The April 30th - January 1st holiday in recent years has recorded a clear shift when many people choose high-quality trains to experience tourism.
Different from the images of old train cars in memory, the "Red Flamboyant Flower" train, after one year of operation, has truly "changed its skin and flesh", bringing a new look to the railway industry. With sophisticated design, airy space and modern equipment, the train is likened to a "mobile check-in space", especially attracting young people.
Nguyen Huu Dung, a student at Hanoi University of Transport, said that his group of 6 people chose the train to "experience a feeling of relaxation" during a 3-day trip to Hai Phong. According to Dung, the train journey from Hanoi to Hai Phong brings a very "chill" and interesting feeling, completely different from previous sleeper train routes. At the same time, choosing a train instead of a car helps the group to be proactive in time and have comfortable seats to explore Cat Ba.
Not only young people, many older passengers also expressed surprise at the changes in the railway industry. Ms. Nguyen Thi Viet Hoa (64 years old, Long Bien district, Hanoi) commented that trains today are "more beautiful than before", operate smoothly, and bring comfort to families with many members. "Good sound insulation and high smoothness help passengers rest completely throughout the journey. Traveling like that is truly tourism," Ms. Hoa shared.
During the 4-day holiday, many families choose trains as a means of transportation to return to their hometowns or travel thanks to safety and privacy. In addition, the thoughtful and dedicated service style of staff at the station and on the train is also a big plus.
Mr. Do Chi Binh (Van Quan ward, Hanoi) said that his family used to travel by car when returning to Hai Phong, but this time he decided to take the train to experience it. "The quality of service has improved significantly, the space is airy, the toilet is clean, and there are additional amenities such as cool water and cold towels. Although the ticket price has increased, it is worthy of the quality," Mr. Binh said. According to him, raising the ticket price reasonably also contributes to improving the lives of workers, thereby improving service quality.
According to Mr. Tran Van Hanh - Director of Hai Phong Railway Transport Branch, during the Hung Kings Commemoration Day (from April 24 - 27, 2026), the entire industry served about 110,000 passengers; the Hanoi - Hai Phong route alone reached 26,800 passengers, of which the "Red Flamboyant Flower" train accounted for about 23,000 passengers.
By the April 30 - May 1 holiday (from April 29 to May 3, 2026), the number of visitors continued to increase, reaching about 150,000 visitors across the network; the Hanoi - Hai Phong route alone served 37,700 visitors, of which the "Red Flamboyant Flower" train welcomed about 31,000 passengers. These figures show the increasing attraction of high-quality transport products, meeting the travel needs of people well.
To maintain its attractiveness, the railway industry's staff has made continuous efforts. Mr. Cao To Ngoc, Head of train L3 with more than 20 years of experience, said that the work pressure during peak periods is very high, but passenger satisfaction is the motivation for officials and employees to complete their tasks well. Currently, the income of workers ranges from 9 - 15 million VND/month depending on the position, contributing to helping them feel secure in their profession.
However, for the railway industry to truly take off, there are still some issues that need to be further improved such as seat design, diversification of dining services, and replacement of plastic items with safer materials.
The fact that people choose the railway during this year's holiday is not simply a travel need, but also evidence of the effort to transform from pure transportation to experiential tourism of Vietnam's railway industry. With positive signals from the market, the railway is gradually affirming its position as a modern, friendly and experienced means of transportation.
