PASSENGER TRANSPORT BUSINESS

In face with the continuous development of the national economy and the improvement of the transport market system, Vietnam Railways has managed and succeeded in the railway passenger traffic.

Under the management of VNR there are two passenger railway transport companies which are located in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city and operate all the passenger services on trains, not only domestic but also international trains, as well as at stations.

In passenger service operation, VNR has managed successfully and co-operated with other investors in several fields as follows:
- Producing and supplying pre-processed 8 foods and refined bottled water to passengers on trains;
- Supplying facilities for passengers such as trolleys, plastic cups, ticket covers, etc.;
- Developing the ticket selling system from which passengers can buy ticket easily via internet and/or through several railways ticket agencies;
- Supplying several varied passenger coaches (e.g. Air-conditioned soft seat, air-conditioned soft/hard berth coaches…) and varied services to customers;
- Supplying information to customers via website of VNR on timetables, fares, train schedules etc.;
- Repairing and improving passenger coaches for joint ventures in operating (Victoria Express, Ratraco, Tulico…); - Improving interior of passenger coaches for train sets (5 Star Express train on Saigon - Nha Trang - Saigon line); - Supplying Rail-TV on express trains on the north-south line.

Besides operating trains for business, VNR has also managed and operated trains on line as public service obligations to serve all public passengers not accounting to its profit.

VNR has also continuously improved services to meet the customer's need and made remarkable progress in railway passenger operation, which is presented by sustained growth of the traffic volume. The passenger turnover keeps increasing 5% - 6% annually.

Types of passenger trains

Vietnam Railway Corporation is using these types of passenger train:
- International passenger train
- High-speed passenger train
- Regular passenger trains and mixed passenger train.

Passenger train couples on the whole railway network

North - South passenger trains:
These trains run everyday on Ha Noi - Ho Chi Minh city railway line:
- A couple of SE1/SE2 (34 hours and 40 minutes) express passenger trains stop at Hà Nội, Nam Định, Thanh Hóa, Vinh, Đồng Hới, Đông Hà, Huế, Lăng Cô, Đà Nẵng, Tam Kỳ, Quảng Ngãi, Diêu Trì, Tuy Hòa, Nha Trang, Tháp Chàm, Mương Mán, Sài Gòn.
- A couple of SE3/SE4 (29 hours and 30 minutes) express passenger trains stop at Hà Nội, Vinh, Đồng Hới, Huế, Đà Nẵng, Diêu Trì, Nha Trang, Sài Gòn.
- A couple of SE5/SE6 (32 hours) express passenger trains stop at Hà Nội, Phủ Lý, Nam Định, Ninh Bình, Thanh Hoá, Vinh, Đồng Hới, Huế, Đà Nẵng, Quảng Ngãi, Diêu Trì, Nha Trang, Tháp Chàm, Mương Mán, Biên Hòa, Sài Gòn.
- 2 couples of TN1/TN2 (40 hours and 50 minutes) and TN3/TN4 (40 hours and 45 minutes)
- 2 couples of TN5/TN6 (40 hours and 10 minutes) and TN7/TN8 (40 hours and 25 minutes) (Running when ordered)

Regional passenger trains

Yen Vien - Ha Long railway line
A couple of 2057/2058 standard trains run everyday from Yen Vien to Ha Long and vice versa.

Ha Noi - Hai Phong railway line
Five couples of trains run everyday, of which a couple of HP1/HP2 trains run from Ha Noi to Hai Phong and vice versa, three couples of trains run from Long Bien to Hai Phong and vice versa, a couple of trains run from Gia Lam to Hai Phong and vice versa.

Ha Noi - Lao Cai railway line
There are 5 couples of trains, including:
- 4 couples of through express trains from Ha Noi to Lao Cai and vice versa (SP1/SP2, SP3/SP4, LC1/LC2, LC3/LC4). LC1 from Ha Noi on Friday and Sunday and LC4 from Lao Cai on Saturday and Monday every week are added international cars to Kunming and vice versa
- A couple of express train from Ha Noi - Long Bien - Yen Bai and vice versa (YB1/YB2)
Every week, LC1 from Ha Noi on Friday and Sunday and LC4 from Lao Cai on Saturday and Monday are added international cars to Kunming and vice versa
- 2 couples of through express trains (LC5/LC6, LC7/LC8) at weekends
- 2 couples of through passenger trains (LC9/LC10, SP5/SP6) at summer and Tet holidays

Ha Noi - Dong Dang railway line
3 couples of trains run everyday, including a couple of DD3/4 trains run from Ha Noi station to Dong Dang station and vice versa, a couple of M1/2 international trains run from Ha Noi station on Tuesday, Friday to Beijing and from Beijing to Ha Noi on Wednesday, Sunday and a couple of HD3/4 train run from Gia Lam station to Dong Dang station and vice versa.

Ha Noi - Quan Trieu railway line
A couple of T91/92 trains run from Long Bien station to Quan Trieu station and vice versa.

Ha Noi - Thanh Hoa - Vinh railway line
3 couples of trains run everyday, of which 2 couples of NA1/NA2, NA3/NA4 trains run from Ha Noi station to Vinh station and vice versa, a couple of TH1/2 trains run from Giap Bat station to Thanh Hoa station and vice versa.

Vinh - Dong Hoi railway line
A couple of VĐ31/VĐ32 trains run everyday from station to Dong Hoi station.

Hue - Dong Hoi railway line
A couple of ĐH 41/ĐH42 trains run everyday from Hue station to Dong Hoi station and vice versa

Vinh - Quy Nhon railway line
A couple of VQ1/VQ2 trains run everyday from Vinh station to Quy Nhon station and vice versa

Passenger transport

Types of selling ticket
Fare, fare rate, train schedule, transport conditions, time for selling ticket and receiving parcels are posted in train waiting rooms and ticket windows of every station.
Every station sells tickets through telephone and ticket agents before the train depart

Types of ticket and seat
Vietnam Railway Corporation has these types of tickets: international passenger tickets, North - South passenger tickets, tickets for foreigners, collective tickets, local passenger tickets, baggage tickets, second tickets, seeing-off tickets.
These are types of seat in passenger trains:
- Seat: Hard seat and soft seat
-Berth: Hard berth and soft berth

The regulations of traveling by train
Passengers must have regular ticket and obey strictly to the regulations of travelling by train.
Passengers must use ticket in specific date and train as well as sit in specific car and seat number.

Valueless tickets
These kinds of ticket are not valid : Unread tickets, erased tickets without the confirmation of the railway sector. Besides, tickets which are used not in specific train number and date also valueless.

Cases of ticket exemption and fare reduction
- With children under five: One-seat ticket is used for an adult and a child under five.
- With children from five to ten: They must be accompanied by adult and buy ticket with half-fare reduction.
- The fare of collective ticket for more than 50 passengers is reduced 10%.
- The fare of collective ticket for 20-40 foreign passengers is reduced 10%, the percentage is 15 when passengers are more than 41.

Passengers go up and down
-Passengers can go down at a halt but they are not refunded on the unused portion of their itinerary.
-Passengers can go down at a halt and continue traveling in other train in case of unexpected illness but they must inform the station of their situation.
- With passengers using collective ticket: They can go down at a halt in case they negotiated in advance with the station and their request was accepted.

Giving ticket back
The time for giving ticket back is regulated as follow:
- With regional and mixed passenger trains: before the train departs.
- With express and super-express trains: 4 hours before the train departs.
- With collective tickets: 12 hours before the train departs.

Exchanging ticket
In case passengers can not use ticket in specific date and train, they can exchange ticket basing on these following conditions:
- With express and super-express train: 24 hours before the train departs.
- With regional and mixed passenger train: before the train departs.
When passengers give ticket back, they must pay handling charge and their money is subtracted 10%.

Hand-baggage
The weight of hand-baggage is exempt from fare basing on these following regulations:
- 20 kg for a passenger ticket
- 10 kg for a half of passenger ticket

Prohibited goods
- Dangerous materials such as explosive, toxic product, radioactive substance, weapon, etc (except passengers have using licence).
- Death body, dirty materials.
- The goods which are prohibited from circulating by the State.
- Alive animals (except dog, cat, bird, golden fish but they must be kept carefully).
- The bulky goods which prevent people from walking and damage equipment in the car.

Refused cases
Vietnam Railway Corporation refuses or suspends transport in these following cases:
-Passengers who don't obey to the regulations of travelling by train.
-Drunk passengers, mad passengers, passengers who have contagious disease or other disease which is dangerous for them as well as other passengers.

Hiring car and train
Passengers can hire train or car but they must give their requirement in advance basing on these regulations: The types of car; the number of cars, passengers and baggage; departure station, arrival station, stopping station (if having); the date and time of using (if hiring train).
Hirer must pay all the money as soon as the transport contract has been signed. If the contract is cancelled; besides 10%-subtracted money, hirer must pay other handling charge.

Contact address:

Hanoi Railway Passenger Transport Company
Address: 120 Le Duan Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Tel: 184-4-9421117
Fax: 84-4-8224736

Saigon Railway Passenger Transport Company
Address: 136 Ham Nghi Street, District No 01, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: 84-8-8290198
Fax: 84-8-8225722

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