All North-South trains to be installed with wifi in 2019

In addition, VNR plans to send mobile text messages to its customers in case of any incident so that passengers can take the initiative in travelling.

Head of VNR's member council, Vu Anh Minh, said that the VNR has carried out pilot wifi service on some of its trains since 2015 and it is working with Mobifone and Viettel to provide the service on all North-South trains this year.

"VNR is making every effort to lower transport costs and when a serious incident occurs, it will make a plan to transship and clear the railway as soon as possible," Minh affirmed.

The VNR has set a target of increasing its output by 8% and its revenue by 7% in 2019 despite the increasing competition from low-cost airlines and road, sea and waterway transport.

The railways is expected to gradually replace outdated and small-sized wagons and trains with a total cost of VND4.7 trillion (US$202.1 million) by 2020, in an attempt to enhance its quality, efficiency and competitiveness.