Trillions of đồng needed to eliminate dangerous rail crossings

A railway crossing in Nam Định. The Việt Nam Railway Authority stated that this project involves the construction of overpasses and underpasses in combination with the local road systems along the railway lines to eliminate unauthorised crossings. — Photo baogiaothong.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Railway Authority has proposed allocating medium-term capital for the 2026-31 period to construct overpasses and underpasses, aiming to eliminate unauthorised rail crossings and reduce railway accidents.

The Việt Nam Railway Authority stated that this project involves the construction of overpasses and underpasses in combination with the local road systems along the railway lines to eliminate unauthorised crossings in accordance with Decision 358/2020 of the Prime Minister, which approved the Scheme on 'Ensuring Railway Traffic Corridor Safety and Eliminating Unauthorised Rail Crossings' (Scheme 358).

Accordingly, 297 overpasses and 149 underpasses will be constructed. The total investment is estimated at VNĐ1.8 trillion (US$71.3 million), sourced from medium-term public investment for the 2026-31 period.

Scheme 358 aims to eliminate unauthorised rail crossings by 2025 through various measures, including the construction of 297 new overpasses and 149 underpasses during the 2021-25 period.

However, the funding for these constructions and other supporting structures such as overpasses, fences and roadways has not yet been allocated according to the planned schedule.

According to the Việt Nam Railway Authority, the national railway network currently has 4,772 level crossings between roads and railways. Among these, 1,510 are authorised crossings, including 677 manned crossings, nine crossings with automatic warning devices, 738 crossings with automatic warning devices and automatic barriers, and 86 crossings with warning signs.

Regarding unauthorised crossings, there are still 3,262 locations, accounting for 68.3 per cent of total level crossings. Prior efforts, using central and local funds, have eliminated 838 dangerous unauthorised crossings from December 2020 to June 2024, a reduction of 21.7 per cent. In the first six months of 2024 alone, 66 dangerous unauthorised crossings were eliminated.

There remain four black spots and 1,010 potential accident-prone locations on the current railway lines, a reduction of one black spot and 77 potential accident-prone locations compared to December 31, 2023. — VNS