The first passengers "resumed" the 5-year journey of the Vietnam-China international transit train

NDO - At exactly 11:20 p.m. on May 25, the train with the code T8701/MR2 departing from Nanning (Guangzhou, China) "arrived" at Dong Dang station, officially marking the resumption of the Vietnam-China international passenger train route after 5 years of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

10pm on May 25. The front of Dong Dang International Railway Station is still brightly lit. Rows of red flags with yellow stars are neatly hung above the two exits and entrances to the main hall. A series of large standees, with the content of Welcome to the Vietnam-China international passenger train, appear along the yard. The immigration procedures, security screening, and health control areas are also busier than usual.

SPECIAL NIGHT AT DONG DANG STATION

The director of the Dong Dang International Transit Station branch, Mr. Vu Thanh Binh, and more than a dozen employees were restless. Every now and then, they glanced at their watches and looked at the outermost track, where in more than an hour, the transit train from Nanning would arrive.

Although it was almost midnight on May 25, Dong Dang Station was still lit up waiting for the Vietnam-China international train to arrive after 5 years of interruption.

Mr. Binh said that after 5 years of interruption, the Vietnam-China international passenger train has officially resumed operation. This information made the staff and workers at the station very excited.

“For over a month, we have been working hard to quickly renovate the station grounds, repair equipment, and prepare for accommodation, ensuring readiness to welcome international passengers,” Mr. Binh excitedly called today’s “train welcoming” session a festival for the entire Dong Dang station.

Mr. Binh also added that the restoration of the Vietnam-China international passenger train is expected to be a driving force to help Dong Dang station become a cultural- tourism center of Cao Loc district in particular and Lang Son province in general.

At the station, the national flag was hung high. A row of large standees welcoming the first passengers on the international train was also neatly placed...

In fact, Dong Dang is currently an attractive destination for international tourists, especially Chinese tourists. During peak periods, the station can welcome 300-500 Chinese visitors. Travel agencies also choose Dong Dang as a must-see destination in Lang Son .

“We hope that the resumption of the intermodal passenger train will contribute to promoting cultural and trade exchanges between the two countries; especially in the field of connecting rail tourism with a potential market like China. In the future, we believe that the number of passengers traveling by rail through Dong Dang border gate will continue to increase, thereby helping to increase the income of workers at the station,” said the Director of Dong Dang station.

JOY ON THE FIRST INTER-TRANSPORT TRAIN

At exactly 11:20 p.m., the international train blew its whistle and entered Dong Dang station, carrying the first international passengers resuming the transit journey after a 5-year hiatus.

Train T8701/MR2 enters Dong Dang station. This is the first international passenger train between Nanning and Gia Lam to resume operation since it was suspended in February 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The train crew and passengers set foot on Dong Dang station, preparing to go through immigration procedures.

After a brief but friendly welcome ceremony right at the station, everyone was guided inside to complete customs procedures before continuing the trip. The Dong Dang international border gate border station also increased its staff and working equipment. In less than 1 hour, the entire train crew and passengers on the carriages completed immigration procedures.

Expressing great surprise at the warm feelings of his Vietnamese friends, Mr. Ly Minh Han (24 years old) said: This is the first time he has come to Vietnam by train.

At Dong Dang station, Vietnam Railways Corporation organized a reception for the first international passenger train to resume operation. Mr. Hoang Gia Khanh, General Director of the Corporation, presented flowers and welcomed the passengers.

“Since 2024, I have been working at a company in Binh Duong. As soon as I heard that the intermodal passenger train was operating again after a 5-year hiatus, I decided to book a ticket to go. The ticket price is very reasonable. Especially, when we arrived here, we also received a warm welcome from you. Those are extremely wonderful and rare experiences. Surely, I will continue to travel on this train on my next journeys,” he happily said.

Standing next to him, Mr. Thieu Hoa, from Nanning (Guangzhou, China) said that this was the first time this male passenger had come to Vietnam for tourism. Instead of traveling by plane or car, he decided to choose the train as a means of transportation to have more experience.

Mr. Thieu Hoa, a passenger from Nanning, expressed his joy at experiencing the Vietnam-China international train.

“I was very happy to see the warm welcome from the locals and the station staff. Traveling by train also gives us the opportunity to enjoy the scenery along the way. The price is much lower than flying and it is also safer and more energy-saving than traveling by car,” said Mr. Thieu Hoa.

According to the representative of Vietnam Railway Corporation, the resumption of international passenger trains is the result of coordination between the railway sectors of the two countries, with the permission of competent authorities. The event is also of great significance in strengthening economic cooperation, improving the efficiency of exploiting railway infrastructure and expanding opportunities to attract international tourists by train, thereby contributing to promoting bilateral trade, developing tourism, cultural exchange, people-to-people exchange, creating more options for safe, convenient, economical and environmentally friendly means of transport for the people of Vietnam and China.

Leaders of Vietnam Railway Corporation welcomed the first passengers of the Vietnam-China train at Dong Dang station.

Immigration procedures are carried out quickly and conveniently.

Photo: Son Bach

Inside the car of the Vietnam-China international train departing from Nanning.

Every day there will be 2 trains with numbers MR1 ​​and MR2, departing from Gia Lam station (Hanoi) to Nanning station (China) and vice versa.

Specifically, MR1 train will depart from Gia Lam station at 9:20 p.m. and arrive at Nanning station at 10:06 a.m. the following day. In the opposite direction, MR2 train will depart from Nanning station at 6:05 p.m. and arrive at Gia Lam station at 5:30 a.m. the following day. Passengers will complete immigration procedures at Dong Dang station (Lang Son, Vietnam) and Bang Tuong station (Guangxi, China).

In particular, from May 27, 2025, the railway industry of the two countries will organize direct trains from Gia Lam station (Hanoi) to Beijing station (China) and vice versa. Specifically: Trains depart from Gia Lam station at 9:20 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday, arriving at Beijing West station every Thursday and Sunday. Passengers can buy tickets to continue to a third country by rail at international transit stations in China.

After replacing the Vietnamese locomotive, the train continued moving. Early this morning, May 26, the train arrived at Gia Lam station, ending the journey safely.

Regarding ticket prices, the Hanoi-Nanning route costs about 1 million VND/ticket/way, the Hanoi-Beijing route costs 9 million 378 thousand VND/ticket/way. In particular, children under 4 years old are exempt from tickets, from 4 to 12 years old are 50% off (each adult is allowed to bring 1 child), groups of 6 or more people are 25% off. In Vietnam, in addition to selling tickets to international transit stations in China, Vietnam Railways Corporation also sells tickets for domestic routes from Gia Lam Station to Bac Giang, Dong Dang stations and vice versa.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/nhung-vi-khach-dau-tien-noi-lai-hanh-trinh-5-nam-tau-lien-van-quoc-te-viet-trung-post882349.html