The Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR) canceled a number of train trips scheduled for the Lunar New Year holiday, Tet, as scores of people changed or returned their booked train tickets amid fears over the resurgence of COVID-19.

According to VNR, the SE29 train departing from Hanoi station on February 8 will stop at Vinh station.

VNR will also stop certain other trains from operating comprising the SE30 departing from Saigon station on February 10, 19, and 20; the SE16 leaving Saigon station on February 19 and 20; the SE10 from Saigon station on February 27 and 28; the SE29 from Hanoi on February 21 and 22 and the SE15 from the Vinh station on February 20 and 21.

The passengers of canceled trains will be allowed to take their trips on other trains, said Tran Van Nam, head of VNR’s transportation department.

Earlier, the railway sector had provided optimal support for passengers who wanted to change or return the train tickets they had purchased to come home for the holiday.

For tickets bought from February 2 to 28, passengers were offered two options.

For the ticket change, VNR will keep the tickets for passengers for one year starting from the departure date printed on the tickets. Passengers will not be charged if they want to change the time of and reroute their trips. They only need to pay for the fare difference, if any.

Passengers requiring a ticket change should go to ticket counters at railway stations to get their tickets retained. The sector will pay the fare difference and refunds to passengers starting January 1, 2022.

Further, to share the pandemic-triggered financial burden with the railway sector, refunds for returned tickets will be conducted 90 days from the date passengers returned the tickets.