The Da Nang Railway Station has opened ticket sales for the Lunar New Year (Tet) in 2022 over the past two days but its counters have seen with only two inquirers, of whom, only one bought train tickets, in contrast to the crowded scene of previous years before COVID-19.

Picture was taken at the Da Nang Railway Station on Tuesday morning, November 16. Photo: THANH LAN

Demand for train tickets for the upcoming Tet Holiday is plunging due to fears of contagion amid the complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country, an official of the Da Nang Railway Station said.

Many people are reluctant to buy train tickets as they cannot decide whether or not to return to their hometowns to celebrate Tet with their family due to COVID-19.

Close to 36,000 tickets for 4 pairs of trains namely SE1/2, SE3/4, SE5/6, SE7/8 on the North-South route and trains SE21/ 22 on the Ho Chi Minh City- Da Nang route are being sold during the first phase of opening ticket sales for Tet, while 90,000 seats and 120,000 ones for trains running on these routes were offered before and after Tet respectively in the previous year.

Strictest health and safe measures are being put in place at nationwide railway stations during their launching ticket sales for Tet, allowing space for social distancing between ticket buyers in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus.

Train tickets are being sold at a 10% discount in the first 10 days while college and university students receive an additional 20% saving off their ticket prices. In addition, customers who buy return tickets receive an additional 5% discount, buy off-peak bargains and get 40% off ticket prices. Currently, peak day tickets for trains on the north-south route are sold at between VND 1.8 million and VND 2.3 million on average.

This year’s Tet trains are expected to run from January 20 to February 13, 2022, and their running schedule is divided into three phases. Before Tet, the trains will run from January 20 to 29, 2022 (from the 18^th to 27^th dates of the 12^th lunar month), during the Tet from January 30 to February 3, 2022 (the 28^th day of the 12^th lunar month to the 3^rd day of the 1^st lunar month, after Tet from February 4 to 13, 2022 (from the 4^th to 13^rd dates of the 1^st lunar month).

You can buy tickets for train travel on the Viet Nam rail network at stations and ticket offices nationwide or via the Internet at the following websites: www. dsvn.vn, www.vetauonline.vn, and www.vetau.com.vn .

Reporting by THANH LAN – Translating by H.L