Resolutely handle and put an end to self-opened paths across the North-South railway

Insecure

In Nghe An, there is currently 72.5km of North-South railway passing through the districts of Hung Nguyen, Nghi Loc, Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Hoang Mai Town and Vinh City. Of which, there are currently 104 residential crossings across the railway, however, only 57 are legal (with barriers and guards), the rest are self-opened paths.

This has a lot of potential.traffic accident risk for road usersIn fact, there have been many unfortunate traffic accidents between vehicles crossing the self-opened railway crossings with the North-South train lines.

Recently, at about 1:45 p.m. on January 27, 2023, right at the railway crossing at Km240+625, passing through Tan Hung block, Quynh Thien ward (Hoang Mai town), a traffic accident occurred between train SE5 on the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route and a 7-seat car with license plate 37A-362.08. The car was carrying 5 people traveling from National Highway 1A, crossing a residential road without a barrier to enter a residential area. Although the accident did not cause any human casualties, it caused a 2-meter fence to collapse, and the car was severely damaged, affecting train operations and causing traffic congestion.

Scene of a railway traffic accident at the self-opening entrance to the Tan Hung block gate, Quynh Thien ward, Hoang Mai town in early 2023. Photo: BNA

Currently, on the North-South railway line, the section passing through Hoang Mai town has a total of 18 self-opened paths. Of which, the path at Km240 + 625 where the above traffic accident occurred is the path to the welcome gate of Tan Hung block (Quynh Thien ward). This area itself has also been invested by the railway industry to build a concrete access road along the Tan Hung railway line. However, this is a path with many people and vehicles passing by, so it often poses a potential safety risk.

According to our investigation, after the accident on January 27, 2023, Thanh Hoa Railway Joint Stock Company sent a document requesting the Traffic Safety Committee of Nghe An province to inspect and thoroughly handle the situation of traffic safety loss at self-opened crossings.

After that, the Traffic Safety Committee of Nghe An province also organized a direct inspection of the railway line passing through Quynh Thien ward, Hoang Mai town. At the same time, it was requested that the People's Committee of Hoang Mai town direct Quynh Thien ward to coordinate with Thanh Hoa Railway Joint Stock Company to inspect and make a plan to coordinate in handling violations on land reserved for railways and railway traffic safety corridors such as: Canopies, pouring concrete, placing tents, other items on land reserved for railways and railway traffic safety corridors. Survey and install a system of signs and signs for people and vehicles to participate in traffic on the legal level crossing and avoid traffic congestion on the railway service road. And the most important thing is to organize to narrow the passage to prevent cars from passing through the self-opened passage at Km240+625 in Tan Hung block (Quynh Thien ward).

In the long term, we must resolutely close the self-opened walkway at Km240+625 and the self-opened walkways of households connecting directly to the railway. Mobilize households to donate land to widen the service road and open the service road to ensure convenient and safe traffic circulation.

The self-opening walkway across the railway into the Tan Hung block gate, Hoang Mai town has not been able to be narrowed yet. Photo: Tien Dong

Being present in Hoang Mai Town, we learned that on February 22, 2023, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town issued Official Dispatch No. 286/UBND-QLDT on reviewing and ensuring railway traffic safety and order. Accordingly, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town requested the People's Committee of Quynh Thien Ward to inspect and handle violations on land reserved for railways, railway traffic safety corridors, etc. At the same time, coordinate with Thanh Hoa Railway Joint Stock Company to thoroughly handle the violations pointed out by the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee. The most important thing is to have a plan to narrow and eventually close the residential crossing at the entrance to Tan Hung block. However, up to this point, according to our observations, closing this self-opened crossing is facing many difficulties.

Mr. Nguyen Ba Binh - Chairman of Quynh Thien Ward People's Committee said: On March 3, 2023, the ward coordinated with the railway management unit to hold a meeting to inform the people of Tan Hung block to deploy a plan to narrow the self-opened passage at Km240+625.

However, most people believe that the road to the gate of Tan Hung cultural village has existed for a long time and is the main central road of the village, so narrowing the path and not allowing cars to pass through is inappropriate.

Not to mention, according to Point d, Article 6, Circular 25/2018/TT-BGTVT dated May 14, 2018, regulating level crossings and granting construction permits for essential works within the land area reserved for railways, "the distance between two level crossings in urban areas must not be less than 500m".

“Currently, in Tan Hung block, there are 2 fenced level crossings at Km240+406 and Km240+100 (the way to Hoang Mai quarry), only about 200m apart. According to the opinion of Tan Hung block residents, the barrier at Km240+406 should be moved to the level crossing through the gate of Tan Hung block cultural village, and the path at Km240+406 should be narrowed.

If so, the distance from the Km240+100 level crossing at the road leading to Hoang Mai quarry to the level crossing at Km240+625 to the gate of Tan Hung cultural village is about 500m, which is in accordance with Circular 25. From the people's petition, the ward has also sent a report to the superiors for consideration and handling" - Mr. Binh emphasized.

Narrowing and then closing self-opening passages is necessary to ensure railway traffic safety. Photo: Tien Dong

Resolutely handle and move towards closing self-opening level crossings

In addition to sending a document requesting the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town to close the self-opened level crossings and handle violations of the railway traffic safety corridor, on March 1, 2023, the Traffic Safety Committee also sent a document requesting the People's Committee of Nghi Loc District to narrow the self-opened path at Km296+350 of the road to Gom Hamlet in Nghi Yen Commune. According to the information we received, up to this point, the narrowing of this path has been completed since March 16, 2023. In which, the width of the path from about 3.5m has been narrowed to about 1.2m, enough for motorbikes and pedestrians to pass.

Mr. Phan Huy Chuong - Deputy Head of the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee said: The situation of people arbitrarily opening a path across the North-South railway and installing a number of structures and objects on railway land such as: Pouring concrete on railway land, building corrugated iron roofs, planting trees and setting up tents, violating the protection range of bridge structures, roads, railway traffic safety corridors, even arbitrarily constructing structures on railway land, obscuring the view... has been very painful in recent times.

However, this situation has not been completely resolved, causing the risk of traffic accidents between road and rail vehicles to always be present.

Authorities inspect a self-opened walkway across the railway. Photo: Tien Dong

Faced with this situation, after inspection and survey, the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee also requested local authorities of districts, cities and towns where railways pass through to review and strictly handle violations to ensure railway traffic safety.

In particular, localities also need to review land allocation, land allocation, and land use purposes of households violating along the railway to have a handling plan.

For households that encroach on railway land, open their own paths across the railway, illegally construct structures on railway land or cases of granting land use certificates within the land area reserved for railways, it is necessary to inspect and handle violations according to the provisions of law.

“The Provincial Traffic Safety Committee also requested that Railway units proactively coordinate closely with local authorities to review, promptly detect and handle violations on the route in accordance with the prescribed authority. Propose existing problems to localities and units for timely direction to overcome them,” Mr. Chuong further emphasized.