Passengers at Sài Gòn Railway Station in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photos

HCM CITY — Việt Nam’s railway sector will operate 906 passenger trains during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tết) holiday in 2026 to meet the surge in travel demand, according to the Việt Nam Railway Transport Joint Stock Company.

Speaking on January 20, the company’s General Director Đào Anh Tuấn said the trains will run mainly on the Hà Nội-HCM City route, providing around 384,000 long-distance seats.

This represents an increase of about seven per cent in both the number of trains and available seats compared to the 2025 Tết holiday.

The Lunar New Year transport plan for Tết Bính Ngọ 2026 will be implemented from February 3 to March 8, corresponding to the 16th day of the 12th lunar month of the Year of the Snake to the 20th day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Horse.

In addition to regular passenger services, the railway sector will continue operating high-end tourist carriages on the SE61/62 trains throughout the peak Tết period, aiming to improve service quality and travel comfort.

During the official Lunar New Year holiday, from February 14 to 22, additional short-distance trains will be arranged to meet increased travel demand for spring outings and family visits.

These services include five trains on the Sài Gòn-Nha Trang route, three on Sài Gòn-Tam Kỳ, three on Sài Gòn-Đà Nẵng, 14 on Hà Nội-Vinh, and two on Hà Nội-Đà Nẵng, offering approximately 9,700 extra seats.

As of January 19, about 227,000 Tết train tickets had been sold, equivalent to 40 per cent of ticket sales at the same time last year.

Tickets on southern routes during peak travel days before Tết, from February 7 to 14, and after Tết, from the fourth to the seventh day of the first lunar month, have already sold out.

The railway operator said that before Tết, tickets on the Sài Gòn-Hà Nội route for departures on or before February 7, as well as on February 15 and 16, are still available for all stations.

From February 10 to 14, there remains a considerable number of tickets to destinations such as Phan Thiết and Nha Trang.

Train travel demand is expected to increase during the upcoming Tết holiday.

After the holiday, tickets on the Hà Nội-Sài Gòn route from February 24 to March 8 remain widely available for travel to all stations.

Ticket prices for Tết Bính Ngọ 2026 have increased by an average of five to ten per cent compared to normal days.

The adjustment is attributed to rising input costs for materials and fuel, as well as the refurbishment and upgrading of more than 100 passenger carriages to enhance service quality.

To protect passengers’ rights and ensure safe travel during the Tết period, the railway sector has issued several recommendations.

Passengers are advised to purchase tickets only through official channels, including the railway’s websites at www.dsvn.vn, www.vetau.com.vn and www.vetauonline.vn; directly at railway stations, ticket counters and authorised agents; or via e-wallet applications such as MoMo, VnPay, ZaloPay, ShopeePay and ViettelPay, as well as official station ticket hotlines.

Ticket and personal identification checks will be strictly enforced at station entrances and train doors. Only passengers whose personal information matches that printed on their tickets will be permitted to board.

Passengers can verify the validity of their e-tickets by accessing the “ticket check” section at www.dsvn.vn and entering the required ticket information.

If the system confirms that the e-ticket is valid, passengers may travel as normal.

In cases where a ticket cannot be found, passengers are advised to contact the Hà Nội Station’s hotline at 1900 0109 or the Sài Gòn Station’s hotline at 1900 1520 for assistance. — VNS