The new general director of the Vietnam Railways Corporation (VRC) Vu Ta Tung vowed to improve customer service, which has been widely complained about in the past.

Vu Ta Tung, new General Director of Vietnam Railway Corporation

“We are aware of the importance of putting customer first when it comes to the development of the country’s railway sector,” Tung said.

He noted that the group has seen a long-term decrease in the market share, from 60% before 1975 to just 10% today.

He added that trains still rank among the most popular means of transport, and it is time to increase standards in the sector, and in order to achieve this goal, there will need to be changes in pricing and staff behaviour. To this end, he called for support to attract more investment into the sector.

“It’s obvious that private investment will flow into profitable sectors. So, in order to attract more investment, we need to make the sector more attractive,” he said.

New hopes of fostering the development of Vietnam’s railway sector

He said that, besides making a profit, VRC is also trying to maintain their social responsibilities, including the transport of goods to remote areas.

Currently only three railway routes, namely Saigon-Nha Trang, Hanoi-Vinh and Hanoi-Lao Cai are operating efficiently, while the five remaining routes are incurring major losses, requiring government compensation.

“Our goal will be to put the customer first in all our business strategies. We also need our leaders and staff members to try to really understand the customers' needs in order to better serve them," he added.