HCMC – Passenger train services could not be resumed from today, October 7, as planned, as many provinces have yet to give their feedback on a draft plan on the resumption.
Dang Sy Manh, deputy general director of Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR), said a pair of passenger trains on the Hanoi-HCMC route and another pair on the Hanoi-Haiphong route were expected to restart first, the local media reported.
The Ministry of Transport had asked the Vietnam Railway Authority to consult with 20 cities and provinces over the resumption of passenger train services.
However, only two or three localities have given their comments while the deadline was 5 p.m. on October 5.
VNR is prepared to resume the services but must wait for the opinions of local authorities. As the North-South rail route passes through 39 stations, services cannot resume if there is no consensus among the cities and provinces concerned, Manh said.
According to Vu Quang Khoi, head of the Vietnam Railway Authority, since August, all scheduled passenger train services have been suspended as many localities have been enforcing the stay-at-home mandates due to the spread of the pandemic.
To gradually resume passenger train services, the authority coordinated with VNR to come up with a resumption plan.
The authority asked VNR to work with the local Departments of Transport to connect road and rail transport services. Getting VNR’s trains back to service must meet safety rules while adapting to the pandemic.
At stations, passenger pick-up and drop-off services must be allowed by the local governments and anti-pandemic measures must be ensured.
