Railway station chief rejects rumors of tourist steam train service in Vietnam’s Gia Lai

Nguyen Trieu Tu, chief of Quy Nhon Station, said on Saturday that claims about preparations for a tourist steam train service in the area were inaccurate.

Over the past few days, social media users have speculated that Gia Lai Province is planning to launch a steam train route for tourists between Quy Nhon and Dieu Tri after a steam-powered locomotive was seen operating on tracks near Quy Nhon Station.

The restored locomotive, freshly repainted and refurbished, attracted significant attention and curiosity from local residents.

Tu said the locomotive belongs to a railway tourism company that is currently conducting test operations on the Quy Nhon-Dieu Tri route under a service contract.

According to him, the trial runs are intended for technical inspections and driver certification training for the company’s locomotive operators.

The testing activities are expected to continue until the end of this month, after which the steam locomotive will be transferred to Da Nang City in central Vietnam to operate on a tourist railway route between Hue and Da Nang.

The locomotive is owned by private railway operator Revolution Express. 

Built in 1960 based on the French Mikado design, the steam engine was recently restored.