Archived News: Phan Thiet Railway (Train)

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Trains to Phan Thiet Further Improve

27.02.07 A new "deluxe" express train will begin service on the Ho Chi Minh City – Phan Thiet route on March 1. There will be one round trip per day. It will leave HCMC at 6:15 am and reach Phan Thiet at 9:45 am. It will continue to Nha Trang where it will arrive at 1:33 pm. The train can carry up to 360 passengers and has a restaurant and bar, "healthcare center", "conference center", and "massage parlor".

A HCMC - Phan Thiet return ticket will cost VND350,000 (US$21.8) for a "Five-star Club seat", VND250,000 for a "Deluxe seat", and VND160,000 for a Standard seat. A return ticket to Nha Trang costs VND900,000 ($61.5) for a Five-star Club seat, VND660,000 for a Deluxe seat, and VND440,000 for a Standard seat. The operators are offering discounts for International Women’s Day, on March 8.

Tickets can be booked at www.5starexpress.com.vn.

More Trains Between Saigon & Phan Thiet

03.08.06 Saigon Railway Transport Corporation will add two more connections for the Saigon – Phan Thiet route, beginning August 18, in order to meet the rising demands of tourists and residents.

"PT1" will start at Phan Thiet Railway Station at 2:30 am and arrive in Saigon at 7:00 am. "PT2" will start at Saigon Railway Station at 4:30 pm and arrive in Phan Thiet at 9:30 pm.

The Saigon Railway Transport Corporation reportedly has transported more than 50,000 passengers in the past three months, between Ho Chi Minh City and Phan Thiet. However, they have met only 70% of the demand of passengers, according to corporate officials.

While the train is slower and more expensive than traveling by bus, many people find the trip more enjoyable.

Details Firming Up for Saigon-Phan Thiet Train

18.04.06 Saigon Transport Company will open the new Ho Chi Minh City – Phan Thiet train route on April 29. The train is expected to set out from Saigon Railway Station at 7am and arrive in Phan Thiet at 11am and then return from Phan Thiet at 2pm to Saigon at 6pm on the same day. A typical bus trip from Saigon to Mui Ne is 3.5 hours. Each train can accommodate 486 passengers. The train will have air-conditioning and soundproofing equipment. Passengers will be given free food and information about tourism in Vietnamese and English. A single ticket will cost between VND 50,000 and 100,000. Although not clear, foreign tourists are likely to pay the latter. A typical bus ticket from Saigon to Mui Ne is VND 75,000.

The company plans to build a new Phan Thiet railway station near National Highway One, in the third quarter of the year, with a total investment of VND 27 billion.

The company has bought 20 new buses to take tourists from the station to resorts in Phan Thiet and Mui Ne. The bus fare per person has been previously reported as an additional VND 15,000 fee. Passengers should expect at least a 20 minute bus ride to their acommodations.

Tickets for Ho Chi Minh City – Phan Thiet railway route on April 29 and 30 have sold out.

Phan Thiet Railway Opening Delayed Until
Reunification Day

25.03.06 The new railways from Saigon to Phan Thiet has been delayed a month, and is expected to open on Viet Nam’s Reunification Day (April 30); a fitting day indeed. The daily trains are scheduled to depart at 7:00 a.m. from the Saigon Railway Station and 2:00 p.m. from the Phan Thiet Railway Station. Each trip will take a about four hours (about the same time as a bus trip).

Some of the details, however, raise questions as to whether this is truly a new train service aimed at foreign tourists, or just the same train service Phan Thiet locals already had, with more hype. Ticket prices are reportedly set at 60,000 VND (3.7 USD) per passenger, which seems too low for foreign tourists (the going price for foreigner bus tickets from Saigon to Phan Thiet is 75,000 VND, comparitively, while Vietnamese nationals typically pay 50,000-60,000 VND). The company claims it will work with coach operators in Phan Thiet to transport tourists from the station to Ne Cape (Mui Ne Village), 25 kilometres away from Phan Thiet, for 15,000 VND (0.94 USD) per passenger. Again however, this seems oddly below going rates for foreigner transport between Phan Thiet and Mui Ne.

Update on Phan Thiet Railway

13.03.06 The Phan Thiet railway stating is now reporting that a new tourist train from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet will be operation by April 1. The train is expected to set out from Saigon Railway Station at 7am and arrive in Phan Thiet at 11am and then return from Phan Thiet at 2pm to Saigon at 6pm on the same day. Transport by car and motorbike will be available from the station to Mui Ne. Click here for Vietnam Train Schedules.

Possible Upgrade to Phan Thiet Train Stop

06.03.06 Saigon Railway, Binh Thuan Officials and several tour companies plan to re-establish the rail link between HCMC and Phan Thiet by the summer of 2006, according to the Saigon Times Daily. Technically there is already rail service to Phan Thiet, but it is very inconvenient. Travelers must first reach Muong Man and then buy a second ticket to Phan Thiet. Muong Man is an hour's drive from Mui Ne, but travelers frequently wait several hours for the connecting train to Phan Thiet. Most tour companies discourage tourists from traveling by the government-run train system; preferring to make higher profits by selling tickets for private busses. Click here for Vietnam Train Schedules.