Ticket prices for the popular Hanoi-Lao Cai train route have just been significantly reduced to encourage rail travel in the run up to Tet.
Starting December 1, Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) will reduce the prices by 3% to 25%. The cheapest ticket will be VND145,000, and the most expensive VND450,000.
More trains with about 12,000 seats will serve the north-south routes on the days around Tet. More seats will also assigned for routes from HCMC and Hanoi to neighbouring provinces.
Since early this year, VNR has continued lowering ticket prices, aiming to attract more passengers and to make trains become a more common form of transport. This is also a move to compete with the airlines. The railway sector has been making an effort to upgrade their infrastructure, equipment and management. Services are also set to be improved to win back passengers' trust and to further develop the sector.
In July, the minister of transport made several adjustments to key positions in the railway sector after receiving many complaints. He strongly criticised the sector for its disorganisation and vowed to take drastic measures to improve it.
