Nghe An: Busy train stations and airports after Tet holiday

On January 26 (January 5), the last day of Tet holiday, thousands of peopleNghe AnPeople gather at train stations, airports... to return to their homes and workplaces on time, making these places always busy and bustling.

The train waiting area at Vinh Station was crowded on the evening of January 26. Photo: QA

Specifically, on the evening of January 26, at Vinh Station, a large number of passengers poured in, luggage carts were full of belongings, and people were getting on and off. Most of them were passengers boarding trains for Vinh - Hanoi, Vinh - Saigon... This is one of the times when railway transport has strongly recovered after many interruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 and 2022.

The trolleys at Vinh Station are always full of people's luggage after Tet. Photo: QA

Statistics from Vinh Railway Transport Station show that on normal days, Vinh Station receives about 700 - 1,000 passengers getting on and off, but on the days before and after Tet, the number of passengers increases by 4 - 5 times. For example, on January 26, the number of passengers getting on and off Vinh Station was about 4,500, of which 3,500 passengers boarded trains leaving their hometowns to return to other provinces and cities.

Faced with the surge in passengers, the Railway industry has a plan to increase trains to serve people's travel needs after Tet. Mr. Cao Ngoc Tuan - Head of Vinh Railway Transport Station said: If on normal days, the Thong Nhat train route has 5 fixed train pairs, this Tet holiday has increased 9 train pairs, of which, the Vinh - Ho Chi Minh City route alone has increased 2 pairs, including SE13/14 and SE15/16; for the Vinh - Hanoi route, in addition to the fixed NA 1/2 train pair, there are also 5 additional train pairs. These are the 2 routes with the highest number of passengers.

Nghe An people flock to trains to return to their hometowns and work after Tet. Photo: QA

Despite the surge in passenger numbers, there was no congestion or jostling at Vinh Station. Passengers getting on and off the train were given detailed instructions by station staff to ensure safety, especially keeping the required distance when the train entered the station.

Vinh Airport was equally bustling. On the last day of Tet holiday, the check-in and waiting areas were always packed with people. Many people said that because they anticipated the high number of passengers, they came earlier than usual to complete the procedures and avoid any mistakes before the flight took off.

Passengers crowded at Vinh Airport after Tet. Photo: QA

Mr. Hoang Van Thu - Director of Vinh Airport said that while on normal days, Vinh Airport has about 50 take-offs and landings, the number of flights doubles before and after Tet, equivalent to about 100 take-offs and landings, serving over 10,000 passengers per day. In particular, the flights with the highest number of passengers are Vinh - Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh - Hanoi... To better serve the travel needs of passengers after Tet, the airport has arranged and increased human resources and vehicles, ensuring security, safety and order on flights.

According to statistics, in 2022, Vinh Airport will welcome 2.65 million passengers, an increase of 80% compared to 2020 and 2021 and an increase of 30% compared to 2019 - the time before the Covid-19 outbreak. After trade and travel activities return to normal, Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV) is planning to expand and upgrade to strive to reach 3 million passengers in 2023 and 4 million passengers by 2025.

Not only at the train station and airport, the bus station is also bustling with passengers. Mr. Nguyen Duc Tu - Head of Bac Vinh Bus Station said: This year, the epidemic is under control, people's travel needs have increased the most in the past 3 years. Therefore, all the vehicles at the station have been operating at full capacity to serve the needs of passengers during Tet. From the 3rd day of Tet, the number of passengers has gradually increased, peaking on the 4th and 5th day of Tet, buses on the Vinh - Hanoi, Vinh - Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh - Da Nang routes... are basically full. Passengers must contact to book tickets in advance to get tickets because the travel demand is at its peak these days.

Passengers waiting for buses at Bac Vinh Bus Station after Tet. Photo: QA

Not only inter-provincial passenger transport but also other intra-provincial means of transport such as buses, taxis, motorbike taxis... also saw a significant increase in the number of passengers on the last day of Tet holiday. This is considered the most prosperous time for the passenger transport industry after more than 2 years of being heavily affected by the Covid-19 epidemic.