Viet Nam, China to resume cross-border passenger train service from May 25

There will be two trains - MR1 and MR2 - departing from Ha Noi's Gia Lam station to China's Nanning station and vice versa daily.

Specifically, train MR1 will depart from Gia Lam station at 9:20 pm and arrive at Nanning station at 10:06 am the next day. In the opposite direction, train MR2 will depart from Nanning station at 6:05 pm and arrive at Gia Lam station at 5:30 am the next day.

Passengers will complete immigration procedures at Dong Dang - Lang Son station (Viet Nam) and Pingxiang - Guangxi (China).

In particular, from May 27, the railway industry of the two countries will operate direct trains from Gia Lam Station (Ha Noi) to Beijing Station (China) and vice versa.

A one-way ticket for the Ha Noi - Nanning route is about VND 1 million (US$38.5), the Ha Noi - Beijing route about VND9.37 million. Free tickets are available for children under 4 years old, and 50 percent off for those from 4 to 12 years old. Each adult is allowed to bring one child, groups of six or more people are 25 percent off tickets.

Currently, the Viet Nam Railways Corporation sells tickets for the cross-border routes at Ha Noi, Gia Lam, Bac Giang, and Dong Dang stations. 

The operation of cross-border passenger trains between Viet Nam and China is carried out based on the Viet Nam-China Border Railway Agreement signed in 1992. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ha Noi-Nanning trains ran daily.

Viet Nam Railways said the service resumption is intended to strengthen economic ties with China, optimize the use of cross-border rail infrastructure, and offer new travel options to international tourists arriving by train. To ensure smooth operations, the corporation has worked with Chinese authorities to streamline immigration checks for passengers. Both sides will monitor demand in the coming months and consider adjusting service frequency as needed./