North-South high-speed railway: Travel freely, will airfares be less "hot"?

(Dan Tri) – If there is a high-speed railway, the travel time from Hanoi to Nghe An, Ho Chi Minh City, etc. will be much shorter than traveling by bus. This will give tourists more options, thereby increasing the number of tourists .

Tourists and travel agencies excitedly await the prospect of the North-South high-speed train

Recently, the North-South high-speed railway project, expected to start construction in 2030, has received attention from the community. The prospect of having breakfast in Hanoi and lunch in Ho Chi Minh City has attracted the attention of many tourists as well as those working in the tourism industry.

Mr. Binh Minh (43 years old, living in Long Bien, Hanoi) said that he reads information related to the North-South high-speed railway project every day with excitement. Due to the nature of his job, this customer almost has a business trip from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City every month.

Mr. Minh often chooses to travel by plane. Although the average flight time between the two cities is about 2 hours, in reality, if you calculate the time from home to the airport, waiting for check-in procedures, waiting at the airport and traveling from the airport to the partner company, Mr. Minh estimates that it usually takes at least 5-6 hours.

If the road to the airport is congested or the flight is delayed or cancelled, it will take more time for passengers.

The North-South express train project is expected to start construction before 2030 and be completed before 2045 (Illustration photo: AI).

“I am looking forward to the day the project becomes a reality. Hopefully my wife and children and I will be the first guests to experience it, even though I will be turning 50 by then,” Minh said happily.

Like Mr. Minh, as a citizen of the capital, Mr. Trong Giap hopes that when the North-South high-speed railway comes into operation, it will contribute to promoting tourism development, shortening distances, creating more experiences for tourists, and helping to reduce overload on air or road routes.

Having lived and worked in Japan, Mr. Giap had the opportunity to experience many types of high-tech vehicles in the land of cherry blossoms. Among them, the Shinkansen bullet train made a special impression on the Vietnamese visitor.

When traveling between Tokyo and Shizuoka Prefecture, home to the famous Mount Fuji, the Shinkansen train travels at an average speed of 280km/h. The two locations are 167km apart. This distance would take about 3 hours by regular train, but traveling on the Shinkansen bullet train has shortened the time to one hour thanks to its high speed.

“The train is fast, smooth, and has plenty of legroom, so you can take a nap before arriving at your destination. I find the way Japan builds train routes connecting famous tourist destinations or services that help tourists experience the train very interesting. These are things Vietnam can learn from,” Mr. Giap shared.

As someone working in the tourism industry, Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc, CEO of Havina Travel, believes that if the high-speed railway project becomes a reality, it will open up many opportunities for the tourism industry.

Fuxing high-speed train launches Beijing-Shanghai route ( Video source: CGTN).

According to this CEO, currently, most tours taking guests from the North to Ho Chi Minh City travel by plane to shorten the time.

Airfare alone usually accounts for 40% to 60% of the tour price. The appearance of the North-South high-speed train is not simply a means of transportation, it can become an attractive tourism product if the tourism industry and travel agencies know how to take advantage.

Having personally experienced high-speed train routes in China, Mr. Duc realized that this country knows how to exploit accompanying tourism products. Here are some things that Vietnam can learn: That is, linking tourist destinations with the high-speed train system.

For example, China has developed high-speed rail lines connecting major cities with popular tourist destinations such as Beijing-Shanghai and Beijing-Xi'an. This not only shortens travel time but also makes it easier for tourists to explore many places in a short time.

In addition, the service experience on high-speed trains in China is also very impressive. The units provide many amenities such as free wifi, food service, comfortable seats, ensuring that the journey of tourists is always comfortable and convenient.

China’s high-speed rail network development plan, which follows the “8 vertical and 8 horizontal” direction, has now completed 80% of the plan. The main routes connecting leading economic and tourist destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen have been basically completed.

A Chinese Fuxing train line is about to open at the station (Photo: News).

In fact, places where high-speed railways pass through have achieved tourism success and investment attraction opportunities. For example, the 208km long expressway connecting Chengdu with Songpan has been put into operation, the cost of traveling to Jiuzhaigou has been halved if traveling by plane as before and the time is also shortened compared to traveling by bus.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc, CEO of Havina Travel, said that if the high-speed railway project becomes a reality, it will open up many opportunities for the tourism industry (Photo: Character provided).

Currently, the country of one billion people continues to invest heavily in high-speed railways connecting remote and border tourist destinations such as Xinjiang and Tibet, creating leverage for the local economy.

In addition, Mr. Duc said that developing accompanying tourism products is also very important. In developed countries, other services such as luggage transportation, short day tours at destinations and even on-board culinary services are often linked. This creates a complete tourism ecosystem, enhancing the tourist experience.

“I believe that with the right investment and learning from other countries, the North-South high-speed train project will not only promote transportation but also contribute to developing Vietnam’s tourism industry to a new level. This is an opportunity for us to introduce the beauty of the country to international friends more effectively,” said the CEO of Havina Travel.

Create competitive advantage: Bring abundant source of customers, connect tourist destinations across the country

Talking to Dan Tri reporter, traffic planning expert, Dr. Phan Le Binh, Chief Representative of OCG Japan Consulting Office, lecturer at Vietnam - Japan University said that he has experienced high-speed trains in many countries such as Japan, Spain, Italy, and clearly felt the convenience and comfort that this type of vehicle brings.

According to Mr. Binh, the North-South high-speed railway is a major project, of great significance to economic and social development, including tourism. The high-speed railway lines will connect tourist destinations along the length of the country, bringing abundant visitors to the localities.

“From Hanoi, if you travel to Cua Lo (Nghe An) by bus or car, it may take 4-5 hours. This distance will make many people feel tired and overwhelmed, especially the elderly and children.

If there is a high-speed railway, it may only take 2.5-3 hours. Shortening the time will create an easy choice for tourists. Because it is easy to choose, the source of potential visitors to tourist areas will increase," Mr. Binh analyzed.

According to Mr. Binh, high-speed railway connecting regions not only helps increase potential domestic tourists but also attracts foreign tourists. Foreign tourists are not fluent in the language and local situation, so high-speed train will be a perfect choice because they can easily access and do not worry about getting lost.

The Shinkanse bullet train has become a symbol of Japan's tourism industry (Photo: Nippon).

“High-speed rail runs along a route, with fixed stations, trains with clear schedules, and tickets can be purchased online… From abroad, tourists can plan their trips,” said this expert.

According to the Pre-Feasibility Report, the estimated investment cost for the completion of the North-South high-speed railway is 67.34 billion USD (1.7 million billion VND).

The above amount is equivalent to the cost of completing the construction of 4 Long Thanh airports, 48 ​​Landmark 81 buildings (HCMC), 77 Cat Linh - Ha Dong railway lines or more than 120 500kV North - South lines, circuit 1. It is also equivalent to Vietnam's budget revenue for the whole year of 2023.

Many people predict that with such huge construction costs, the North-South high-speed railway ticket price will certainly be very expensive. High ticket prices will make it difficult for high-speed trains to compete with other means of transport, especially airplanes.

Mr. Binh said that it is impossible to use revenue from ticket prices to cover initial investment costs because the amount is too large. If calculated like that, the ticket prices will be very high.

According to Mr. Binh, the initial investment cost should be determined as a public investment activity of the State to stimulate demand, develop the entire economy, create jobs, and stimulate production and business development. Ticket prices should be calculated in balance to cover operating and maintenance activities.

The North-South high-speed train will attract visitors and connect tourist destinations where the train passes (Illustration photo: AI).

Regarding the competitiveness of high-speed trains, Mr. Binh said that high-speed train tickets may be expensive, but when compared with other means of transport, there are many advantages that make passengers accept the high price and make the optimal choice for themselves.

Specifically, high-speed trains will be more advantageous than cars and buses in terms of safety. Traffic accidents are always a burning issue, causing long-term consequences. Many Vietnamese people's awareness of safety is still limited. On average, more than 29 people die every day in traffic accidents. Traveling by high-speed rail may be more expensive but is safer than by road, so it may be the choice of many people.

High-speed trains will also compete with planes. Along the length of Vietnam there are many small cities. For many cities, traveling by plane is not convenient.

When there are high-speed trains, the stations are often located right in the city, so passengers do not have to waste time traveling or waiting to check-in.

“For example, a passenger from Ninh Binh going to Ho Chi Minh City, if they take a plane, they will have to travel by car to Hanoi and then take a plane to Ho Chi Minh City. If there is a direct high-speed train connection, they only need to get on the train from Ninh Binh and get off at Ho Chi Minh City. This process is quick and convenient, instead of having to combine many means of transport,” Mr. Binh shared.

The two growth poles of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are more than 1,500km apart. With the “super” high-speed railway project, many tourists expect a bright future of “eating pho in Hanoi for breakfast and broken rice in Ho Chi Minh City for lunch”.

According to transport planning expert Phan Le Binh, many research activities in the world show that the advantage of high-speed rail is about 800km. At this distance, high-speed rail can easily compete with air travel. If it exceeds this distance, air travel has the advantage in terms of time and ticket price.

Mr. Binh said that if compared, traveling from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City by plane would be more convenient than by high-speed train. However, with advantages such as easy access, convenience, and comfort, taking high-speed train will probably still be the choice of many people.

“With a maximum design speed of 350km/h, if the connection from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is smooth, the travel time by plane and high-speed train will be the same or a little longer by rail. If traveling by plane from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, visitors will spend 2 hours on the plane, 3 hours traveling to the airport and checking in… The total average time is about 5 hours. The take-off and landing process must ensure flight safety regulations, no use of electronic devices…

Meanwhile, if they take the high-speed train, they can get to the station in the central area, without having to wait too long, and as soon as they get on the train, they can use the internet, work, and enjoy entertainment facilities," the expert analyzed.

The emergence of high-speed rail makes many people expect that airfares will be less "hot" during peak seasons.

Mr. Binh also said that during long holidays and Tet, high-speed trains will help reduce transportation pressure because of their large capacity. Each trip can carry thousands of people or even more, and the distance between trains is short.

Depending on demand, there may be a trip every few minutes. In particular, the high-speed train will also help reduce traffic congestion on the roads, making it easier for people and tourists to travel during the holidays.

The North-South high-speed railway project in the Pre-Feasibility Study Report (FSS) will be submitted by the Ministry of Transport to the National Assembly.

Accordingly, the train line's design speed is 350km/h, which can take passengers from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City in 5 hours and 20 minutes.

The project is expected to start before 2030 and be completed before 2045, starting at Ngoc Hoi station (Hanoi) and ending at Thu Thiem station (HCMC), passing through 20 provinces and cities, with a total length of 1,541km.

There are 23 passenger stations and 5 freight stations.

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/duong-sat-toc-do-cao-bac-nam-du-lich-tha-ga-ve-may-bay-se-bot-nong-20241007235919407.htm