Railways suspend many trains due to low passenger numbers.

Saigon Railway Transport Joint Stock Company announced that it will temporarily suspend the operation of the Thong Nhat SE3/SE4 passenger train service between Saigon and Hanoi from November 3, 2021, due to decreased passenger demand on the North-South railway line.

In the northern region, Hanoi Railway Transport Joint Stock Company also temporarily suspended the NA1/2 train service on the Hanoi - Vinh route from November 1st. Passengers with tickets for trains SE3/SE4 and NA1/2 during the suspension period should contact the station before departure time to return their tickets free of charge.

Therefore, from November 3rd, on the North-South railway line, the railway sector will only operate two pairs of passenger trains daily: SE5/SE6 and SE7/SE8. Train SE5 departs Hanoi station at 3:20 PM and arrives at Saigon station at 5:50 AM; train SE6 departs Saigon station at 3:20 PM and arrives at Hanoi station at 5:21 AM; train SE7 departs Hanoi station at 6:00 AM and arrives at Saigon station at 8:02 PM; train SE8 departs Saigon station at 6:00 AM and arrives at Hanoi station at 7:52 PM.

According to a representative of the Vietnam Railways Corporation, after the pilot phase of reopening passenger trains, two pairs of North-South trains operate daily, usually reaching 80-90% of their capacity right from the first station on the line. The number of train passengers gradually decreased after the aviation industry increased flights and opened many routes nationwide from October 21st.

At the same time, many provinces have reopened inter-provincial road passenger transport, leading to a gradual decrease in train passenger numbers. Many passenger trains are operating at only 50% capacity, especially on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route. Transport companies have had to reduce the number of carriages.

Huyen Chau