HÀ NỘI — Vietnam Railway has warned passengers against booking on unofficial websites which offer tickets at much higher prices, the Tuổi trẻ (Youth) newspaper reports.

Tickets are sold on Vietnam Railway’s official online outlets including https://dsvn.vn and https://vetau.com.vn. However, there are some websites charging much higher prices compared to the ranges officially set by the company.

These websites have similar addresses to Vietnam Railway’s websites such as vietnam-rai…com or www.vietnam-rail...net, aiming to mislead customers, especially foreigners.

At vietnam-rail...com, for example, a ticket for a bed on the SE1 train from Hà Nội to HCM City is priced at US$92.56 (VNĐ2.1 million) with a 4 per cent service charge included.

Meanwhile, on Vietnam Railway’s official outlets, the same ticket is sold for VNĐ1.3 million ($55.9).

Vietnam Railway recommends passengers make bookings on its official outlets and its subsidiaries’ websites at www.vr.com.vn, https://dsvn.vn, Hà Nội Railway Company’s www.vantaiduongsathanoi.vn and Sài Gòn Railway Company’s https://saigonrailway.com.vn.

Passengers can also contact Vietnam Railway via Facebook at www.facebook.com/duongsathanoi and www.facebook.com/duongsatsg for information on routes, policies, regulations and promotions.

Passengers are asked to bring their ID cards, passports or driving licences when buying tickets. To avoid buying fake or invalid tickets, customers are recommended to make bookings at railway stations, official ticket offices and official outlets.

Last month, a Sài Gòn Station guard named Lê Toàn Trung was reported to have accepted money from passengers in exchange for tickets given to station staff at favourable price. He took the money without providing the tickets.

According to Nguyễn Văn Thành, director of Sài Gòn Station, Trung quit the job and police are investing the case.

As the Tết (Lunar New Year) holidays are approaching, the demand for rail tickets is rising, especially on routes from HCM City to Hà Nội before Tết and from Hà Nội to HCM City after the holiday. — VNS