The Vietnamese railways are an excellent, safe and comfortable way of getting around and seeing Vietnam at ground level. The main line links Hanoi, Hue, Danang, Nha Trang, and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). There is also a railway between Hanoi and Haiphong... The Reunification Express? Trains between Hanoi and Saigon are sometimes referred to as the 'Reunification Express' by guide books or tourist agencies. However, there are now many trains on this route and no single train officially carries this name.
Vietnam Railways - Reunification Express Train - Internal Train Timetable
Overview
The Vietnamese railways are an excellent, safe and comfortable way of getting around and seeing Vietnam at ground level.
The main line links Hanoi, Hue, Danang, Nha Trang, and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). There is also a railway between Hanoi and Haiphong.
In case you were wondering, 'Ho Chi Minh City' is the name of the whole conurbation - 'Saigon' is still the name of the city itself, and it is 'Saigon' which appears in the railway timetables and on the station name boards...
Train S3 from Hanoi to Saigon passes through the lush green hills between Hué and Danang. This is the most scenic section of line, running along the coast past bays and islands and through the hills. The train travels at low speed up the fierce gradients, with an assisting locomotive at the rear and people sitting on the roof..!
Vietnamese trains have seven types of accommodation:
- Soft class 4-berth sleepers - air-conditioned
- Soft class 4-berth sleepers - without air-conditioning
- Hard class 6-berth sleepers - air-conditioned
- Hard class 6-berth sleepers - without air-conditioning
- Air-conditioned soft class reclining seats
- Ordinary soft class seats
- Hard class seats
Soft class 4-berth sleeper, most modern type on trains SE1-SE6. The other two berths are just out of shot to the left
The best and fastest train in Vietnam is train E1 (Southbound) / E2 (Northbound) introduced in 2002. This train uses the most modern rolling stock, with large picture windows unobstructed by the wire mesh that protects most other trains' windows from stones. Choose this train if you can, but it's proving very popular, and it's often difficult to get berths on unless you book well in advance.
The second best train in Vietnam is train S1 (Southbound) / S2 (Northbound), pictured below left. The S1/S2 coaches are all refurbished and painted red whereas most other Vietnamese trains are green. The next best train is the S3 / S4. Each of these trains has a full range of classes of accommodation. Other trains generally use rolling stock that is much older.
Timetable for passenger trains on Ho Chi Minh city - Ha Noi railway line
( trains named SE2, SE4, SE6, TN4, TN6, TN8, TN10, Đ2, SN2 )

| Station name |
Trains evening Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) - Ha Noi |
| Train Name |
SE2 |
SE4 |
SE6 |
TN4 |
TN6 |
TN8 |
TN10 |
Đ2 |
SN2 |
| Itinerary |
33h00 |
29h00 |
30h30 |
38h00 |
40h40 |
39h25 |
42h05 |
|
|
| Sài Gòn |
19.00 |
23.00 |
15.00 |
13.30 |
15.50 |
19.50 |
14.00 |
10.40 |
18.00 |
| Biên Hòa |
19.45 |
- |
- |
14.11 |
16.33 |
20.41 |
14.43 |
11.26 |
18.47 |
| Mương Mán |
- |
- |
18.10 |
17.23 |
19.55 |
0.20 |
22.05 |
14.48 |
22.05 |
| Tháp Chàm |
- |
- |
20.22 |
19.51 |
22.36 |
3.11 |
21.28 |
17.26 |
02.19 |
| Nha Trang |
02.55 |
05.53 |
21.49 |
22.25 |
00.29 |
04.47 |
23.29 |
19.27 |
04.15 |
| Ninh Hòa |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
20.48 |
- |
| Giã |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
22.13 |
- |
| Tuy Hòa |
- |
- |
23.47 |
00.42 |
02.59 |
07.18 |
02.02 |
23.27 |
- |
| La Hai |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
00.23 |
- |
| Diêu Trì |
06.36 |
09.14 |
01.26 |
02.30 |
04.56 |
09.36 |
03.53 |
01.32 |
- |
| Phù Cát |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
02.19 |
- |
| Bồng Sơn |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
03.20 |
- |
| Đức Phổ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
04.20 |
- |
| Quảng Ngãi |
09.46 |
- |
- |
05.38 |
08.26 |
13.32 |
07.06 |
05.12 |
- |
| Núi Thành |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
06.00 |
- |
| Tam Kỳ |
11.03 |
- |
- |
06.50 |
09.53 |
15.05 |
08.24 |
06.32 |
- |
| Trà Kiệu |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
07.18 |
- |
| Đà Nẵng |
12.38 |
14.15 |
06.31 |
08.29 |
11.53 |
16.42 |
10.10 |
09.06 |
- |
| Lăng Cô |
- |
- |
- |
- |
13.41 |
18.30 |
- |
- |
- |
| Huế |
15.30 |
16.52 |
09.10 |
11.58 |
15.05 |
19.52 |
13.46 |
- |
- |
| Đông Hà |
16.45 |
- |
- |
13.22 |
16.28 |
21.14 |
15.15 |
- |
- |
| Đồng Hới |
18.33 |
19.38 |
12.08 |
15.24 |
18.54 |
23.10 |
17.24 |
- |
- |
| Đồng Lê |
- |
- |
- |
17.30 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Hương Phố |
- |
- |
- |
18.52 |
- |
02.37 |
- |
- |
- |
| Yên Trung |
- |
- |
- |
20.00 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Vinh |
22.24 |
23.12 |
15.47 |
20.43 |
00.32 |
04.13 |
23.38 |
- |
- |
| Thanh Hóa |
00.47 |
- |
18.02 |
23.36 |
04.05 |
07.10 |
03.31 |
- |
- |
| Bỉm Sơn |
- |
- |
- |
- |
04.52 |
- |
04.19 |
- |
- |
| Ninh Bình |
- |
- |
- |
00.53 |
05.38 |
08.37 |
05.08 |
- |
- |
| Nam Định |
02.24 |
- |
19.47 |
01.32 |
06.19 |
09.16 |
05.51 |
- |
- |
| Phủ Lý |
- |
- |
- |
- |
07.11 |
09.59 |
06.38 |
- |
- |
| Giáp Bát |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Hà Nội |
04.00 |
04.30 |
21.30 |
03.30 |
08.40 |
11.15 |
08.05 |
- |
- |
Note: Trains don't stop to get and return guest at stations marked "-"
Timetable for passenger trains on Ha Noi - Ho Chi Minh city railway line
( trains named SE1, SE3, SE5, TN3, TN5, TN7, TN9, Đ1, SN1 )

| Station name |
Trains evening Ha Noi - Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) |
| Train Name |
SE1 |
SE3 |
SE5 |
TN3 |
TN5 |
TN7 |
TN9 |
Đ1 |
SN1 |
| Itinerary |
33h00 |
29h30 |
30h30 |
28h00 |
40h40 |
39h25 |
42h05 |
|
|
| Hà Nội |
19.00 |
23.00 |
15.00 |
13.30 |
15.50 |
19.50 |
14.00 |
- |
- |
| Giáp Bát |
- |
- |
- |
- |
16.01 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Phủ Lý |
- |
- |
- |
14.33 |
16.54 |
- |
15.03 |
- |
- |
| Nam Định |
20.56 |
- |
16.32 |
15.08 |
17.28 |
21.47 |
15.38 |
- |
- |
| Ninh Bình |
- |
- |
- |
15.40 |
18.03 |
22.18 |
16.09 |
- |
- |
| Bỉm Sơn |
- |
- |
- |
16.18 |
- |
- |
16.50 |
- |
- |
| Thanh Hóa |
22.31 |
- |
18.04 |
16.57 |
19.25 |
23.34 |
17.32 |
- |
- |
| Vinh |
00.53 |
04.09 |
20.13 |
19.36 |
22.21 |
02.26 |
20.33 |
- |
- |
| Yên Trung |
- |
- |
- |
20.06 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Hương Phố |
- |
- |
- |
21.55 |
- |
03.57 |
- |
- |
- |
| Đồng Lê |
- |
- |
- |
23.07 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Đồng Hới |
04.42 |
07.44 |
23.56 |
00.49 |
02.51 |
06.53 |
02.05 |
- |
- |
| Đông Hà |
06.44 |
- |
- |
02.56 |
05.01 |
09.06 |
04.21 |
- |
- |
| Huế |
08.05 |
10.29 |
02.49 |
04.20 |
06.21 |
11.12 |
05.42 |
- |
- |
| Lăng Cô |
09.33 |
- |
- |
- |
07.56 |
12.59 |
- |
- |
- |
| Đà Nẵng |
10.54 |
12.51 |
05.14 |
07.26 |
09.31 |
14.45 |
08.58 |
06.40 |
- |
| Trà Kiệu |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
07.30 |
- |
| Tam Kỳ |
12.26 |
- |
- |
09.15 |
11.27 |
16.34 |
10.52 |
08.30 |
- |
| Núi Thành |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
09.14 |
- |
| Quảng Ngãi |
13.37 |
- |
07.56 |
10.39 |
12.58 |
17.52 |
12.36 |
10.15 |
- |
| Đức Phổ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
11.04 |
- |
| Bồng Sơn |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
12.54 |
- |
| Phù Cát |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
13.58 |
- |
| Diêu Trì |
16.31 |
18.10 |
10.45 |
13.54 |
16.08 |
20.58 |
15.43 |
14.30 |
- |
| La Hai |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
15.57 |
- |
| Tuy Hòa |
18.25 |
- |
- |
16.01 |
19.03 |
23.09 |
17.55 |
16.49 |
- |
| Giã |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
18.04 |
- |
| Ninh Hòa |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
18.37 |
- |
| Nha Trang |
20.26 |
21.44 |
14.20 |
18.23 |
22.28 |
02.06 |
20.47 |
19.23 |
18.15 |
| Tháp Chàm |
22.05 |
- |
15.50 |
20.17 |
00.53 |
04.03 |
23.54 |
21.43 |
19.57 |
| Mương Mán |
- |
- |
18.06 |
22.52 |
04.03 |
06.49 |
03.08 |
02.25 |
23.52 |
| Biên Hòa |
- |
- |
- |
02.35 |
07.34 |
10.11 |
06.42 |
05.38 |
03.28 |
| Sài Gòn |
04.00 |
04.30 |
21.30 |
03.30 |
08.30 |
11.05 |
07.40 |
06.25 |
04.15 |
Note: Trains don't stop to get and return guest at stations marked "-"
 |
 |
 |
| Trains SE1-SE6 |
Modern reclining seats on trains SE1-SE6. Note the TV entertainment screens..! |
Soft class 4-berth sleeper, most modern type on trains SE1-SE6. The other two berths are just out of shot to the left |
 |
 |
 |
| Trains SE1-SE6 have the most modern coaches |
A hard class non-AC sleeper with 6 bunks. The other three bunks are just out of shot to the left. |
Standing in the corridor of an older hard class sleeper |
|