The Rail Revival: Restoring Connectivity on the North-South Railway Line Post-Storm

Vietnam Railways announced that early this morning (September 8), they successfully cleared fallen trees from the North-South railway line affected by Storm No. 3 in Hanoi. Several trains were delayed, and those departing from Hanoi were significantly behind schedule. All train services have now resumed as normal.

Fallen trees on the Gia Lam – Hai Phong and Yen Vien – Lao Cai lines have also been cleared, ensuring safety. The Bac Hong – Van Dien section still has multiple fallen trees, and the unit is working on resolving this issue. At Km20+40 – Km21+000, the water level has dropped to the level of the rail tops, and the unit has restored the speed limit to 15km/h.

On the Hanoi – Dong Dang line, heavy rain continues, with multiple trees down and water levels reaching the rail tops. The unit is closely monitoring the situation and working to clear the line as soon as possible.

On the Mai Pha – Na Duong and Chi Linh – Pha Lai lines, numerous trees and information poles have fallen onto the railway. The unit is organizing their removal to ensure the line is reopened as quickly as possible.

The Kep – Ha Long – Cai Lan line has been the most severely affected so far. Many trees and information poles have fallen onto the railway, and the unit is working to clear them. The Yen Cu and Ha Long stations, the Yen Cu supply route, and the Cai Lan supply route have all suffered roof damage, with the Ha Long station’s canopy completely stripped of its trim and basic canopy.

Regarding signaling, several information poles have fallen onto the railway, and many level crossing barriers are damaged.

Vietnam Railways stated that the units quickly cleared fallen trees from the railway lines, ensuring the safety of structures and railway transportation. The Hanoi Railway Signal Information Joint Stock Company organized repairs and provided warnings at the damaged level crossing barriers.

Currently, the North-South line is operating normally. The Hanoi – Hai Phong line continues to cancel passenger trains scheduled for September 8, as previously announced.

Earlier, Vietnam Railways had implemented measures to prevent Storm No. 3. Units were instructed to proactively inspect vulnerable areas, reinforce and ensure safety, strictly enforce patrol and guard duties at critical locations, and maintain 24-hour standby to promptly direct disaster response efforts. Contingency plans were also developed to handle potential adverse events during heavy rains and storms, ensuring the absolute safety of people, vehicles, equipment, workshops, and railway transportation.

To prevent damage and ensure the safety of people and vehicles, Vietnam Railways canceled 22 passenger trains. This included canceling the SE11/SE12 unified trains from September 9-12, all eight Hanoi-Hai Phong round-trip passenger trains on September 7 and two on September 8, the NA1/NA2 trains between Hanoi and Vinh on September 7, and the SP3/SP4 trains between Hanoi and Lao Cai on September 7.