Traveling on the Reunification Express from Saigon to Hanoi feels like a ride through history and time.
The route provides the best way for one to experience the rich and diverse culture Vietnam has to offer all across the country. I wanted to illustrate this diversity through a collection of pictures taken ‘through the window’ of the Reunification Express.
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/1b.jpg)
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/6b.jpg)
Railway history in Vietnam is intimately linked to the French colonial era. The Hanoi–Saigon line, completed in 1936 and initially bearing the name Transindochinese, enabled a connection with southern China at the time. Severely damaged during the Indochina War and separated into two sections in 1954, the historic railway rose from its ashes after 1975.
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/11b.jpg)
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/2b.jpg)
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/5b.jpg)
Considered an important development tool for the country, the Hanoi–Saigon line quickly became a symbol of reunification but also of Vietnam’s growth. The country has turned the page of a tormented past to embark on a time that is full of life, paradoxes and secrets which a long journey on the rails presents to patient and curious travelers.
So, ready for boarding? And don’t forget, ‘its about the journey not the destination.’
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/4b.jpg)
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/7b.jpg)
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/8b.jpg)
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/9b.jpg)
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/10b.jpg)
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/12b.jpg)
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/3b.jpg)
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/13b.jpg)
![](http://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/train/14b.jpg)
Darkroom is a Saigoneer series documenting the beauty and stories of Vietnam and beyond via photographs. If you have a compelling story you wish to share, send us an email via contribute@saigoneer.com.