Information on D13E passenger workings please?

[Shovelluk]

Hi Guys

I am an English Rail fan and will be travelling to Vietnam in April, only to travel behind D13E class locomotives on passenger trains.

Can anyone tell me what pasenger trains the D13E locomotives work please? I understand from a friend that they work TN1/2 from Saigon to Nha Trang and return, is this still the case? If there are other passenger trains which the D13E work in the Siagon area could someone please advise. Further to this does anyone know what the D13E based at Vinh work? Do they work pasenger trains? If so which passenger trains do they work, from where to where?

Your help is greatly appreciated and any help will aid me in planning my trip.

Thank you, Jonathan Lee

[D9E-248]

Hello, I live in Nha Trang, Viet Nam, nice to meet you.
D13E in Saigon don't work TN1/2 any more. They work only pasenger trains SNT1/2 from Saigon to Nha Trang and return.
D13E in Vinh don't work pasenger trains, they work good trains only.
I prefer D13E like you, can we make friend?

[Shovelluk]

Thanks very much for your reply and confirmation. It's a shame the D13E only work the two pasenger trains. It's also a shame that they are both overnight trains only. However at least they work some passenger trains. I will have a good look at the timetable on the Vietnamese Railways website to see how easy it is to do these trains. Do you know what accommodation is available on them?

If you're around when i'm in Vietnam it would be nice to meet you. Feel free to e-mail me offline.

Cheers

Jonathan

[inzaghixx]

hello Mr.Lee:Big Grin: i would like to make friend with you too:Big Grin: i would be pleased if you agree to make friend with me and so that i can help you more and it will be the good way for me to practice english with you. Can you leave your e-mail,please:Big Grin:??

[Shovelluk]

Hi Guys

Can anyone please give me an update on which passenger trains the D13E curently work. Last time i was there they worked SNT1/2. My friends are there now and had one on SH2 yêsterday to Nha Trang. Are SH1/2 now regular workings for D13E? Where does the D13E work SH1/2 to and from? Does it work all the way to Hue? Are there any other passenger trains that D13E work? TN6 seems to have been reported recently with D13E?

Any information is greatly appreciated. I will be visiting Vietnam once again in June to travel behind D13E locomotives.

Thank you

Jonathan

[danhbaduongsat]

If you would like to see D13E diesel locomotive you had better check again train time table and arrival Sai Gon Railways Station and spend an afternoon to take photo of D13E. Quality of the train using D13E not different from D9E or until D19E because drive have to obey the speed rule of Vietnam Railways

[Kalos Nathan]

Actually, D13E locomotives still work with passenger train TN1/2 in the South, it depends on locomotive choosing order.

Normally, D13E in the North part of Vietnam works with freight trains only. However, during rush periods (like Tet holiday and nearby occasions), D13E in the North still pulls passenger trains.

This is an example that may help you understand more.

<embed src='http://www.youtube.com/v/http://www.youtube.com/v/H-jrnyrMU_8&autoplay=1' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='transparent' width='425' height='350'></embed>

This is a clip captured by mcuong158 in an effort to race with the train speed (about 60-70 km then). This blue D13E pulled a Tet-extra train.

http://www.youtube.com/v/H-jrnyrMU_8

And this is a clip captured by me myself, when a blue D13E pulled a stone train.

And last but not least, thanks for visiting our website. Btw, do you have a youtube channel?

[ozguy]

I have just returned from VN and rode on two separate trains, from Thap Cham to Hue and from Hue to Hanoi. I saw three different red and white D13E's, all pulling freight. No passenger trains. This doesn't mean that they aren't used, but not that often I think. I think the comments about use during Tet are probably pretty accurate. Most passenger seems to be hauled by D19E's (both types), and D20E's (north of Da Nang).

Some comments on Vietnamese passenger trains:

There was an article in a recent edition of Vietnam News (the English language newspaper you get on Vietnam Airlines). It complained about the poor standard of service provided by DSVN customer service staff, and the poor condition of much of the systems passenger fleet. As these comments were presumably approved by the Vietnamese Government it doesn't say much for the service itself.

My own recent experience pretty much echoed the comments in Vietnam News. Despite being booked on 'A' class sitting coaches, the journeys were extremely uncomfortable. 'A' class is supposed to be the equivelant of 'first class' on other systems. According to the board at Thap Cham it meant 'cold, soft seat' (I think it was supposed to be 'ariconditioned' rather than 'cold'). My two trips were about 14 hours and 13 hours. The first trip was in one of those 'Chinese green' type coaches, the second, a former 'Green Train' A coach had certainly seen better days. The sitting car seats are very odd. You can push them so far back that your head is almost in the lap of the person behind you! My travelling companion had to put up with this situation almost half the Thap Cham to Hue journey, until she asked the person in front of her to put her seat back up. The passenger had to be encouraged by several other passengers before she agreed to do so. If this is 'A' class I can't imagine what 'B' and 'C' are like!

Customer service on both trips was almost non existant. Staff stood and watched while passengers struggled with luggage from the low level platforms onto the coaches. Passengers were forced to search for their own seats, no help was provided.

Disputes over seats had to be sorted out by the passengers themselves with no staff help.

Most staff were unsmiling and uninterested, apparently only on board to sell snacks and food. The food on offer was very average. My companion, a Vietnamese national, wouldn't touch the stuff. No attempt was made to provide any more 'neutral' types of food which foreigners may have found more pallitable. (Don't get me wrong. I love Vietnamese food. This was just not very good.)

The ex 'Green Train' coach was dỉrty with the seat covers having a very 'oily' feel, presumably because it had been such a long time since they had been cleaned.

I understand that DSVN is part of a developing country, but even my travelling companion was appalled. The road coach we had travelled on from Saigon to Phan Rang was more comfortable and cheaper!

The article in Vietnam News pointed out that tourists will not put up with such a service and they are right.

We flew back from Hanoi to Saigon on Vietnam Airlines. What a difference!

Ozguy

Oh, and I wish they could do something about the brakes.

[danhbaduongsat]

For foreign tourist: you had better travel by softbed (4 bed/comp) everything will be little comfortable.
Travel from sort site had better by OPEN TOUR BUS, on the bus have English speaking staff and more clean.
From Hanoi-Saigon by air, had better by Vietnam Air, if you travel by Jetstar same same with train because of small seat and specially "oilly" of airplane.

Train, specially A, with hard seat without a/C for local people only, not clean.

[Shovelluk]

Hi Guys

I fly out in June for a week attempting to ride on D13E between Saigon & Nha Trang. Thanks very much for your previous replies to my quetions but does anyone know which trains the D13E work most regularly at the moment and how the locos are chosen for their trains each day? Is there any way of finding out from railway persons which locos will work which trains each day in advance?

It seems to me that SH1/2 & TN1/2 are the best options for D13E at the moment?

Many Thanks

Jonathan

[Ineritial QA]

Yes
During this time, D13E often pulls train TN1/2. I have taken some photos of train TN2 this morning.
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/oo313/aeroplanekid/IMG_5727b.jpg
Sorry, I don't have enough information to answer more questions.

[Kalos Nathan]

During normal period, D13Es work with TN1/2 trains, but not in the north of Vietnam. They operate in the Southern Vietnam only.