Located on the Lam Vien Plateau, Da Lat Railway Station in the central highland province of Lam Dong has long been regarded as Vietnam’s most beautiful heritage railway station.
Built between 1932 and 1938 by French architects, the station features a distinctive architectural style combining the design of railway stations in southern France with the cultural identity of Vietnam’s Central Highlands through three pyramid-shaped roofs inspired by Langbiang Mountain.
Trouville-Deauville Railway Station in Normandy, France, shares several similarities with Da Lat Railway Station. It was designed in the Art Deco style combined with local identity. Both stations are cultural heritage sites and popular tourist destinations, closely associated with tourism and visitor experiences.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet said the twinning between Trouville-Deauville Railway Station and Da Lat Railway Station goes beyond railway cooperation, serving as a bridge between the two countries and cultures while demonstrating solidarity and friendship between the two peoples.
He said the partnership would create opportunities for both sides to bolster cooperation in heritage preservation, destination promotion and the modernisation of railway operations.
Pham Viet Hung, Head of the Planning and Business Department at Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR), said the twinning agreement with Trouville-Deauville Railway Station would provide a major opportunity to promote the heritage of Da Lat Railway Station to the international tourism market, particularly in Europe.
The two sides will establish a long-term cooperation mechanism to share experience in managing and operating historic railway stations, while jointly developing Vietnam-France railway tourism products, Hung said.
In 2025 alone, Da Lat Railway Station welcomed more than 480,700 visitors and served over 196,600 rail passengers. A range of services has been developed at the station, including night tourism trains, food, coffee and event services, as well as heritage tours and visitor photo spots.
Vietnam Railways Corporation has also proposed a major restoration and renovation project for Da Lat Railway Station, aiming to develop the site into a high-end service, commercial and tourism complex while preserving the site’s original heritage architecture and enhancing its tourism value.
