On the railway renovation site in Khe Net Pass area

QTO - One day in early November 2025, we had the opportunity to visit the railway renovation site in Khe Net Pass area, the route connecting Dong Le commune with Tuyen Son commune. Although the weather at this time was rainy and windy, the officers, technicians, experts and workers were still diligently working at the construction site, working "3 shifts, 4 shifts" with the determination to complete the project on schedule by the end of 2025.

Cutting down forests, drilling mountains, overcoming difficulties

The Khe Net Pass railway renovation project, part of the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route, is the first railway project in Vietnam to be implemented with ODA loans from the Korea Economic Development Cooperation Fund and counterpart funds from the Vietnamese Government, with a total value of over VND2,000 billion.

The project will be implemented from February 2024, with the Railway Project Management Board as the investor, including 2 packages: Package XL-01 for the construction of 2 railway tunnels by the consortium of Ilsung Company (Korea) and Deo Ca Group; Package XL-02 for the construction of bridges, railways, signal information and auxiliary works, by the consortium of Ilsung Company and Railway Construction Corporation.

The total length of the route is nearly 6.8km, including: Upgrading and renovating over 2.2km of railway; shifting the new route nearly 4.6km; renovating and adding track 3, building the Dong Chuoi station embankment 300m long and the road leading to the station. The project also builds 2 new tunnels with a total length of 935m (tunnel 1 is 580m long, tunnel 2 is 355m long), tunnel gauge 10m, designed according to the standards of grade I railway tunnels; shifting National Highway 15 about 350m to create the route level; renovating Tan Ap bridge and building 3 new bridges (including approach bridges 1, 2, 3) with a total length of nearly 800m. The project also upgrades and builds new sewer systems, reinforces the slope, installs information, signal, and synchronous electricity systems, etc.

Panoramic view of the railway renovation construction site in Khe Net Pass area - Photo: XV

According to the construction units, during the tunnel drilling and deployment, the complex geology of the area caused many difficulties. At the North roof of Tunnel 1, prolonged heavy rain caused landslides and many cracks to appear. The complex geological structure of the mirror surface, including a layer of low-plastic clay, coal clay, weathered sedimentary rocks and many underground water veins, caused poor soil-rock cohesion, making it easy for the tunnel to collapse during construction.

Although Tunnel No. 2 has more favorable geological conditions, it is also affected by prolonged heavy rain, causing difficulties in transporting materials and organizing construction. To overcome these difficulties, the contractor has applied many technical solutions, such as: Construction in small sections, thick concrete lining, local chiseling, enhanced drainage measures, maintaining stable excavation progress...

At the peak, the joint venture mobilized nearly 300 engineers, experts, workers, along with dozens of machines and equipment for construction. Among them were about 100 local workers and 18 Korean experts. The construction site was organized in 4 directions, focusing on tunneling and completing 2 tunnels through the mountain.

"Working during the day is not enough, so work at night"

Thanks to the day and night efforts of "overcoming the sun and rain", cutting mountains and drilling tunnels, by June 2025, tunnel No. 1 was also dug through. After that, the construction unit proceeded to install steel reinforcement, waterproofing membrane, pouring concrete for the tunnel shell, and reinforcing the roof. Currently, the concrete pouring for the tunnel shell has been completed, the remaining items are being urgently completed before November 30, 2025 to hand over the entire package to the investor in December 2025. Previously, in October 2024, tunnel No. 2 was dug through and is now basically completed, bringing the XL-01 package to more than 95.8% progress.

Workers are working hard to complete the project on schedule - Photo: XV

Mr. Nguyen Manh Tuan, an employee of the Railway Project Management Board, who is often associated with the construction site, said: “Despite the cold and rainy weather and many difficulties, the construction units have mobilized maximum human resources, connecting businesses with professional capacity and enthusiasm. Thanks to a high sense of responsibility, the workload has reached over 80%. The two tunnels have completed the main items, workers are installing the rail system, sleepers, spreading ballast, planting grass, making slopes at the tunnel entrance and access road”.

Bridges, roads and other items under the XL-02 package have also reached nearly 81% progress. At the construction site, the 561m long bridge over mountains, ravines and streams connecting tunnels 1 and 2 has been basically completed. Currently, the construction unit is continuing to install related equipment to open the train by the end of December 2025.

Upon completion, the Khe Net Pass Railway Improvement Project will contribute to improving railway infrastructure, increasing train speed, shortening travel time through Khe Net Pass in particular, and the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route in general. The project also helps ensure smooth and safe railway traffic, improve the capacity and quality of transport services. Previously, the province had proactively resolved problems related to forest land, completed site clearance, supported contractors during construction, and ensured material sources for the project.

Deputy Director of Long Hung Construction Joint Stock Company (subcontractor of Ilsung Company) Nguyen Vu Hoang shared: "The weather on the construction site is erratic, rainy and cold, traffic is difficult, but we still mobilize maximum human resources and machinery, working with the motto "Working during the day is not enough, take advantage of working at night". Thanks to that, up to now, the progress is basically guaranteed and will be handed over to the investor on schedule".

Long Hung Construction Joint Stock Company is in charge of constructing the foundation and upper floor architecture of the project. Despite the difficult construction conditions, the unit still maintains 150 workers, dozens of machines and vehicles, working "3 shifts, 4 shifts", including holidays and Tet to ensure the project's progress.

Mr. Bui Van Nam, a worker at Long Hung Construction Joint Stock Company, confided: “Although it is hard, I am always ready to contribute to an important project. Even on Lunar New Year, holidays or weekends, we are happy to stay at the construction site.”

Spring King

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202511/tren-cong-truong-cai-tao-duong-sat-khu-vuc-deo-khe-net-86f7725/