Dung, directly engaging with corporations that are developing, supplying, and operating advanced high-speed rail systems worldwide at InnoTrans is a practical opportunity for Vietnam to gain multifaceted access to technological options, management models, and project implementation experiences.
“This is an important source of information in the context of Vietnam’s preparations for the North-South high-speed railway project, especially for the preparation of the feasibility study report, research on technology selection experience, and development of project implementation plans,” he said.
During discussions with businesses at InnoTrans, Deputy Minister Bui Xuan Dung explained that Vietnam welcomes and hopes that leading global railway industry corporations will participate and cooperate in the development of Vietnam’s railway system, including the North-South high-speed railway project.
The deputy minister added that cooperation with international partners must aim for long-term objectives – linked to technology transfer, human resource training, and the enhancement of domestic capabilities – rather than being limited to the mere provision of equipment, vehicles, or services. Vietnam attaches particular importance to technology transfer capabilities when researching and considering options for high-speed railway development cooperation.
Photo: The Ministry of Construction
He urged enterprises to study specific and feasible technology transfer plans aligned with Vietnam’s capabilities and absorption roadmap; at the same time, they should strengthen workforce training and knowledge transfer, support Vietnamese enterprises in joining the supply chain, and gradually build capacity for the manufacturing, assembly, operation, and maintenance of modern railway systems.
The long-term goal is that, through the implementation of major projects, Vietnam will gradually establish a domestic railway industry and build a workforce of engineers, experts, and managers capable of adopting, operating, and progressively mastering the technology, thereby ensuring self-reliance and sustainable efficiency throughout the system’s lifecycle.
Bui Xuan Dung also urged enterprises to continue discussions with specialised agencies, project owners, railway companies, and training institutions in Vietnam to identify areas for immediate cooperation, as well as to develop long-term cooperation programmes aligned with the development of Vietnam’s railway system.
Within the InnoTrans 2026, the Vietnamese delegation met with Deutsche Bahn – Germany’s national railway company – and witnessed the signing of an MoU between DB and the Vietnamese-German University on railway workforce training and development.
Photo: The Ministry of Construction
Highly commending the cooperation initiative between Deutsche Bahn and the Vietnamese-German University, the deputy minister said that in the coming years, Vietnam will implement several major railway projects, including the North-South high-speed railway, international railway connections, and urban railway systems. Alongside investment resources and technology, early preparation of a highly qualified workforce – comprising engineers, experts, managers, and operations and maintenance personnel – must be carried out in a synchronised manner right from the project preparation stage.
InnoTrans, held every two years in Berlin, Germany, is the leading international exhibition on transport technology, bringing together regulatory bodies, operators, manufacturers, research organisations, and technology companies.
InnoTrans 2026 attracted more than 3,100 exhibitors from 59 countries. With the presence of major businesses in the global railway value chain, InnoTrans is a crucial forum for countries, operators, and businesses to directly access the latest technological trends in vehicles, infrastructure, electrification, information and signalling, train control, operational management, maintenance, digitalisation, and automation.