Choo choo! Here come the 5-star trains that will change how Vietnamese travel

(ThanhNienNews, Feb 07 2015)
Comfortable seats? Check.

Clean bathrooms? Check.

Bunks? Cleanly white and totally bug-free.

Welcome aboard to Vietnam’s first trains that are equipped with five-star services!

A 31-hour trip between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City has never been more comfortable. 

And there is no fare hike. 

Two north-south trains have recently been put back in operation, after a VND83 billion (US$3.84 million) upgrade. Fares on the SE3 and SE4 are unchanged. 

The captain of SE3 and his crew line up to welcome their passengers aboard. The train leaves Hanoi at 10 p.m. and arrives at HCMC’s Railway Station about 31 hours later, usually at 5:30 a.m. It has 13 cars, including two with dining facilities.  

Each train has 31 crew members who are well-dressed and had to go through “strict” training sessions before landing the jobs. 

It costs VND1.2 million ($55.5) to get a soft seat in an air-conditioned car that is also equipped with TVs. The floor is made from aluminum for better sound-proofing, and is covered with a Japanese-imported mat. 

A six-sleeper compartment costs VND1.5 million per bed. Blankets, pillow covers and mattresses are brand-new and always checked before boarding time.  

The most luxury car has four bunks in each compartment that charges VND1.7 million each.

At a dining car, food prices are also the same: VND30,000 ($1.4) for noodles, VND35,000 for rice dishes, and VND12,000-25,000 for coffee, beer and cokes.