Vietnam beefs up summer trains

Vietnam Railways has opened summer 2026 ticket sales and added capacity on its busiest tourist corridors from May 15 to August 16. (dtinews.dantri.com.vn) The company said five pairs of North-South trains will keep running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, including SE1 through SE10. It also listed added or maintained summer services from Hanoi to Vinh, Dong Hoi and Danang, and from Ho Chi Minh City to Danang, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang and Phan Thiet. (news.baohaiphong.vn) Tourist lines are part of the push too. Vietnam Railways said the Hanoi-Lao Cai route will run three pairs of trains a day, the Danang-Hue “Heritage Connection” will run two daily pairs, and the Hanoi-Haiphong line will add weekend departures and extra carriages. (news.baohaiphong.vn) The discounts are aimed at getting travelers to book early for the peak season. Individual round-trip tickets get 10% off, rising to 15% on some Hanoi-Lao Cai services, while groups of 20 or more get 3% to 9% off depending on size and booking window. (dtinews.dantri.com.vn) Vietnam Railways is also keeping its standing fare cuts for older passengers, students, children, people with disabilities, war veterans and other policy groups. Hai Phong News said Vietnamese citizens age 60 and older get 15% off, and students get 10% off, excluding postgraduate students. (news.baohaiphong.vn) The timing lines up with a broader rush in domestic travel ahead of Vietnam’s long holiday periods and summer school break. Vietnam Railways said on April 7 that it had already sold 44,200 tickets for travel around the Hung Kings’ Commemoration Day and the April 30-May 1 holiday period. (vr.com.vn) For Vietnam’s rail operator, the summer plan leans on routes that mix intercity demand with tourism: beach cities such as Danang and Nha Trang, the mountain gateway of Lao Cai for Sa Pa, and the main Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City spine. Ticket sales are already live through the railway’s online booking system. (dtinews.dantri.com.vn; vr.com.vn)