Train ticket prices for the Lunar New Year 2025 increased by 3-5% compared to the same period last year, causing many passengers to worry, because this is a means of transport that is suitable for the majority. The railway industry explained that the price increase is to improve the quality of passenger service.
Reason train ticket price for Tet increase
More than 2 months until vacation Lunar New Year At Ty 2025, many people working far away are starting to book train tickets to return home. Ms. Nguyen Thi Oanh, an industrial park worker in Dong Nai, said that since mid-October, she has started looking for train tickets to return home to Thanh Hoa. Ms. Oanh's family consists of 2 people, her husband, grandparents and 2 children. Every year, Ms. Oanh's family chooses train tickets to save on travel time.
“This year, I looked into train tickets for 6 people from Saigon station to Thanh Hoa station. My parents are old, my children are young, and the travel time is long. I planned to choose a sleeper, but the ticket price has increased compared to last year. Currently, train tickets cost from 1.9 to 2.1 million VND/sleeper ticket, soft seats with air conditioning are about 1.6 million VND/ticket. This year, the company no longer has overtime, income has decreased, so the increased train ticket price also adds an additional expense,” Ms. Oanh shared. She calculated that with 6 members, the ticket price would increase by about 600-700 thousand VND.
Ms. Oanh’s concern is also the concern of many workers far from home. Although there are many advantages (safety, stable train schedules), the 3-5% increase in train ticket prices during Tet makes many people more worried.
The total number of seats the railway industry plans to provide during Tet is about 167,000, with 388 trains, a decrease of about 38,000 seats compared to the same period in 2024 due to changes in the operation plan. In case of a sudden increase in travel demand, trains will be increased.
Speaking by phone with Tien Phong reporter, Mr. Do Van Hoan - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Railway Transport Joint Stock Company, said that up to now, all train tickets from December 22 to 28 (January 21 to 27, 2025) from Ho Chi Minh City to the Northern localities are sold out. On other days, there are still many Tet train tickets left. The ticket sales speed compared to the same period last year has increased by about 80%, passengers buy tickets earlier. Train ticket prices for Tet At Ty 2025 have increased by 3-5% (depending on the route) compared to the same period last year.
In 2025, the railway industry will abolish the policy of selling extra seats and the policy of converting sleeper beds into seats. The number of passengers served will lead to an increase in service quality.
Need to support vulnerable passengers
Speaking to Tien Phong reporter, the leader of Vietnam Railways (Ministry of Transport) said that according to regulations, the Ministry of Transport manages the floor price for hard and soft seat train tickets. Other types of train tickets such as soft seats and sleepers are decided by the Railway Transport Joint Stock Company in accordance with the train operation plan. Currently, the fare for transporting passengers by rail with hard and soft seats must be declared to the Ministry of Finance and posted according to regulations.
According to expert Ngo Tri Long, train and bus tickets are one of the essential needs of people during the traditional Tet holiday every year. The increase in train ticket prices will make vulnerable people such as low-income workers and students worried about additional costs. Therefore, Mr. Long recommends that, in addition to increase in price Tickets, the railway industry needs to have policies to support vulnerable workers.
“The railway industry has been losing money for many years, so increasing ticket prices can help improve revenue, increase service quality, and compete with other forms of transport. However, given its own characteristics, the railway industry needs to be transparent about the increase in ticket prices and service quality to harmonize development requirements and ensure social security and serve customers, especially vulnerable customers,” Mr. Long suggested.
The train schedule for the Lunar New Year 2025 is scheduled from January 15 to February 16 (December 16 to January 19 of the lunar calendar). During this period, there will be 22 pairs of trains running each day, including 9 pairs of Thong Nhat passenger trains (Saigon - Hanoi) and 13 pairs of regional trains (short trips to provinces and cities).
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