Viet Nam Railways, the operator of the country’s north to south rail system, is set to build two five-star trains by the end of this year.

The brand new trains will be built with standards and technology at an international level, VNR Chairman Tran Ngoc Thanh said at a recent press conference.

The decision is the latest in a series of efforts by VNR to revamp its aging, low-tech train fleet, following an overhaul of two of its trains late last month.

Passengers board a Viet Nam Railways train at Saigon Station in Ho Chi Minh City.

On January 28, VNR unveiled the revamped SE3 and SE4 trains, whose interior and equipment had been upgraded to five-star standards. Sixty-seven cars got a facelift under the 83 billion VND (3.87 million USD) project.

The VNR trains are also expected to be equipped with free Wi-Fi access to serve passengers during Tet, which begins on February 19.

Wi-Fi access will be available free of charge on the SE1, SE2, SE3, and SE4 trains on the railway that connects Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City.