Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Danh Huy has just signed a document requesting the Vietnam Railway Authority and the Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR) to urgently inspect, review, and assess the current state of the railway infrastructure, locomotives, and carriages to determine the causes of recent train derailments on the North-South line, especially in Phu Loc district, Thua Thien Hue province.

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The Ministry of Transport has requested thorough rectification of train derailment incidents in Hue . Photo: CTV

After identifying the cause, the two aforementioned units were tasked with implementing a comprehensive remediation plan to ensure safety, and reporting any shortcomings to the Ministry of Transport for appropriate action.

In addition, the Ministry of Transport also requested VNR to strengthen inspection work, develop solutions to ensure train safety, and carry out maintenance work to maintain the technical condition of railway infrastructure for normal operation, thereby ensuring train safety.

VNR will be held accountable to the Minister of Transport in the event of further train derailments in the railway area passing through Phu Loc district, Thua Thien Hue province.

As reported, over the past two months, the North-South railway line passing through Phu Loc district (Thua Thien Hue province) has experienced six train derailment incidents, including four cases involving derailed carriages, and two locomotive derailments on September 28 alone. Although these incidents did not cause any casualties, they have affected the operation of the North-South railway line.

According to the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Traffic Safety Board, the North-South railway line passing through the province is 111.1 km long and is managed by two units: Binh Tri Thien Railway Joint Stock Company (managing a 101.1 km section) and Da Nang - Quang Nam Railway Joint Stock Company (managing a 10 km section).

The section of the railway line passing through Phu Loc district, and especially the Thua Luu - Lang Co section, is located in a hilly area with many consecutive curves of small radius and opposing directions.

According to the Provincial Traffic Safety Board, train derailments are recurring incidents and occur frequently in the Thua Luu - Lang Co section.

In response to this situation, on September 30th, VNR established a task force to inspect and survey the scene to determine the cause.

According to VNR leaders, the recent train derailment in Thua Thien Hue province occurred in multiple locations, not concentrated at a single point on the railway. Each incident was different, requiring thorough inspection and assessment of all factors, from the tracks and carriages to the equipment on the rails, to prevent future derailments.

Regarding the two incidents on September 28th where freight train locomotives on the North-South railway line passing through Phu Loc district (Thua Thien Hue province) derailed, VNR stated that the cause was due to the construction unit (Binh Tri Thien Railway Joint Stock Company) failing to meet the prescribed technical standards; and the superelevation design exceeding the basic standards.