Saigon Metro Line 1 Announces July Launch Date, Free Rides in Phase 1
Will 2024 be the auspicious year when our legs could finally step on the metro platform for the first time?
Khôi Phạm in Travel
Train to Biên Hòa: A Day Trip Into Suburbia From Saigon
When Saigoneer first announced a few weeks ago that Vietnam’s railway network would be the centerpiece of our next themed article series, a number of readers joked in the comment section that who in t...
Thanks for Your Order, Your Bún Will Arrive by Train in a Few Minutes
♫ And the bún mộc on the train goes round and round. Rolling down the track ♫
Tiny Tracks, Big Passion: Inside the Miniature World of Vietnam's Model Train Enthusiasts
“When you turn it on, the train is not only moving, but it can make sounds too. The sounds are so authentic that when I listen to it, I feel like I am sitting on a real train right now,” Minh Tú, a Sa...
The Tumultuous Tale of Three Ga Sài Gòn Locations, From 1885 Until Now
Travelers arriving by train in Hồ Chí Minh City sometimes express surprise that the main Saigon Railway Station is located in Hòa Hưng, some distance from the central business district. In fact, this ...
A Brief History of the Vietnam Railways Building Before Its 110th Birthday
The iconic Bến Thành Market is not the only Saigon landmark that has endured for more than a century. The Vietnam Railways building at 138 Hàm Nghi, given its inauguration in 1914, is pushing the 110-...
Glide Over Hanoi in the Calmness of the Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line
In many countries, urban metros are a mundane convenience — so ordinary that their users often take them for granted. But until the birth of Hanoi’s Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line, residents of Vietnam h...
Chris Humphrey in Travel
The Majesty of Crossing Myanmar on Colonial-Era Trains
Whether on the slow train carving its way through the Shan Hills near Kalaw, the Mandalay to Yangon Express, or the 4am train to Hsipaw that crosses the great Goteik Viaduct, traversing Myanmar on gri...
Paul Christiansen in Travel
Vignette: On the North-South Train, a Pastiche of the Human Condition
“Heavy with the thick smell of misery and before even leaving the station, the odor of urine would be palpable throughout the car,” writes author Dạ Ngân of the North-South Train in 1989. Back then, a...
A Brake Failure and 200 Victims: Remembering Vietnam's Deadliest Rail Accident
About 55 kilometers from Saigon, in the small commune of Tây Hoà rests the 17/03/1982 Railway Cemetery. It currently houses 85 unidentified graves of victims of the Train 183 Disaster, the deadli...
The History of Hanoi's Lost Tramway Network
When they first drew up plans for a citywide tramway network in 1894, it seemed as though the Hanoi authorities would follow Saigon’s example by opting for steam traction. Yet, by the time government ...
Saigon's Metro Line 1 Went on Its First Test Run Last Week
Last week, the Saigon Metro project took a major step in realizing many Saigoneers’ long-awaited dream of experiencing their own urban railway line.
Hanoi Railway Cafe Gets Into Trouble for Hosting Dortmund Footballers
A photo of players from the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund enjoying coffee on the tracks running through Hanoi's shuttered train street circulated earlier this week, prompting authorities to say th...
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Need a Sign From the Universe? Lương Hữu Khánh Street Has Every Color, Shape, and Size.
Saigon is filled with addresses you aren’t looking for, announcements not aimed at you and signs for businesses you have no plans to frequent. Sign street demands delving into the oft-ignored.
Hanoi Starts Revoking Operating Licenses of Cafes on 'Train Street' This Week
Hanoi is shutting down its infamous "Train Street" starting this weekend.
A Mosaic of Vietnam's Landscapes Through the Windows of the North-South Train
Traveling on the Reunification Express from Saigon to Hanoi feels like a ride through history and time.
Officials Announce (Yet Another) Plan to Restore Historic Đà Lạt-Tháp Chàm Railway
The 84-km railway line connecting Đà Lạt and Tháp Chàm (Phan Rang) was built between 1908 and 1932 and abandoned in 1976.
Without State Subsidies, Hanoi Metro Records $2.3m in Losses in 2021
Pre-subsidies, Vietnam's first operational metro route — Hanoi's Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line — recorded VND54 billion (US$2.32 million) in losses in 2021.
Hanoi Envisions 6 More Metro Lines for City Center by 2050
Earlier this week, Hanoi unveiled a general plan for the underground development of the city center which includes adding six metro lines and 81 underground stations.
FLC Group to Help Build $5bn Railway From Vientiane to Hà Tĩnh
All aboard!
Digital Artist Transports Us Back to Hanoi Tramway’s Halcyon Days
Many Hanoians have seen historical photos of the capital’s lost tramway network, which was inaugurated in 1901. What began as a state-of-the-art electric tramway eventually fell into disrepair in the ...
Vietnam Says No to Proposal to Import 37 Used Train Cars From Japan
Even though the plan to repurpose secondhand trains from Japan might be cost-effective, state officials deem them too old to be imported.
All Aboard the Languorous Train From Hanoi to Saigon
The train connecting Vietnam’s largest cities takes 35 hours. Yet even after the first time I finished the trip, I was already coming up with excuses for why I needed to do it again. For me, the journ...
Transport Ministry Hopes to Begin Building Hanoi-Saigon High-Speed Rail in 2028
We'll believe it when we see it.
HCMC Proposes Rail Link Between Tan Son Nhat, Long Thanh Airports
This is part of the city's suggestions for the Vietnam Railway Authority's railway development plan for 2021-2030.
Plan for 5 New Rail Lines Linking Saigon to Southern Provinces Approved
Go big or go home.
How Much Would a Trip on Saigon's Future Metro Line 1 Cost?
With a train ticketing system that’s a decade old, riders on Saigon’s Metro Line 1 might face inconvenience even before even setting foot on the subway.
Saigon's Metro Line 2 Acquires 70% of Land Needed for Construction
Construction on the Ben Thanh-Tham Luong metro line is expected to commence in 2021.
81% of Saigoneers Plan to Use Metro Line 1 When It's Finished, Survey Shows
Do you plan to use the metro lines in these cities?
Hanoi Gears up to Start Building Metro Line 5 in 2022
The proposed route would cover 39 kilometers.
Saigon Commences Training Course for 58 Future Metro Train Drivers
Progress on Saigon's Metro Line 1 is moving into the human resources and training phase.
In Search of Charming Cafes Along Saigon's Train Alleys
Compared to Hanoi’s now-restricted Phung Hung “Train Street,” the neighborhoods bordering the railway in Saigon have neither the romanticism nor goosebumps-inducing adrenaline rush that turned the for...
New Renderings Show Expanse of Ben Thanh Metro Interchange, Plaza
A new set of renderings conjures up a future in which Ben Thanh Station is a both a transportation and commercial hub for city dwellers.
Hanoi Officials Reject $50m Request From Chinese Metro Contractor
Hanoi officials have refused to pay the Chinese metro contractors their demand of US$50 million in advance to perform a test run on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong line in Hanoi.
Hanoi's Metro Line 3 Faces Delay Due to Site Clearance Hold-Up
The above-ground section of Hanoi’s Metro Line 3 (Nhon-Hanoi Train Station) is essentially finished, though some site clearance issues might drag out the completion date.
From Today, Vietnam Heavily Restricts Passenger Transport Between High-Risk Provinces
While the majority of its most crowded metropolises enter another week of mandatory social distancing, Vietnam is also putting a stop to intercity buses between high-risk regions.
Trains for Saigon’s First Metro Line Undergo Final Testing in Japan
On April 11, Saigon’s Urban Railway Management Board announced that the trains ordered to serve the city’s first metro line had begun their final technical inspections in Japan.
Opera House Metro Station Expected to Open for Public Visits by April 30
Work on the Opera House station of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien line has gone into overdrive.
As Workers Remain Without Pay, Vietnam Might Face Railway Shutdown
Bad news for anyone considering a train trip.
Saigon Metro Line 1 Is 71% Complete; First Train to Be Delivered in June 2020
The Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Line is now 71% complete, its management board says.
Saigon to Preserve Part of Old Binh Loi Railway Bridge
The new Binh Loi railway bridge, built 12 meters away from the old one, has been open for public use since September last year.
Starting This Month, Hanoians Can Travel All the Way to Beijing by Train
The service began on January 1.
Proposed Hai Phong–China Train Route Raises Concerns Over Hefty Price Tag
From Hai Phong, the 390-kilometer line would run through Hanoi and Lao Cai before reaching China’s Hekou County.
[Photos] Cruising Across Vietnam on the North-South Train in 1920
It appears train travel in Vietnam has changed very little in the past 100 years.
JICA Suggests Urban Railway Could Help Reduce Air Pollution in Saigon, Hanoi
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is helping authorities to develop a measuring, reporting and verification system for Vietnam’s urban railway systems.
The Lost Railway That Once Connected Da Nang and Hoi An
One hundred years ago, visitors to Tourane (Đa Nẵng) could alight from their train right outside the Hàn Market and, after crossing the Hàn River by ferry, take a steam train all the way to Hội An.
