Vietnam to launch Saigon–Binh Duong train service with cheap fares
Passengers will be able to travel between two Vietnamese southern cities within less than an hour with appealing prices as a new railway route is slated for launch next week.
The state-owned Saigon Railways said on April 8 it will establish a temporary rail route between Ho Chi Minh City and the bordering province of Binh Duong, in a bid to reduce traffic congestion in both cities.
The new short-haul service will run from April 15 to June 30, pending the reconstruction of the Ghenh Bridge, the railway bridge whose collapse on March 20 disrupted the north-to-south train services, according to Saigon Railways.
There will be three round trips launched on the Ho Chi Minh City – Binh Duong on a daily basis.
Departures from Saigon Railway Station in Ho Chi Minh City are scheduled at 4:10 am, 5:10 am, and 4:30 pm, and 9:20 am, 12:08 pm, and 1:30 pm from Binh Duong’s Di An Station.
The train will pass such stops as Go Vap and Binh Trieu in Ho Chi Minh City and Song Than and Di An in Binh Duong, said Le Quoc Trung, deputy director of Saigon Railways.
It will take only about 40 minutes to travel between Ho Chi Minh City to Binh Duong by train, instead of an hour and a half by road, Trung noted.
Fares for the service are set at VND5,000 (US$0.224) per journey for passengers traveling less than two terminals, and VND10,000 (US$0.448) per journey for those passing more than three terminals.
Saigon Railways said the cheap fares are meant to encourage people to travel by train to reduce traffic jam.
