Resolutely eliminate self-opened paths across railways in Hai Duong

Self-opened path through Lai Khe commune (Kim Thanh) before being removed

Danger lurks

It has been 3 years, but every time the tragic railway traffic accident that occurred on the morning of June 27, 2022 at km 74+950 in Kim Xuyen commune (Kim Thanh) is mentioned, many people in Quynh Khe village, Kim Xuyen commune still cannot help but feel heartbroken. At 8:00 a.m. that morning, NNL, born in 2014, and NTNPh., born in 2011 in Quynh Khe village, invited each other to ride their bicycles to play. When crossing the railway, they were hit by a train, L. died on the spot, and P. was seriously injured. L. was only 8 years old at that time, the accident left a great pain and loss for the family.

The Gia Lam - Hai Phong railway and National Highway 5 run through Kim Xuyen commune for quite a long time. The place where the two children had an accident was one of nearly 20 intersections between the railway and residential roads in Kim Xuyen commune at that time. Most of these intersections are self-made paths, of which only 4 have barriers and 2 have guards. These self-made paths across the railway have become "black spots" with the potential risk of traffic accidents in Kim Xuyen commune.

Ha Hai Railway Joint Stock Company coordinated with relevant agencies and units to remove self-made walkways in Kim Thanh district (photo provided by the facility)

Hai Duong has 2 railway lines running through it with a total length of 72 km, including the Gia Lam - Hai Phong railway line of more than 45 km and the Kep - Ha Long line, the Chi Linh - Co Thanh branch line. Of which, the Gia Lam - Hai Phong railway line through Cam Giang district, Hai Duong city and Kim Thanh district has a large train traffic volume. By the end of 2024, on this route, the section through Hai Duong has 163 self-opened crossings, 34 legal crossings (12 crossings with guards, 22 crossings with warnings and automatic barriers). Of the 163 self-opened crossings, 29 crossings are supported by the province for security costs.

The common feature of the railroad crossings is that they have existed for a long time. Some of them are the only way to a few houses, the way to the fields, the farming areas, or even just one house. Therefore, when the railway installed barriers to remove them, many people protested because there was no way out.

Workers of Ha Hai Railway Joint Stock Company install corrugated iron fences to clear the self-made path in Cam Giang district.

Mr. Pham Thanh Thao, Deputy Captain of Hai Duong Road Team of Ha Hai Railway Joint Stock Company, said that to ensure railway traffic safety, the company coordinates with relevant agencies to inspect, review, and develop plans to eliminate self-opened paths. The unit coordinates with local authorities to strengthen propaganda, mobilize, and find new paths to create consensus and support from the people. The unit also quickly implemented the elimination of self-opened paths. On April 21, the unit mobilized human resources and machinery to barricade 8 self-opened paths across the railway in Cam Giang district.

The inspection team of the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee inspected the current status of the self-opened path in Kim Thanh district.

Speed up the construction of service roads

Determining a fundamental solution to completely handle self-opened walkways, Hai Duong province has decided to invest in a system of service roads along the railway, in accordance with the spirit of Decision No. 358/QD-TTg dated March 10, 2020 of the Prime Minister . The goal is that by 2025, Hai Duong will completely eliminate self-opened walkways across the railway.

In Kim Thanh district, 5 feeder roads under the Hanoi - Hai Phong Railway Feeder Road Construction Project (south of National Highway 5) with a total length of more than 4.2 km, passing through Tuan Viet, Kim Xuyen, Phuc Thanh and Kim Lien communes are in the final stage, expected to be completed in May 2025. When put into operation, more than 80 self-opened paths will be eliminated, reducing about half of the total number of self-opened paths in the province. The remaining 7.2 km of the project has been allocated capital for implementation by the People's Committee of Kim Thanh district.

The Hanoi - Hai Phong railway feeder project in Kim Thanh district is about to be completed and will help eliminate more than 80 self-opened crossings across the railway.

Along with that, the project to build the intersection of National Highway 17B with National Highway 5, Hanoi - Hai Phong railway through Kim Xuyen commune (Kim Thanh) is also under construction. In December 2024, the People's Council of Hai Duong province approved the project to build some sections of the northern frontage road of National Highway 5, in Kim Thanh district, 7.6 km long.

The northern and southern feeder roads of National Highway 5, once completed, will basically connect the entire feeder road of National Highway 5 and the Hanoi - Hai Phong railway through Kim Thanh district, contributing to ensuring traffic order and safety on National Highway 5 through Hai Duong province, resolving some problems and congestion on National Highway 5, contributing to perfecting the traffic system of Kim Thanh.

The railway industry will upgrade some manned crossings to warning crossings with automatic barriers. Install corrugated iron barriers at some intersections of the railway with Highway 5 and the railway with the service road.

According to the Traffic Safety Committee of Hai Duong province, in the 3 years from 2022 to 2024, the whole province had 14 railway traffic accidents, killing 12 people and injuring 2 people. Over the years, railway traffic accidents decreased in all 3 criteria. In the first quarter of 2025, there were no railway traffic accidents in Hai Duong.

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/kien-quyet-xoa-bo-loi-di-tu-mo-qua-duong-sat-o-hai-duong-409982.html