Report on Train ride South - North Vietnam on Feb 2016

Situation: I took the train to go back to my hometown for Lunar New Year holiday. Since it’s the biggest, longest holiday of the country so the commuting demand is very high. That is the reason people have to book the tickets long time in advance to be able to go back.

I booked ticket online on website dsvn.vn on Dec 6, 2015.
The ticket was 1,266,000 VND soft seat mode for one person.
It can be purchased directly at train station or via bank transfer.
I selected SE4 train – the current fastest train.

It took 30 hours to ride from Sai Gon to Nam Dinh, from 10pm of Feb 7, 2016 until 4am of Feb 9, 2016. Note that Feb 8, 2016 was the first day of the Lunar New Year; so I was on the train in the most emphasis time of the year.

Each passenger can carry 20kg luggage if they buy full ticket (probably imply long journey/distance ticket) but no one check the weight of luggage so far.

Each passenger can include one child aged under 6 years old or height is under 1.12m, from 2nd child, same price with 6-10 y/o children. Children 6-10 years old or height is under 1.32m can get discount 50%.
Because of it, there were a couple of husband and wife brought their two sons with them, and the husband sit on a plastic chair to leave the seat for his sons.

Around 10:19 the train passed by a bridge on a river. Then passed by Thu Duc district

On the train, there are shelf/rack for people put their luggages. There are hangers for shirts, bags, helmets. There are electric sockets for recharging phones, tablets. At the back of each chair has a foldable table go with the chair for people to put their food & drink. The chairs in the carriage are arranged oppositely with one table in the middle. I was at seat no.5 and from Ho Chi Minh city to Da Nang, I was facing same direction of the moving direction, from Da Nang to Nam Dinh, I was facing opposite direction of the moving direction.

10:33pm food trolley passed by to sell boiled eggs: 6000 VND for one piece of boiled industrial chicken egg and 8000 VND for one piece of boiled balut.

We passed by Amber Court building around 10:44 pm and arrived at Bien Hoa station, Dong Nai by 10:47 pm.
10:50 pm, train conductor gave free wet tissue and bread for passengers.
11pm onward, train passed by many dragon fruits gardens/farms. All those farms were lighten up for the tree make the fruits faster.

There are 12 coaches and I was at coach no. 1. It was cold in the train and luckily, coach no. 1 is less cold the most.

I felt asleep on the train and by 1:30am of Feb 8, a group of train attendants give each (paying) passenger 50,000 VND for “happy new age”. (Paying passenger mean the children who didn’t have to pay the tickets – didn’t get the money). All train attendants I’ve met in the whole ride were male. All train attendants were in blue uniforms with cravat, hat, name badge. There were some female staffs, but mostly work in the kitchen/canteen/F&B. I have good impressions with the train staffs, they’re trying to make good services for people.

1:45am one train attendant went to turn off all the lights. The train continued to pass by lots dragon fruit farms with lights lighten up. At night, many people just laid down a cover to sleep on the floor of the train, train attendants passed by for their duties.

4: 55am there was an announcement that train was about to arrive Nha Trang station. We passed by the area with lots of mountains. It was still dark. And there are many lighting columns were decorated by decoration flashing lights.

That was my first time to “celebrate New Year” on something moving, not at home and I realized that I didn’t put so much “heavy” on it as usual. The “New Year moment” became as any other moment, nothing more, nothing less.

It’s announced that Nha Trang train station is at the left side of the moving direction of the train. The train was slowing down, and stop by 5:06am at Nha Trang train station for 10 minutes, then depart again. On the way, we passed by office of Westland real estate agency.

6 am: the train stopped to give way for the opposite direction train. Around 6:15am it’s light. The view becomes so nice & beautiful with rice field, coconut trees, houses with ridge tiles.

The noise pollution is annoying part on the train: the running train itself makes the noise (plus shaking, blowing whistle), children crying, and the television is the most annoying part.

(The guy who was sitting next to me was having a hard time to sleep. He kept his mouth opened and had to put the blanket plus jacket to make a pillow for his high head).

I see on the train that people helping each other: either leave the seat they purchased for other people OR leave space for luggage, even just talking, sharing stories. I also enjoyed seeing people stop at crossing for train pass by, as many times I have to stop for trains to pass by.

6:38 am train passed by Ca pass and reach to Dai Lanh beach. Train skipped Dai Lanh station. 6:45 am food trolley to sell boiled eggs passed by again. Train passed tunnel 3 times, each time, a beach appeared. Then food trolley selling water, drinks and pork congee passed by in the train. A 500ml bottled Aquafina water costs 10,000 VND; a bowl of congee costs 20,000 VND. Train skipped Phu Hiep station by 7am. 7:15 am, train skipped Tuy Hoa station, Phu Yen province. 7:27 am, train passed by Phu Yen vocational school – campus 2.

Many people brought their own food, canteen served instant noodle with beef by that time. After people finished eating, a train attendant used a black plastic bag to collect the trash.

8:53 train stopped Dieu Tri station 12 minutes, I was happy since I was able to walk around outside of the train for a while. Some shops at Dieu Tri station are still open on the first day of Lunar New Year, one order of sticky rice with chicken is 25,000; chicken congee 20,000. Drinking water should be bought here, only 15,000 for 1.5 litre bottle instead of 10,000 for 500ml bottle in the train.

10:41 am, train passed by Sa Huynh station – Quang Ngai, nonstop. 11:14 food trolley sell lunches. 11:40 train stopped at Quang Ngai station, around half of passengers drop there, and the train got full again with new passengers. 12:59pm train skipped An My station. 1:45 pm, train skipped Le Trach station.

Then the train pass along Truong Chinh street, Da Nang city for a while. Annoucement: “Dear passengers! The train is bringing you to Da Nang station. We invite passengers have tickets up to here to drop here. Please check your luggage carefully. Da Nang train station is at the right side with moving direction of the train. The train will stop for 15 minutes”. 2:15pm train stopped at Da Nang station.

2:55 pm – train started to pass by Hai Van pass. 4:40 pm train passed by Hue textile JSC, then Au Lac kindergarten. 4:48 pm train stopped at Hue railway station. 7:46 pm train stopped at Dong Hoi station – Quang Binh province for 12 minutes. 10:23 pm – train stopped at Huong Pho station – Hà Tĩnh. 11:23pm – train stopped at Yên Trung station. 11:55 – train stopped at Vinh station. 2:32 am – train stopped at Thanh Hoá station. 3:31 am – train stopped at Ninh Bình station. 4:07 am – train stopped at Nam Định station, and I also got out of the train.

Read full report with pictures here:
khuyen.space/2016/02/14/train-ride-south-north-vietnam/