VietNamNet Bridge – The Ha Noi Railway Station has started to sell discounted train tickets for students to get back to their hometown for the Tet holiday which will falls on February 10.

The tickets would be available at schools, colleges and universities at a 10 per cent discount, said vice head of the station Phung Thi Ly Ha.

They were available at Ha Noi University, Ha Noi-based Banking Academy and National Economics University this week and would be at the University of Transport and Communications and Ha Noi National University of Education next week.

Students would be required to show their IDs and student cards to buy tickets at discount prices.

Ha Noi National University of Education student Tuan Anh said he always had trouble getting tickets to his hometown in central Nghe An Province.

"Last year I had to buy a ticket to Vinh Station and take a bus to my house, which is 130km away from the station as all tickets had been sold out. I had to spend a night at the station and was overcharged to get a bus ticket," he said.

"I hope this year will be better," he said.

Student union secretary Le Xuan Quang said most students were from central regions and were used to being crammed on buses before Tet.

This year the school had arranged for 45-seat buses to pick up students at schools, Quang said. The price would likely be VND10,000 (US$0.45) higher but students would avoid unlicensed buses.

The railway station had sold 30,00 tickets for Tet travel since they went on sale in early December.

Source: VNS