North-South railway through Ca Pass tunnel reopens after nearly 10 days of repair

After the load test was completed and safety was ensured at 5:00 p.m. this afternoon (April 21), the railway industry officially allowed all trains to pass through Bai Gio tunnel. On the afternoon of April 21, construction forces of Phu Khanh Railway Joint Stock Company urgently reinforced positions inside the railway tunnel. Construction equipment for tunnel reinforcement drilling has been brought out, inside the tunnel workers are cleaning and reinforcing along the railway line.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Executive Director of the project to reinforce weak tunnels, open new stations and renovate the upper-level architecture of the Vinh - Nha Trang section (Project Management Board 85 - Ministry of Transport) said that the Bai Gio tunnel through Ca Pass will be officially opened in the afternoon of the same day after nearly 10 days of repair. "Currently, the work of reinforcing the tunnel shell, roof and welding the steel frame has been completed. Between 5pm and 7pm today, a freight train will be tested for load, then a final assessment will be made to decide on the frequency and level of opening the railway line," said Mr. Hung. Mr. Tran Thien Canh, Director of Vietnam Railways Administration, said: “We have coordinated with Vietnam Railways Corporation and two related localities, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces, to organize road traffic diversion through Deo Ca. In accordance with the Prime Minister's telegram, the Ministry of Transport has issued instructions and assigned specific tasks to agencies, including the Construction Management Department - a specialized agency for construction. Vietnam Railways Administration is closely monitoring public investment projects, coordinating with localities to ensure safety during construction and incident handling. Since the incident, we have established a field working group and so far, the basic work has been completed." The Director of Vietnam Railways Department added: "We have processed about 30 - 31m of concrete and installed about 22 anchors to ensure structural stability. Before the official handover, we will conduct test runs of the train at different speeds, each time from 3 - 5 km/h. The tunnel has been cleared, but the road is still closed to cars because we are checking the safety level when cars travel on the tunnel mouth. It is expected that the National Highway 1 pass will be reopened on April 22." Regarding the cause of the incident, the Director of the Vietnam Railways Department explained: “This tunnel was built by the French in 1930, and after more than 100 years, it has witnessed many changes due to the impact of water and the design process. However, the survey cross-section cannot predict all weak points. The recent incident occurred in a position that was not drilled, from which we learned a lesson and will apply new tunnel lining reinforcement methods to avoid future landslides. We will continue to improve speed and ensure national safety, continuously check the geometric elements of the road as well as the tunnel lining structure and related works, so that all trains can pass at a speed of 5 - 15 km/h. Currently, we are considering reinforcing other tunnels along the route." In the past few days, construction units have mobilized about 250 staff to pump cement to connect the entire collapsed soil and rock section behind the tunnel shell with a length of about 11m and the collapsed section inside the tunnel. There are a total of 39 drills, including 2 drills from the mountainside down and 37 drills inside the tunnel to pump high-pressure concrete, creating stable adhesion. More than 200 workers have worked day and night to keep up with the tunnel clearance schedule and ensure absolute safety for train traffic. Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) has temporarily suspended freight trains from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to avoid cargo congestion. North-South passenger trains still depart daily, and when arriving at the incident area, passengers will be transferred by road. Bai Gio Tunnel, located in Dai Lanh Commune, Van Ninh District, Khanh Hoa Province, is being renovated and reinforced under Package 11A, a project to reinforce weak tunnels, open new stations, and renovate the upper-floor architecture of the Vinh - Nha Trang section. According to Mr. Tran Viet Tung - Director of Nha Trang Railway Transport Branch, from April 12 to now, the unit has transferred 110 passenger trains with about 30,000 passengers from Gia Station (Van Ninh District) to Tuy Hoa Station (Phu Yen Province) and vice versa to continue the journey. In addition, every day the Railway industry has to transport 20 - 22 container trucks from Hoa Huynh Station (Ninh Hoa Town) to Dieu Tri Station (Binh Dinh Province) and vice versa with a cargo volume of up to 500 tons. There are times when there are always more than 10 container trucks on standby at Hoa Huynh Station to transfer cargo as soon as the train arrives. Currently, some trains departing from Ho Chi Minh City. The train from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi is stopping at Gia Station to wait for the route to be cleared, not transferring. Mr. Trinh Dinh Hao (Nha Trang City) said that he boarded the SE8 train from Ga Nha Trang at 2:00 p.m. on April 21 to go to Vinh, but at 4:00 p.m. the train stopped at Gia Station. "The train staff announced that the railway tunnel at Deo Ca will be cleared at 6:00 p.m., so the train will wait for the process to be completed and then depart, not transferring by car. Passengers on the train were also happy, considering it an experience on the journey," said Mr. Hao.

TM (synthesis)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/thong-duong-sat-bac-nam-qua-ham-deo-ca-sau-gan-10-ngay-sua-chua-a660071.html