The Bai Gio railway tunnel is expected to open on April 22nd.

Over 250 workers and engineers worked through the night.

This morning (April 16th), Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Danh Huy held an online meeting with the field task force, relevant agencies and units, and the two provinces of Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa to discuss plans to quickly and safely resolve the collapse of the Bai Gio railway tunnel.

Reporting at the meeting, representatives from the units directly involved in the field operation stated that the Bai Gio tunnel (tunnel No. 23), located at Km1230+991 - Km1231+385 on the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City railway line (in Dong Bac village, Dai Lan commune, Van Ninh district, Khanh Hoa province), has a length of 393.72m and is a Class II railway tunnel. The tunnel is currently undergoing reinforcement work, funded by the medium-term public investment plan for the 2016-2020 period.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Danh Huy requested that units focus resources on repairing the Bai Gio railway tunnel collapse incident according to the "four on-the-spot" principle in emergency situations (Photo: Ta Hai).

On April 12th, the construction contractor received an order to close the tunnel from 9:32 AM to 1:32 PM to carry out construction work at Km1231+089.48 to Km1231+090.73. At approximately 12:45 PM on the same day, while demolishing the old tunnel lining, a landslide occurred in the weak soil layer above the tunnel arch, with about 150 cubic meters of soil and rocks falling, disrupting railway operations; fortunately, there were no casualties or damage to construction equipment.

Immediately after the incident occurred, the investor, supervisory consultant, and construction contractor coordinated with Vietnam Railways Corporation and relevant units to cordon off the Hao Son - Dai Lanh section and reroute road traffic on the tunnel to implement measures to address the landslide.

By approximately 3:30 AM on April 13, 2024, the landslide debris had been largely removed to prepare for the placement of Type A support frames in the affected area and the application of concrete. However, due to the complex geological conditions above the tunnel lining (weathered rock), more debris continued to fall, jeopardizing the safety of personnel and equipment involved in the remediation work.

Therefore, the relevant parties have implemented various other solutions to move frame A into the landslide position, but without success. The volume of weathered soil and boulders that fell completely filled the tunnel's cross-section.

Inspection and surveys have revealed that the landslide material contains rocks of various sizes and heavily weathered sandstone/gravel. Currently, approximately 150 cubic meters of large rocks have completely filled the void in the tunnel's arch. The geology at the top of the tunnel consists of stacked and interwoven rocks, creating large voids.

Therefore, during the night of April 13th to the morning of April 14th, the relevant parties, including the Construction Investment Management Department, the Vietnam Railway Department, the Vietnam Railway Corporation, Project Management Board 85, TEDI, and the construction contractor, continued to survey and hold meetings to propose solutions, the principle being to maintain stability both above and inside the tunnel for remediation.

Specifically, on April 15th, the collapsed soil mass in the tunnel was reinforced by double-sided open-sided cement grout injection, and anchors were inserted to create compartments for pressure-jet cement grout injection to solidify loose soil and rock and create a hard framework. Simultaneously, geological exploration drilling was conducted on the mountaintop at the tunnel collapse site to assess the condition of the sinkhole inside, in order to inject cement grout into the collapsed soil and fill the voids, thereby stabilizing the soil mass at the top of the tunnel and preventing further collapse.

After the situation has basically stabilized, today (April 16th), preparations will begin on the anchor drilling equipment, high-pressure grouting machine, mixing plant, anchors, etc., to proceed with drilling and inserting anchors into the sinkhole opening and pumping high-pressure grout to create stable adhesion. Then, the collapsed soil and rock mass in the tunnel will be gradually excavated, with support frames installed as excavation progresses to hold the material in place.

After installing all the support frames, grouting will be carried out and the tunnel lining concrete will be poured according to the approved design. The plan is to complete the work by April 22nd to allow North-South train traffic to resume.

At the meeting, the units were determined to rectify the situation as quickly as possible, setting a target of completing the plan by April 22nd and reopening the North-South railway line through the incident site (Photo: Ta Hai).

"It is expected that the Song Da 10 contractor will gather a line of construction equipment, machinery, materials, and more than 20 staff and workers at the site at 4:00 PM this afternoon, and can begin work at the construction site by tonight."

In addition, approximately 80 personnel from Construction and Investment Company No. 3, and over 100 personnel from railway units such as Phu Khanh Railway Joint Stock Company (which manages the section of the line), and railway operating branches... have deployed about 250 personnel to the construction site to focus on handling and rectifying the issues 24/7. The goal is to complete the project ahead of schedule," a representative of the on-site task force said.

Mobilized personnel to transport over 13,000 passengers.

Mr. Tran Thien Canh, Director of the Vietnam Railway Department, who is currently present at the scene, said that railway units have sealed off the Hao Son - Dai Lanh section. In close coordination with local authorities and functional forces, they are organizing traffic diversion through the tunnel to implement measures to address the landslide, ensuring security and order during the incident. Simultaneously, they are organizing passenger and freight transportation.

The railway company safely transported over 13,000 passengers.

According to Mr. Dang Sy Manh, Chairman of the Board of Members of Vietnam Railways Corporation, the railway transports an average of 10 trains per day. As of last night (April 15), it had transported more than 13,000 passengers on 38 passenger trains from Tuy Hoa station (in Phu Yen province) to Gia station (in Khanh Hoa province) and vice versa; providing free meals and drinks... The railway continues to operate passenger trains according to the schedule for which tickets have been sold, combined with improving the quality of passenger transport services.

Regarding goods, 77 freight trains are stranded due to the incident. The railway company has to negotiate with shippers to reroute goods; currently, 16 trains have been rerouted through the affected area, prioritizing perishable goods, frozen goods, and express delivery shipments.

"This incident was beyond our control, resulting in significant losses for railway transport. The Corporation requests that relevant authorities consider providing financial support. To minimize losses, we request that the local authorities arrange for sufficient and suitable vehicles to transport passengers; and we request that the competent authorities waive road usage fees for vehicles transporting passengers and goods through the Deo Ca tunnel...", Mr. Manh suggested.

Mr. Manh also suggested that, after the Bai Gio tunnel collapse is resolved, the competent authorities should consider allocating funds for the first phase of reinforcement for the 12 weak tunnels on the line that need priority attention, with an estimated cost of less than 500 billion VND. At the same time, a plan should be developed to address the 27 weak tunnels along the entire Thong Nhat railway line.

Establish a forward command post.

Appreciating the efforts of the units and the support of the localities in promptly and effectively handling and rectifying the incident, Deputy Minister Nguyen Danh Huy said that immediately after the incident on April 12, the Ministry of Transport directed the forces to organize and implement remediation measures.

On the morning of April 13th, the Ministry of Transport reported to the Prime Minister; the Prime Minister issued Directive No. 37, which instructed the Ministry of Transport to urgently direct the mobilization of all available resources to promptly address the collapse of the Bai Gio tunnel and reopen the road as soon as possible. The Ministry of Transport also sent a document to the Traffic Police Department, the police forces of Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces, and other relevant units, requesting them to be on duty 24/7 at the scene to promptly implement solutions aimed at quickly and decisively carrying out the Prime Minister's directives.

The units are working to resolve the issue.

Regarding the next steps and course of action, Deputy Minister Huy emphasized that, based on the analysis and assessment by the field task force with the participation of leading experts and construction units, all parties agreed that the Bai Gio tunnel has very complex geological conditions, was constructed a long time ago, its structure has deteriorated, and the possibility of landslides is entirely within the forecast of the State management agency since 2020.

An incident occurred during the reinforcement of the Bai Gio tunnel. The tunnel reinforcement construction strictly adhered to the construction regulations for the North-South railway line currently in operation. Therefore, the incident did not cause any casualties.

Regarding the principles for handling the Bai Gio tunnel incident, the Deputy Minister requested that the "four on-site" principle be applied in emergency situations. Simultaneously, five requirements must be ensured: restoring traffic as quickly as possible; mobilizing forces as quickly as possible; implementing the most innovative solutions; ensuring absolute safety for officials, engineers, and workers involved in the remediation; and ensuring that all units concentrate their resources to work 24/7, in accordance with the Prime Minister's directives.

Regarding solutions, based on the proposals of the consultants and the field task force, there was basic agreement with the plan proposed at the meeting. However, to implement it as quickly as possible, the Deputy Minister requested the establishment of a forward command team headed by the Deputy General Director of Project Management Board 85 - the project's investor; directing the ensuring of safe construction 24/7, and holding daily meetings with the Ministry of Transport's task force. A task force from the Ministry of Transport, headed by the Deputy Minister, will also be established to hold daily meetings to monitor construction progress hourly and daily, and to provide timely guidance.

"The forward command post clearly defines the responsibilities of each unit and divides the workload during the construction and remediation process with three main units: Song Da 10 Company, Construction and Investment Company No. 3, and Phu Khanh Railway Company. They are responsible for mobilizing machinery, equipment, materials, and human resources, and ensuring all financial resources are in place during the remediation process. The 85th Steering Committee will mobilize additional units to ensure sufficient and timely supply of materials during the remediation work."

Committee 85, in coordination with the Department of Investment and Construction Management, is finalizing procedures to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of participating units. However, it is also necessary to ensure compliance with legal regulations, preventing losses, waste, and exploitation of the incident remediation process for personal gain.

"The relevant agencies and units of the Ministry of Transport must address all proposals from the working group, advise the Ministry's leadership on decisions within no more than 24 hours, and provide written responses to ensure the progress of construction to rectify the incident, aiming for completion and reopening the railway as soon as possible," Deputy Minister Huy assigned the task and requested the Vietnam Railway Corporation to direct its units to carry out passenger and cargo transportation in a way that is convenient, has the least impact on customers, and ensures security and safety.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/du-kien-22-4-thong-ham-duong-sat-bai-gio-192240416140630437.htm