Railway Industry: Change to "attract" customers

It is this mindset of closely following market needs that has contributed to changing the face of the Railway industry, which has long been "nailed" as stagnant and backward.

Art performance on the "Central Heritage" train connecting Hue - Da Nang . *Photo: Luu Huong*

From tourist trains to high quality trains

On the evening of July 1, 2025, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Binh (Vinh Hung Ward, Hanoi) went to the online ticket sales website of Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) to buy tickets to experience the Hoa Phuong Do tourist train, Hanoi - Hai Phong route for the whole family of 4 to travel on the weekend (July 5, 2025). However, all VIP cars with 34 seats designed in Indochina style of trains HP1, LP3, LP5 (price 350,000 VND/ticket) were sold out, only soft air-conditioned seats that can rotate 180 degrees with the price of 180,000 VND/ticket remained.

“Many passengers shared impressive photos of the VIP train with an interior and design space that is completely different from other trains. The train has free wifi, a bar serving free drinks of your choice and a seating system that can rotate 180 degrees so passengers can comfortably enjoy the scenery or socialize, so we definitely had to “hunt” for tickets to experience it,” said Ms. Nguyen Thanh Binh.

Director of Hai Phong Railway Transport Branch Tran Van Hanh said that the Hoa Phuong Do tourist train, coordinated by VNR and Hai Phong City People's Committee, was officially launched on May 10, 2025. These specialized tourist trains attract customers because they create their own identity, plus a large number of passengers from Hanoi, especially young people, enjoy going to Hai Phong to experience the "food tour". In just 21 days (from the opening date to May 31, 2025), the train has made 176 trips, transported nearly 90,000 passengers, and earned nearly 9 billion VND in revenue. The passenger output of the Hoa Phuong Do train in particular and passenger trains on the Hanoi - Hai Phong route in general is still growing well.

Not only Hoa Phuong Do, in recent times, the Railway industry has continuously put into operation tourist-cultural trains associated with unique destinations, creating positive effects for domestic and international tourists. A typical example is the "Central Heritage" train route connecting Hue - Da Nang. On the train, tourists can enjoy folk music, Central specialties, and admire the route through Hai Van Pass, known as "the most majestic pass".

From April 2024, the short train route from Da Lat to Trai Mat named "Da Lat Night Journey" about 7km long, which is a cog railway section left over from the French colonial period, has also been invested in, renovated and put into operation with nostalgic carriages, passengers can enjoy folk music, drink artichoke tea... Thanks to that, the revenue of this route has nearly doubled compared to before...

Specialized tourist trains, high-quality trains along with regular passenger train routes that are often fully booked, especially on weekends, holidays and Tet, have contributed to the strong growth of the railway industry's passenger output. In 2024, the passenger output will reach more than 7 million, an increase of 14% compared to 2023. In the first 6 months of 2025, the passenger output will reach more than 3.7 million...

Trains on the Hanoi - Hai Phong route are always crowded on weekends. *Photo: Ta Hai*

Changing business thinking to align with the market

For decades, when air and road transport have developed strongly, railways have been positioned as the main means of transport for low-income people, pupils and students. Old, outdated train cars, with unsanitary conditions that even dump waste directly onto the tracks, have become a nightmare for many passengers.

Seeing the limitations clearly, not complaining about difficulties, not blaming the mechanism, the officers and employees of the Railway industry have been changing their business mindset, closely following market needs, taking advantage of the industry's existing advantages to attract passengers.

With the goal of continuously improving service quality, in recent times, the Railway industry has applied a series of solutions such as: Diversifying ticket sales methods, applying ticket discount policies during off-peak periods; investing in upgrading and renovating train cars to launch high-quality trains; implementing renovation and upgrading of stations...

VNR also “joins hands” with localities with tourism potential to design specialized trains, bringing unique cultural and tourism experiences, contributing to enriching local tourism products. Some trains also stop at tourist attractions for tourists to check-in, take souvenir photos, etc. Localities actively take charge of communication, standardize accommodation and food services at reasonable prices, and ensure security and safety for passengers, etc.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Railway Transport Joint Stock Company Do Van Hoan said that the recent railway transport business policy is very flexible, with many types of ticket prices according to seat position, by day, monthly ticket, group ticket, etc. The quality of service and equipment on the train and at the station has been improved a lot compared to before, so it is increasingly attracting passengers.

“VNR is aiming to develop transport products that are not only destinations, but also train experiences and travel experiences to promote the image of the country. The train can become a mobile check-in point, the station is a destination for culture and heritage... Railways wants to become a connecting service, participating in the supply chain of tourism products, contributing to the economic, cultural and social development of regions and localities,” said VNR General Director Hoang Gia Khanh.

Recently, the Lonely Planet travel guide ranked Vietnam's Reunification Railway at the top of the list of the 24 best train journeys in the world in 2025. This is the motivation for the Railway industry to continue to strive to improve service quality and attract passengers.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nganh-duong-sat-thay-doi-de-hut-khach-707863.html