That train ride was a happy journey

The invitation to board the year-end train was like an emotional gift to me. Because this was the first train to roll out after 4 years of inactivity. The passenger, me, was not just a going-coming mission but also had the duty to observe, reflect, transform and express.

Passengers enjoy tea on the Hanoi - Thai Nguyen train.

I woke up at 4am, got dressed up, and was filled with excitement. It seemed like my mood was the same as everyone else in the group. The members of the pilot train to serve tourism and promote Thai Nguyen tea culture were all cheerful and happy.

On the bus to Hanoi station - the starting point of the journey, Ms. Hoang Thi Tan, Director of Tam Tra Thai Cooperative (Tan Cuong commune), made a special tea for Tet. We passed around cups of hot tea. The air on the bus suddenly filled with the fragrant scent of lotus and tea, typical of Thai Nguyen .

This trip is the result of many days of preparation by Vietnam Railways Corporation, Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Department of Transport, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Tourism Association, Transport Association, Provincial Cooperative Union...

To operate the train after many years of “sleeping” and “warm up” the stations that have been understaffed for a long time, it takes a lot of time, human resources, and material resources. The images sent to the Zalo group set up for the members of the trip show that many people stayed up all night, worked on holidays to decorate the station, hang pictures, billboards, arrange flowers, and display goods according to the organizers' requests.

At 7am, we arrived at Hanoi Railway Station (120 Le Duan, Hoan Kiem District). We were greeted by more than 40 members of the Vietnam Railways General Department, who would take the train up to Thai Nguyen and return to Hanoi in the afternoon. The group took souvenir photos and quickly boarded the train. The youthful white train QT3 with blue accents was ready for the special journey.

From the moment I stepped into Hanoi station, I became lost in thought. This place, to me, was both familiar and strange. More than 40 years ago, Hang Co station (the old name of Hanoi station) was the only place that I, a poor student from Thai Nguyen, had to go to if I wanted to go home. The trains that were imprinted in my memory were smelly, dirty, infested with bedbugs and unpunctual.

One time, I went to the station to catch the afternoon train to Thai Nguyen, waited overnight until the next morning and the train still hadn't arrived. Once on the train, finding a seat was extremely lucky, I often had to sit on the floor, hugging my backpack containing a few sets of clothes and a piece of bread, if I was careless, my student fortune would disappear in a blink of an eye.

The train stops at Luu Xa station, Thai Nguyen city.

I boarded the train today, crossing a gap of 40 years. The train car is clean and fragrant, the soft leather seats can rotate 180% for those who are afraid of “going against the train”, the clear glass windows let me enjoy watching the scenery passing by. The train passes through the crowded inner city, through the noisy “train street cafes”, and becomes gentle when crossing the Red River.

The river water seems to flow slower this season. On the river, there are a few boats drifting leisurely. If my nephew were sitting next to me on the trip, I would tell him about the glorious history of the river and the hundred-year-old Long Bien bridge.

The loudspeaker system on the train played an introduction about Thai Nguyen. The train I took today was expected to be a train of humanity, tourism and promotion of tea culture, so the story for tourists to be ready to experience is indispensable. The idea of ​​restoring the train pair Hanoi - Thai Nguyen, Thai Nguyen - Hanoi of the provincial leaders with the desire to develop Thai Nguyen tourism in the spirit of humanity is an idea that excites the people.

For many Thai Nguyen people, the train was once a part of their livelihood. I remember the sweaty backs of the people sitting in the “black cars” with baskets of sweet potatoes, pumpkins, chicken coops, and pig cages. Every time the train stopped at a station, people would hurry up and down carrying goods. Not to mention, hundreds of people living around the railway line earned a living by selling goods. Baskets of roasted corn, boiled peanuts, pots of green tea, and swaying oil lamps on the train cars were the expected income for many families.

The train whistle became an alarm clock, a reminder to cook rice, a reminder to go to school, attached to each house on both sides of the tracks. Therefore, they were so sad when the passenger train stopped running. And today, they carried their children and grandchildren and ran out when they heard the familiar train whistle as if they heard their loved ones calling at the gate.

Then performance - Tinh lute on the train.

The scent of tea brought me back to reality. The Son Dung Tea and Tam Tra Thai Cooperatives brought cups of premium tea, peanut candy, and green tea sausage candy onto the train to treat passengers. Then, the Tinh lute sounded, and the girl who had served tea before now sang the charming song "Lap Xuan": Whose indigo shirt was faintly visible beside the fields/ I wish to be together this season/ We plant trees in the forest, to make the mountains greener...

Two “specialties” of Thai Nguyen, tea and Then singing, were “introduced” to passengers. Here and there, I heard people ordering Dinh Hoa noodles, Viet Cuong vermicelli, Tan Cuong tea, Uc Ky soy sauce… The names of villages and places are associated with the proud product brands of Thai Nguyen.

To bring the ship that has been dormant for many years back to life, carrying a new destiny as a human life ship, a tourist ship, a tea culture promotion ship… there will certainly be a lot of work to do. Most of today’s train passengers are digital citizens, each station, each stop, each restaurant, each product, will have to “touch” their emotions so that they “touch” the selection button.

On social networks, many people are asking each other about the train: When will it officially run? Which station will it stop at? How much will the ticket cost? Yes, I understand the excitement of Thai Nguyen people. But this train is not just a regular passenger train like before, but also a tour with many interesting experiences.

Each station is not only a stop but also a connection point for a new journey. Thai Nguyen is ready to welcome the first passenger on this special train. 153 dishes with fragrant tea, dreamy tea hills, genuine humanity and rich cultural identity will turn each trip into a happy journey.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202501/chuyen-tau-ay-la-hanh-trinh-hanh-phuc-bd80de4/