Happiness Train rolls through New Year’s Eve, carrying reunion hopes

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At Hanoi Railway Station, the number of foreign tourists gathering in the terminal area continues to rise. In the photo, station staff provide enthusiastic assistance and guidance to passengers.

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According to Bui Viet Anh, train service staff, the train is scheduled to depart at 7:20 p.m. and at the stroke of midnight marking the Lunar New Year, the train will be passing through Thanh Hoa province.

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“We call it the Happiness train, because it travels through the very moment of the New Year’s Eve countdown,” Viet says, referring to the train’s journey across the country at the stroke of midnight.

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The last passengers hurries to board the final departing train at Hanoi Railway Station as the Lunar New Year approaches.

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Train SE3 not only carries passengers home, but also brings them closer to the simple happiness called family.

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Aythami Zimmermann, a visitor from Germany, says he decides to travel to Vietnam after receiving a recommendation from a relative. “Two years ago, I visited my cousin in Thailand and he told me Vietnam is very, very beautiful and that I definitely had to come,” he says. “That’s why I’m here.”

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Station staff remain on duty to assist passengers with loading their luggage onto the train.

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Foreign tourists receive lucky money envelopes aboard the “Happiness” train as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations.

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Passengers quietly settle into their seats, each carrying a story of their own aboard the overnight journey.

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The bright, eager gaze of a young passenger reflects the excitement of experiencing a long-distance journey with family for the first time.

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Train SE3 departs the station in a warm and festive atmosphere, beginning its north–south journey while carrying passengers’ hopes for reunion and family togetherness.