The Southern Airports Services JSC (SASCO) has suggested investing VND15 billion (US$660,000) in renovating a part of the Saigon Railway Station in Ho Chi Minh City to improve the travel experience of rail passengers. The makeover will cover the entire first and second floors of the station, with the aim of transforming the location into an airport-quality services center where passengers can find all they need for a comfortable ride. This includes additions such as retail stores, coffee shops, restaurants and business lounges alongside existing ticket counters and seating areas. If approved, the project would break ground as early as in the first quarter of 2018 and be finished no later than Q2, according to SASCO’s general director Doan Thi Mai Huong. No alterations would be made to the load-bearing structural design of the building, and normal operations at the station can still be ongoing during the process, Huong said. A model in perspective of the renovated interior of the Saigon Railway Station in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: SASCO According to the general director, the first floor of the Saigon Railway Station currently operates at its maximum capacity for only up to three months a year during peak travel seasons, while at other times it is almost empty. Therefore, SASCO suggests moving the ticket counters on the ground floor to the first floor and surround it with the aforementioned services to fully utilize the free space. The addition of business lounges is expected to attract more first-class travelers, who… [Read full story]
Nhan Dan Online - Free Wi-Fi access has been introduced at the Saigon Railway Station in Ho Chi Minh City as a joint initiative of station administrators and Meganet, an IT firm. The wireless service, covering passenger lounges and areas near platforms, can serve up to 800 clients simultaneously. The service is also planned for other busy railway stations, including those in Nha Trang, Dieu Tri and Da Nang. In recent years, smartphones have become increasingly popular in Vietnam. Free internet connectivity at railway stations would allow passengers to use their devices while waiting for their trains. According to a…... [read more]
Saigon Railway Station sold over 7.21 million shares to 20 investors at its initial public offering (IPO) on December 7, equal to 14.33 per cent of its charter capital. VietinBank Securities, one of two organizers of the IPO, revealed that the 20 investors had registered to buy 7,834,500 shares; 8.7 per cent higher than that sold. The average price of each share was VND10,016 ($0.44), with a high of VND18,000 ($0.8), while the starting price, and lowest price, was VND10,000 ($0.445). The IPO therefore brought in VND72 billion ($3.2 million). Post-IPO the station will have charter capital of VND503.1 billion…... [read more]
Saigon Railway Station will be using different modes to sell train tickets for Tet Lunar New Year holiday season such as direct purchase from the train station, through its agencies, online bookings and home delivery, said Nguyen Van Thanh, head of the station. Online purchase of tickets can be made via website www.vetau.com.vn and customers can pay at the station counter or via ATM of the Vietnam Bank for Industry and Trade. Tickets can be collected two hours prior to departure. Train tickets for travel dates before January 31, 2013 or day 20 of the 12th Lunar month will be…... [read more]
Saigon Railways Station will begin selling train tickets for the Lunar New Year season on November 21. Train fares for groups and people under preferential treatment policy will be sold from January 1-15, 2015. Accordingly, a group includes 20 people or above who have same departure and arrival destinations, a letter from the company confirming the employment status of the group members and also the identity papers of the group members. People under preferential treatment policy are Vietnamese heroic mothers, children with disabilities, disabled people, war veterans, wounded soldiers, the elderly. In order to restrict speculation in train tickets, the…... [read more]
Saigon railway station will today sell 1,200-1,300 tickets to passengers booking via SMS for January 22, 2009, it said Friday. The Saigon Railway Transport Company has been selling tickets to people traveling during Tet, the Lunar New Year festival, and said it sold around 1,200 tickets Friday to passengers leaving on January 21. Tickets for the period from January 19 to 21 have almost been sold out, it said. Only a few dozen tickets for January 16 to 18 are still available to each destination, it added. Reported by Mai Vong... [read more]