Khe Nét Rail Tunnel Achieves First 100m
On August 30, the Management Board of Package XL1 of the Khe Net Pass Railway Improvement Project achieved the first 100m of construction on the southern side of Tunnel No. 2 of the Khe Net Rail Tunnel.
According to the Management Board’s report, to date, the contractor consortium has mobilized over 200 personnel and over 40 specialized equipment, simultaneously deploying 4 construction teams (excavation, tunnel entrance reinforcement, and main tunnel construction). The actual output reached VND 55 billion, exceeding the plan by 10%.
Khe Net Rail Tunnel from the outside. Photo: Deo Ca Group
Mr. Nguyen Duy Song, Director of the Management Board of Package XL01, said that according to the plan, the construction site must be handed over before the commencement date (February 1, 2024). However, in reality, the investor only handed over the entire construction site at the end of May 2024, so the contractor had to make great efforts to achieve this progress.
“The two Khe Net rail tunnels have the characteristic of running along the mountain slope, with a thin cover layer, and complex geology that changes continuously, not following the initial technical design. The contractor consortium has coordinated with the consulting supervisor to conduct surveys and propose appropriate reinforcement solutions according to the actual geology,” shared Mr. Nguyen Duy Song.
To ensure the progress, the contractor consortium has made efforts in construction and proactively proposed solutions to overcome difficulties and obstacles in a timely manner. “We promote internal training to improve the productivity of engineers, workers, and organize construction in ‘3 shifts, 4 teams’. Our goal is to complete the excavation of Tunnel No. 2 by November 2024 (2 months ahead of schedule), construct the concrete shell and complete Tunnel 2 by September 2025, and finish Tunnel 1 by November 2025,” said the Director of the Management Board of the Package.
A closer look at the construction area inside the Khe Net Tunnel. Photo: Deo Ca Group
Package XL01 belongs to the Khe Net Pass Railway Improvement Project, Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City Railway, constructing 2 rail tunnels with a total length of 935m, implemented in 23 months by the Ilsung Company – Deo Ca Corporation consortium. Tunnel 1 is 620m long, Tunnel 2 is 393m long, the tunnel bore is 10m wide, and the design follows the standard of a first-class railway tunnel.
It is known that the Khe Net Pass Railway Improvement Project, 7km long, belonging to the Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City Railway, has a total investment of over VND 2,000 billion.
The railway section through the Khe Net Pass currently has 32 narrow curves that require rail guards. Passenger trains can only travel at 20-25km/h (average speed of about 76km/h), and freight trains need an additional locomotive to pass. Building a rail tunnel that runs straight through the mountain at Khe Net Pass will eliminate all these difficulties, enhancing railway safety.
The Most Beautiful Railway in the World in Vietnam’s Narrowest Province
The Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City Railway of Vietnam ranked first in the list of the world’s most beautiful railways, voted by the famous travel guide Lonely Planet in May 2023.
Previously, in 2018, the North-South railway was also voted one of the 10 most beautiful railways in the world by the same page.
According to Lonely Planet, the North-South railway is one of the most popular railways in Southeast Asia. During the two-day journey from North to South, passengers will experience everything from bustling cities to peaceful rural areas.
Vietnam boasts one of the world’s most scenic railways. Photo: Lonely Planet
Meanwhile, Quang Binh is Vietnam’s narrowest province in the East-West direction, with a width of only 40.3 km. The Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City Railway passing through this province has many dangerous sections, especially the railway section on Khe Net Pass.
The Khe Net Pass area has a complex and dangerous terrain, located in Huong Hoa and Kim Hoa communes, Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh province, more than 10 km long, with 43 dangerous curves, an altitude of more than 700m above sea level, and a slope of about 17 per thousand.
The pass is located between Vinh Station (Nghe An) and Dong Hoi Station (Quang Binh). It takes 200 km to get from Vinh to the pass summit. Especially, the railway area of Khe Net Pass poses potential risks to the safety of trains on the Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City route.
The project holds great significance for the railway industry in particular and the socio-economic development in general, addressing one of the five main bottlenecks and aiming towards the 100th anniversary of the railway industry in 2026.
