The “Hanoi 5 Cua O” (Hanoi’s Five Gates) train, also known as The Hanoi Train, is drawing interest from visitors to the capital city, marking the first time a tourist train has been specially designed to showcase Hanoi’s culture through a railway journey.

The “Hanoi 5 Cua O” (Hanoi's Five Gates) train is drawing interest from visitors to the capital city.

Tao Duc Hiep, Chairman of BHL Tourism and Trade Services JSC, said that inspired by the five historic gates of Hanoi, this product aims to offer a heritage-themed experience on the Hanoi–Tu Son (Bac Ninh province) route.

It connects the capital with nearby heritage sites, bringing visitors back to the unique cultural values of the Kinh Bac area, dubbed the cradle of the Great Viet civilisation.

While many train routes previously served transportation needs, they are now part of integrated tourism products when combined with cultural exploration tours.

Experiential tourism through transportation, including metro and railway systems, not only allows visitors to “move” with urban rail and inner-city trains but also enhances the utilisation of this mode of transport.

Hanoi currently operates Metro Line 2A (Cat Linh – Ha Dong) and the elevated section of Metro Line 3 (Nhon – Hanoi Station).

Two tourism products have been developed along these lines: “Hanoi Metro Green Journey – Van Phuc Silk Village” and “Hanoi Metro Green Journey – Temple of Literature – Phu Luong Depot.”

These lines now serve not only as a means of transportation but also as cultural highlights connecting Hanoi’s famous tourist destinations.

According to Hung, Hanoi Metro aims to develop distinctive tourism products for the capital, expanding connections with shopping, culinary, and accommodation sites so that visitors can stay outside the city centre at lower costs.

The company is also developing apps and informational brochures, and has already introduced daily and weekly tickets to enhance the passenger experience.

For its part, the Vietnam Railways Corporation has improved service quality by upgrading passenger carriages with modern, comfortable interiors such as semi-automatic doors, LED screens, free Wi-Fi, and contemporary designs that reflect the diverse architecture and culture of localities, enhancing the travel experience.

In addition, the railway sector has invested in high-quality train services such as SE19/20, SE21/22, the ‘Hoa Phuong Do’ (Flamboyant Flower) train, the Hue–Da Nang Heritage train, the Sjourney trans-Vietnam train, and the La Reine train on the Da Lat–Trai Mat route.

It has also introduced community charter carriages and the premium ‘The Vietage’ carriage on the Da Nang–Quy Nhon route, as well as offering all-inclusive rail tours to destinations such as Hue, Da Nang, and Quang Binh.

Hoang Gia Khanh, General Director of the Vietnam Railways Corporation, shared that these innovations not only increase revenue but also expand the customer base, building the Vietnam Railways brand.

In the near future, the sector will continue to cooperate with localities to develop more region-specific products and services to meet market demand and stimulate tourism.

In addition, beyond on-train experiences, it is also working with the tourism sector to enhance railway stops. Stations such as Long Bien, Gia Lam, and Co Loa will be renovated into exhibition and cultural event spaces, while the Gia Lam locomotive factory will be transformed into a railway museum.

Through these initiatives, each station will serve as a stop and become a storytelling space, and each train as a way to experience the city’s distinct “heartbeat.”

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