From May 25th, passenger train services between Hanoi and Beijing will resume after a 5-year hiatus.

On the afternoon of May 22nd, Vietnam Railways Corporation announced that from May 25th, the Vietnam-China international passenger train service will officially resume operations after a 5-year suspension due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Related articles

Wedding procession on Metro Line 1.

Da Nang releases doves to welcome the "Reunification Train" to commemorate the April 30th holiday.

Accordingly, there will be two trains, numbered MR1 and MR2, departing daily from Gia Lam station (Hanoi) to Nanning station (China) and vice versa.

Train MR1 will depart from Gia Lam station at 21:20 and arrive at Nanning station at 10:06 the following day. In the opposite direction, train MR2 will depart from Nanning station at 18:05 and arrive at Gia Lam station at 5:30 the following day. Passengers will complete immigration procedures at Dong Dang station - Lang Son (Vietnam) and Bang Tuong station - Guangxi (China).

Specifically, starting May 27th, the railway sectors of both countries will operate direct trains from Gia Lam Station (Hanoi) to Beijing Station (China) and vice versa. Trains will depart from Gia Lam Station at 9:20 PM every Tuesday and Friday, arriving at Beijing West Station every Thursday and Sunday. Passengers can purchase tickets for onward travel to a third country at international transit stations within China.

In Vietnam, in addition to selling tickets to international railway stations in China, Vietnam Railways Corporation also sells tickets for domestic routes from Gia Lam station to Bac Giang and Dong Dang stations and vice versa. Passengers can purchase tickets to continue their journey to a third country by train at international railway stations in China.

Regarding ticket prices, the Hanoi – Nanning route costs approximately 1,000,000 VND/ticket/one-way, and the Hanoi – Beijing route costs approximately 9,378,000 VND/ticket/one-way. Notably, children under 4 years old travel free, children aged 4 to 12 years old receive a 50% discount (one child per adult), and groups of 6 or more receive a 25% discount.

Currently, Vietnam Railways Corporation sells international train tickets directly at the following stations: Hanoi, Gia Lam, Bac Giang, and Dong Dang.

Restoring international passenger train services between Vietnam and China aims to strengthen economic cooperation, improve the efficiency of railway infrastructure utilization, and expand opportunities to attract international tourists by train. This will contribute to promoting bilateral trade, tourism development, cultural exchange, people-to-people exchanges, and provide more safe, convenient, economical, and environmentally friendly transportation options for the people of Vietnam and China.

Currently, international train travel between the two countries is increasingly convenient and fast, with immigration procedures carried out directly at international railway stations. Passengers traveling by international train from Vietnam to Nanning (China) can easily continue their journey by high-speed train to all destinations in China, thanks to the extensive high-speed train network.

The operation of international passenger trains between Vietnam and China is based on the Vietnam-China Border Railway Agreement signed in 1992. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam Railways Corporation and China Railways operated daily international passenger trains between Hanoi and Nanning. The two railways expect a significant increase in passenger numbers after the resumption of this service, due to the recent trend of rail travel among the people of both countries and international tourists.

In the coming period, the railways of both countries will monitor passenger density to consider adjusting train frequencies accordingly.

Khanh Linh