Thang Long Express Train resumes operation on Ho Chi Minh City route

TPO - In mid-April, the Thang Long high-speed train will resume operation on the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao sea route after more than 8 months of suspension.

TPO - In mid-April, the Thang Long high-speed train will resume operation on the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao sea route after more than 8 months of suspension.

Mr. Vu Van Khuong, General Director of Phu Quoc Express High-speed Boat Joint Stock Company, said that the company has received a license to extend the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao waterway route. The company is currently developing a plan to re-operate the Thang Long high-speed boat, with a capacity of 1,017 passengers on the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao route and vice versa. If all goes well, the boat is expected to resume operations from mid-April 2025 with the starting point in Ho Chi Minh City being Saigon - Hiep Phuoc port in Can Gio district).

Currently, Thang Long high-speed boat is operating on the Vung Tau - Con Dao route with a frequency of 1 trip per day from Vung Tau to Con Dao (and vice versa). If the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao route is put into operation, the company will operate high-speed boats alternately between Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao - Vung Tau.

Specifically, every Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday, the ship will depart from Vung Tau to Con Dao (travel time is about 3 hours and 30 minutes). In the afternoon of the same day, the ship will move from Con Dao to Ho Chi Minh City. On Wednesday - Friday - Sunday, the ship will depart from Saigon - Hiep Phuoc port to Con Dao with a travel time of about 4 hours and 30 minutes. In the afternoon of the same day, the ship will turn around and move from Con Dao to Vung Tau.

Passengers watch the sea on the deck of Thang Long ship

According to Mr. Vu Van Khuong, in 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao route has performed well in picking up and dropping off passengers at sea and has been widely supported by passengers. However, because the Saigon - Hiep Phuoc port is quite far from the center of Ho Chi Minh City, passengers traveling by ship to the pier still face some difficulties.

The company's free shuttle bus service also caused many problems because many passengers do not have the habit of registering their vehicles in advance, making it difficult to organize shuttle buses. This year, the company has overcome this limitation by installing many signs to the port on the routes. Some bad roads have been resurfaced and street lights have been installed.

Thang Long Ship in Vung Tau City

“The process of picking up and dropping off passengers from the center to the port gate and vice versa will be reorganized. Passengers can be taken directly to the ship without having to stop and buy tickets to the port like last year. The port charges passengers 35,000 VND/person for the service. The company will negotiate with the port and pay this amount as a thank you to customers,” said Mr. Khuong.

The Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao sea route was first opened by Phu Quoc Express on May 13, 2024. With the operation of the Thang Long high-speed train, this route is considered to be a bright spot for regional tourism in connecting tourists from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao.

However, in the first months, the number of passengers on this sea route remained low, only about 50 - 60% of the service capacity. Therefore, after a period of inactivity during the rough sea season at the end of the year, when running again, the ship temporarily stopped operating on the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao route and focused mainly on the Vung Tau City - Con Dao route.

According to a survey by Phu Quoc Express, the number of passengers who need to travel from the city center to the port to board the ship only accounts for 10% to 20%, so the company will not organize passenger transportation by private bus as before. Passengers arriving at Saigon - Hiep Phuoc port can take the initiative to take public or private vehicles. At the port, there is a parking lot and private vehicle parking service at the state-regulated price for passengers taking the ship.

Trong Thinh

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tau-cao-toc-thang-long-hoat-dong-tro-lai-tuyen-tphcm-con-dao-post1729281.tpo