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Vietnam Railways Corporation has just decided to temporarily stop running train SE8 from Saigon station to the North from August 23; in the opposite direction, train SE7 will stop running at Hanoi station from August 25 until further notice. After the SE7/SE8 train pair is temporarily stopped, the entire national railway network will no longer have passenger trains, only freight trains will operate.
According to railway leaders, the suspension of the above trains is due to the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, the number of passengers has decreased sharply. Many stations on the North-South railway line have been closed to prevent the epidemic such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang..., so even if they are still operating, passengers cannot board the train.
Passengers who have purchased tickets for trains SE7 and SE8 will be able to return and reserve their tickets. They can return their tickets online or at the station (for localities that do not implement social distancing). In case passengers cannot go to the station to return their tickets due to local travel restrictions, they can return their tickets after the train runs according to regulations.
Previously, the railway industry had reduced passenger train operations on many routes since the end of May, maintaining only a pair of SE7/SE8 trains on the North-South route until now. Currently, the industry only operates specialized trains to bring people home according to the needs of the localities.
In July and August 2021, Vietnam Railways Corporation organized five specialized trains to bring nearly 2,500 citizens of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien-Hue provinces from Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces back to their hometowns safely.
