The railway workers who work as cleaners, passengers, train drivers… have not celebrated New Year’s Eve with their families for many years.
Mr. Duong Quoc Cuong, deputy station of the Hanoi Railway Attendant Station (Hanoi Railway Flight Attendant’s Branch) said that on New Year’s Eve this year there were 8 train groups with more than 160 officials and employees (train drivers, technicians, catering staff, passenger service staff) welcome New Year’s Eve on the road.
Train SE1 Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City departing from Hanoi station at 10:20 am is the last train on New Year’s Eve. The train had 90 passengers, of which 27 went to Hue, 1 went to Saigon, 2 went to Da Nang, the rest went to Vinh, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, Quang Binh…
Preparing for the train to depart, 11 ground staff had to urgently clean up, change new blankets, check machinery, etc. in 2 hours to pick up guests.
According to Mr. Cuong, employees also have a mind on the last night of the year, but due to the characteristics of their work, they all comply and obey. This year, more passengers take the train, more work schedules, so you can spend Tet holiday with your relatives and family less. However, they received encouragement from trade unions and professionals, so they happily accepted the task.
Mr. Nguyen Van True (born in 1973, hometown of Nam Dinh) said that he has worked as a blanket changer on the train for 10 years, never having celebrated New Year’s Eve with his wife and children.
“I also want, like many others, to be reunited with my family during Tet. But work doesn’t allow it. Many times, my children ask ‘When will Dad come back for Tet?’, I often jokingly say ‘When the train stops running, then Dad can stay at home for Tet'”, Mr. True shared.
Husband and wife Pham Dinh Truong (shipman in charge of safety) and Truong Thi Phuong (logistics officer) got married in 2015. After more than 7 years of living in the same house, there are 6 spouses, or both. New Year’s Eve on the road.
“People go together for many years, celebrate New Year’s Eve on the train many times, so they get used to it, although it’s a bit sad when the parents and children are absent at that time,” Phuong said.
Phuong’s two children live with their grandparents in Phu Xuyen district, Hanoi. After each train, Phuong and her husband drove each other on a motorbike for more than 1 hour to return to their children.
To prepare for her family during Tet, Phuong takes advantage of the few days off following each North-South train to shop months in advance.
“When I was 6 years old, I kept asking ‘Why aren’t you at home with me during Tet?’. At times like these, I can only tell my children that ‘Mom has to go to work’. Honestly, I also feel guilty in my heart, but with such a job, there is no way,” Phuong confided.
