Vinh Railway Station is one of the main railway stations on the North-South Railway (Reunification Express) in Vietnam. It serves the city of Vinh. Vinh was originally known as Ke Van. Later, this successively became Ke Vinh, Vinh Giang, Vinh Doanh, and then Vinh Thi. Eventually, in 1789, the official name became simply Vinh, probably under European influence. The name has remained the same ever since. At various times, Vinh has been of considerable military and political significance. The Vietnamese nation began in the north, and only gradually expanded to cover its current territories as such, Vinh was sometimes seen as a "gateway to the south". The Tây S n dynasty (1788 1802) is believed to have considered Vinh as a possible capital of Vietnam, but the short duration of the dynasty meant that any plans did not come to fruition. Tây S n interest in the city did, however, result in considerable construction and development there. Under French rule of Vietnam, Vinh was further developed as an industrial centre, and became well known for its factories.