Connecting heritage destinations
On the morning of August 28, at Dong Hoi station (Quang Tri province), Vietnam National Railways Group coordinated with Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee and Hue City People's Committee to organize the opening ceremony of the tourist train "Hue Citadel - Phong Nha: Journey of World Heritage".
This is the first product launched after VNR transformed its model into Vietnam National Railways Group. The train was also put into operation on the occasion of the Railway industry celebrating the 145th anniversary of Vietnam Railways and the 80th anniversary of Vietnam Railways Traditional Day.
The journey is about 190 km long, connecting tourist destinations between Hue city and Quang Tri province. On the journey, visitors can access the Hue Ancient Citadel Relic Complex, Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, Vinh Moc Tunnels, Hien Luong - Ben Hai Banks, Dong Hoi and Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park World Natural Heritage.
The train consists of 8 carriages, of which 5 rotating seats have 56 seats per carriage, and the VIP carriage has 26 seats. The inaugural train carries 306 passengers.
In addition to passenger cars, the train has a community carriage serving folk music performances, introducing local cuisine and OCOP products. The multi-purpose entertainment carriage is equipped with movie viewing, massage chairs, renting ao dai for photos and sewing vests for immediate delivery.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Hoang Xuan Tan - Vice Chairman of Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee said that putting the train into operation is a concrete step to concretize the cooperation agreement between units, promoting linkages and expanding the cooperation space between Quang Tri and Hue city.
According to Mr. Tan, Hue city has a UNESCO-honored heritage system, while Quang Tri has a system of historical relics, DMZ space and Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park. Therefore, the railway line creates an additional way to connect cultural, historical and natural tourism between the two localities.
Mr. Hoang Xuan Tan said that the train contributes to forming the tourism product "World Heritage Journey - Multi-service Experience", expanding the market, increasing the ability to attract international tourists and contributing to reducing the seasonality of tourism.
Ticket price reduction during opening week
According to Mr. Hoang Xuan Tan, from the time of signing the cooperation agreement until the train was officially put into commercial operation, it took only more than 3 months.
To exploit products effectively, leaders of Quang Tri province proposed that Vietnam National Railways Group continue to improve service quality; coordinate with tourism agencies and businesses in Quang Tri and Hue city to build product packages, and at the same time increase promotion to domestic and international markets.
On the occasion of the opening, from August 29 to September 5, 2026, the Railway industry reduces fares by up to 50% for ticket classes of train pairs HQ1/HQ2. From September 6 to the end of 2026, departure tickets are reduced by 15%, and passengers buying return tickets are given an additional 10% discount.
Passengers with Hue - Phong Nha heritage train tickets also enjoy incentives at tourist facilities in Quang Tri. Reduced prices at attractions and tourism products from 10-25%; accommodation services from 15-60%; dining from 5-10%; sightseeing programs from 10-15%.
In Hue city, passengers also enjoy a policy of reduced entrance fees to some points belonging to the Hue Ancient Citadel Relic Complex and incentives from service units. Programs are updated via QR codes on tickets and the railway industry's electronic ticketing system.
The pair of trains HQ1/HQ2 run regularly every day. Train HQ2 departs from Hue station at 7:15 am, expected to arrive at Tho Loc station at 11:55 am. In the opposite direction, train HQ1 leaves Tho Loc station at 1:15 pm and arrives at Hue station at 5:25 pm.
