The story of the man running against the train.

Many times, they ran in the opposite direction of the train.

Even though weeks have passed, driver Ha Danh Minh (born in 1985, residing in Lang Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) still vividly remembers the image of railway crossing guard Duong Van Kien hastily running in the opposite direction with a flag and lamp. If it weren't for the emergency stop signal from this guard that day, Minh isn't sure a terrible thing would have happened to him.

A mandatory rule for level crossing guards is to look in the direction of the train when it passes. Photo: An Quynh.

“At approximately 1:36 PM on August 29, 2022, when train AH11, traveling from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, signaled its approach to the Loi Bridge level crossing at Km273+620, the crossing guard was closing the road barrier to receive the train. At the automatic level crossing at Km273+500, about 120 meters north of the road barrier, people spotted my truck stuck on the railway tracks. Immediately, the crossing guard on duty, Duong Van Kien, ran across the railway bridge towards the automatic level crossing, signaling for an emergency stop. The driver of train AH11 promptly detected the signal and made an emergency stop about 120 meters from where my truck was stuck. Thanks to the emergency stop, I was lucky to escape death and my vehicle was undamaged,” Minh recalled.

Mr. Minh is just one of many victims that Mr. Kien has saved. Mr. Duong Van Kien (born in 1976, from Dien Yen commune, Dien Chau district) has worked in the railway industry for nearly 29 years. Currently, he works on the Cho Sy railway line, Nghe Tinh Railway Management Company Limited. Throughout his career, he has successfully rescued many trains stuck at level crossings.

The image of Mr. Duong Van Kien running against the direction of the train to signal it to stop was extracted from a camera on August 29th. Photo: provided by the subject.

To this day, Mr. Kien still vividly remembers his shift on the morning of the end of February 2020. Around 10 a.m., while performing his duty as a level crossing guard at Km273+620 on the North-South railway line, he received a call from the duty officer reporting that train AH1 was passing through Yen Ly station. Mr. Kien followed the correct procedures for closing the barrier. At that moment, a tractor-trailer with license plate 37C - 15747, towing a trailer with license plate 37R - 009.90, driven by Pham Dinh T. (born in 1989, residing in Quynh Luu district), crossed the North-South railway line from a local road and got stuck on the tracks at the level crossing. The tractor-trailer was stuck on the tracks about 120 meters from where Mr. Kien was working. Mr. Kien quickly crossed the level crossing and ran towards the truck, simultaneously giving emergency signals. Thanks to this, train AH1 was able to stop in time, approximately 80 meters away from the tractor-trailer, avoiding a serious traffic accident.

"It was such an emergency. Based on my professional reflexes and experience, I just ran towards the train to signal it to stop, otherwise it would have been very dangerous. Just five minutes was enough to avoid the unimaginable consequences of a railway accident," Kien shared.

When we asked him about people calling him "a man destined" to encounter railway accidents, Mr. Kien just smiled and said, "It seems like every time there's an accident, it almost always happens to be on my shift. I'm sure that any level crossing guard who feels danger is imminent is ready to do their best to minimize unnecessary accidents."

Then he told us about his most memorable experience in 2016. That time, after closing the barrier, he spotted an elderly man crossing the tracks. However, halfway across, the old man fell and got stuck on the rails. At that moment, Kien rushed over and lifted the old man out of the way. Just as they were both free, a train approached. Later, it was learned that the old man was from out of town, unfamiliar with the area, and due to his age, he was completely unaware of the approaching train. Immediately afterward, the old man's family contacted Kien and the barrier crossing team to express their gratitude.

We asked him about the dangers involved in rescuing people, and Kien smiled and said, "In those moments, because things happen so quickly, it requires the level crossing guards to act decisively; there's no time to think. Only when I think about it at home or watch the camera footage do I feel scared. But that fear is nothing compared to my professional ethics and my desire for everyone's safety."

The time Kien saved the most people was when he was 20 years old, just two years into his job. At that time, he was working at the level crossing at Km270+575 on the Yen Ly railway line. Around 7 PM, after hearing the announcement from the switchboard that the TN1 train from Hanoi to Saigon was approaching, Kien began the inspection process to close the barrier when he received a report from a resident that a 7-seater truck had broken down at a level crossing without an automatic barrier at Km266+200, about 4km from the barrier. Immediately, he sped along the railway tracks on his motorbike. When he arrived, he saw 7 passengers in the truck, only 400m from the TN1 train. He quickly ran in the opposite direction of the train, flashing his lights and waving a flag to request the train to stop urgently. Fortunately, the TN1 train driver noticed in time and stopped the train about 50m from the broken-down truck.

Perhaps it was from that point that his calling to save lives began; after 29 years working in the field, he has saved at least 6 lives.Car stuck on train tracksIn a conversation with us, Mr. Kien humbly shared that not only he, but railway officials in general, always strive to minimize losses of life and property, placing safety above all else.

Exemplary Deputy Secretary of the Party Branch

In 1994, Duong Van Kien graduated from the Railway Vocational School and was assigned to the Nghe Tinh Railway Joint Stock Company.

Mr. Duong Van Kien gives the safety signal, preparing to welcome the train across the level crossing. Photo: An Quynh.

Initially, he worked at the level crossing on the Yen Ly section of the road at Km270+575. In 1998, he was assigned to the level crossing station at Km273+620 on the Cho Sy section of the road, where he has worked until now.

The main job of a level crossing guard is to answer the duty officer's phone, carefully record the arrival times of trains to lower the barrier, and ensure the safety of people and vehicles passing through the level crossing. The job may sound simple, but Kien and his colleagues face time pressure and strict regulations.

Each level crossing guard works in shifts. Each shift lasts 12 hours, with the morning shift from 6 am to 6 pm and the night shift from 6 pm until the next morning. Once on duty, they are absolutely forbidden from leaving the guard station or sleeping. The work becomes even more arduous during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year) when train services increase.

Kien shared: "There are times when the day shift has around 20 trains passing through; the night shift will have even more, around 25 or 26 trains." Despite the hard work, he remains optimistic, working with all his enthusiasm and responsibility for the job he's been dedicated to.

Each level crossing guard is required to record the exact time the train passes, as per regulations. Photo: An Quynh

In 1999, thanks to his consistently outstanding performance, Mr. Duong Van Kien was admitted to the Party at the age of 23. Understanding the responsibilities and pioneering role of a Party member in the railway sector during the restructuring period, he continuously strived to improve his professional skills. He also had the honor of being one of the five delegates representing the Vietnam Railway Corporation at the 10th National Emulation Congress in 2020.

In 2021, Mr. Duong Van Kien was awarded a Certificate of Commendation by the Minister of Transport for his outstanding achievements in the emulation movement to ensure traffic safety and order during the period 2016-2020. He is also an exemplary Deputy Secretary of the Party Branch of the Sy Market Road Branch.

Our conversation ended as Mr. Kien returned to his post. Farewell to "the man with a knack for handling railway accidents," leaving us with fond memories of his busy hands recording train schedules and the never-ending smile on the face of railway crossing guard Duong Van Kien, who has been working tirelessly for the safety of every train passing through…