By Phan Hong Nhung, Hu Jiali, Liu Ying

HANOI, April 17 (Xinhua) -- When the horn of an international passenger train sounds at Gia Lam station on the eastern edge of Hanoi, Vietnam, it signals more than the arrival of a cross-border service. The train, which connects the Vietnamese capital with the southern Chinese city of Nanning, carries stories that bring people of the two countries closer together.

Long before the train's arrival at 5:30 a.m., station staff have already started their work, readying the platforms, making announcements, and ensuring passengers move smoothly through the station.

"Our priority is to make travel convenient for passengers at every stage," said Nguyen Thanh Long, head of Gia Lam station, noting his team works together to ensure the train is guided to the platforms that are easy for passengers to access.

For railway staff, the job is not only about serving passengers but also ensuring safe and smooth operations along the cross-border journey, which takes about 12 hours one way.

On board, passengers can find clean carriages and neatly arranged soft sleeper berths as well as announcements guiding them through the journey in multiple languages.

Behind the routines are Chinese attendants like Lan Qiushuang, who has worked on the service since its launch in 2009 and is now a trilingual train conductor.

"Every train has attendants who can speak Chinese, Vietnamese and English. They remind passengers to prepare for customs procedures and assist those in need," said Lan.

Over the years, she has served passengers from across the world, witnessing conversations among strangers that turn carriages into "small but warm living rooms."

For frequent travelers like Doan Thu Ha, who resides in northern port Hai Phong city, the service offers a good option for visiting her husband's hometown in Nanning, especially when traveling with children.

"It's comfortable and convenient," she told Xinhua, adding that long coach journeys can be exhausting, while the train offers a much better experience with four-berth cabins providing privacy for families.

The mother also noted that immigration procedures are quicker and more organized than other modes of transport, thanks to controlled passenger volumes and support for pregnant women, children and the elderly.

"I hope services like this will be further developed," she said, noting that beyond family visits, the route holds great potential for tourism.

According to Nguyen Chinh Nam, deputy general director of Vietnam Railways Corporation, total ridership has topped 24,000 since the service resumed in late May last year, including more than 4,800 passenger trips in the first three months of 2026 alone.

The vivid rebound, Nam said, reflects a broader recovery in tourism and trade between the two nations. He sees the rail service as a "thread" connecting their friendship and cooperation, not merely a means of transportation.

Looking ahead, the railway sector will continue to improve its service quality, aiming to transform the line into an exchange corridor, serving tourism, education and business, while anchoring it within the broader Vietnam-China economic and logistics network, Nam told Xinhua.