HCMC – The Vietnam Railway Authority has written to provinces and cities asking them to give their feedback on a draft plan to resume passenger train services from October 7.
In late August, passenger train services on all routes were suspended due to the complicated development of the Covid pandemic, said Vu Quang Khoi, head of the authority.
To gradually resume passenger train services, the authority has worked with the Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR) to map out a draft plan for the resumption, the local media reported.
On the Hanoi-HCMC route, the SE7 and SE8 trains will re-operate from October 7, while the SE5 and SE6 trains will resume the next day. The SE3 and SE4 trains might resume from October 18.
Two pairs of passenger trains on the Hanoi-Haiphong route, namely SP5/6 and LP33/8, might resume from October 8 and 18, respectively, while another pair, HP2/LP7, will re-operate on the weekends. Besides, the pair of trains, NA1/2, on the Hanoi-Vinh route could resume from October 8.
The Danang-HCMC route will restart on October 15, while the Nha Trang-HCMC and Phan Thiet-HCMC routes might resume from November 1.
From December 1 onward, all regular pairs of passenger trains might resume, while the railway sector will add some train services on the HCMC-Nha Trang and the HCMC-Phan Thiet routes if necessary.
The authority asked VNR to work with the provincial and municipal departments of Transport to ensure that railway passenger transport services can resume in a safe and effective manner.
