VietNamNet Bridge – Poor infrastructure and service and a lack of co-ordination between the railway and tourism sectors are making train travel less attractive to tourists.

Passengers leaving the train at Lao Cai Station in the northern province of Lao Cai. Poor infrastructure and service quality makes Viet Nam's train travel less attractive to tourists. (Photo: VNS)

Last year Viet Nam received more than 5 million foreign tourists. Up to 83 per cent of them opted for plane for domestic trips, but those choosing railway remained low.

Tourist Sylvia Beales found it convenient to travel to northern Lao Cai Province by train rather than bus because it was safer and cleaner. "But it is not the same with other routes, whose rail service remains poor and unhygienic," she added.

A local passenger, Nguyen Thi Huong, agreed that was best to go to such places like Lao Cai by train because the price was not too high and the trip was not as tiring as going by bus.

"I hope services on all trains will improve to the standard offered on the train to Lao Cai Province," Huong said, "Then, I would go by train for the rest of my life."

Deputy head of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism Nguyen Manh Cuong said local railway tourism was poor compared with other countries.

He cited unimproved and winding rail tracks for the slow journeys to many destinations. The problem was exacerbated by poor rail service on most of trains.

According to deputy director of the Viet Nam Railway Department Nguyen Van Doanh, the railway sector requires a huge investment at the beginning and it takes several decades to retrieve the principal and interest. "This is why few investors are interested in investing in railway infrastructure," said Doanh.

"State investment is small and fails to meet demand," he added. Fund shortages had left most compartments on trains in shabby condition.

Doanh said the railway sector had only focused on maintaining the operation of existing rail routes and was incapable of investing in upgrading old routes and opening new ones.

He said many rail routes were operating perfunctorily and cited the case of the Ha Noi-Quang Ninh rail. The route, which opened in 2009, has attracted few passengers. This is why the railway sector holds only 7 per cent of the transport market.

The most popular routes are Ha Noi-Lao Cai, Ha Noi-Vinh, HCM City-Nha Trang, HCM City-Phan Thiet and the North-South train.

According to the head of Sa Pa train No1, Pham Duc Van, the Ha Noi-Lao Cai route produces the highest turnover for the railway sector since travel companies began co-operation with the railway sector about seven years ago to upgrade infrastructure, improve railroad cars and training railway service staff.

"My train is always full of foreign visitors and those passengers who come from the south of Viet Nam during holidays," said Van.

There are between four and five train trips from Ha Noi to Lao Cai Province every night. It is a unique route that pulls in more and more passengers each year.

Statistics from the Viet Nam Railway Department showed the number of tourists taking the route had increased from 57 per cent of passengers in 2007 to 68 per cent last year.

Foreign travel firms say Viet Nam has rail transport but no sophisticated packages. They argued that Viet Nam must meet the demand for improved rail services.

The deputy head of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Nguyen Manh Cuong, said teaching rail service staff foreign languages was essential.

As deputy head of the VNAT Travel Department Nguyen Quy Phuong said he hoped tourism and railway officials would get together to develop rail tourism and encourage investment in the industry.

Deputy director of the Viet Nam Railway Department Nguyen Van Doanh said incentives should be given to the private sector to join hands with the railway sector in building infrastructure and improving services.

Besides this, he said the State should help the rail sector develop otherwise it would continue to be lag behind other transport systems.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News