The Hoa Phuong Do (Red Flamboyant Flower), a special train developed by Vietnam Railways in collaboration with Hai Phong City, aims to offer a new travel experience and celebrate the 70th anniversary of the city’s liberation (1955 - 2025).

The train features 20 modern carriages with elegant interiors that reflect the rich history, cultural diversity, and unique architectural blend of Hai Phong.

Among them are two 34-seat VIP carriages — the first of their kind in Vietnam’s railway system — designed in the elegant Indochine style.

The train also includes 56-seat carriages with 180-degree rotating seats, as well as 64-seat standard carriages offering flexible fares to accommodate different travel needs.

A '10-out-of-10' train

“What impressed me the most was the interior, the space is totally different from other trains,” Nguyen Thuy Linh, one of the first passengers on May 10 recalled.

“The onboard services and staff are very friendly and attentive. I give the train 10 out of 10.”

Even though he had already learned about the train through local media, Pham Tri Dung from Hai Phong was still surprised.

“The ticket price of VND250,000-300,000 [US$9.63-11.56] for a VIP seat is very reasonable,” he commented.

“It’s a nice place for taking photos, plus there are drinks and music."

Meanwhile, Ngoc Anh, a content creator, hoped the Hoa Phuong Do train will help attract more tourists to food tours, historical sites, and tourist attractions in the port city.

“The must-try dishes include banh da cua (crab noodle soup), bun ca cay (spicy fish noodle soup), banh mi que (baguette sticks), and banh cuon Hai Phong (Hai Phong-style steamed rice rolls),” Anh introduced.

A unique tourism product

According to Vietnam Railways, the Hanoi - Hai Phong railway route served more than 1.53 million passengers in 2024, bringing in over VND109 billion ($4.1 million) in revenue.

Launching the high-quality Hoa Phuong Do train service shows a strong commitment to changing business mindsets, improving service quality, and enhancing passenger experiences.

Currently, the Hanoi - Hai Phong route runs four round trips per day, increasing to six on weekends, holidays, and Tet (Lunar New Year).

According to Hoang Gia Khanh, general director of Vietnam Railways, the train is no longer just a means of transportation but a unique tourism product connected to the city, which is famous for its red flamboyant flowers every summer.

"The Hoa Phuong Do train will become an essential part of the journey to discovering the beauty of Vietnam, especially the port city of Hai Phong," Khanh shared.

In the future, Vietnam Railways will continue to work with localities to offer passengers more cultural and historical experiences on the train.

This will help promote Vietnamese culture and tourism, as well as showcase the beauty of Vietnam and its people to the world.