Addressing the "roundabout" level crossing in Hoang Mai.

Haunted by railway crossing accidents.

Each passing train continues to leave behind the terrifying memory of traffic accidents for the residents of residential area No. 3, block 6, Hoang Mai ward. Between 2020 and 2023 alone, the intersection at Km 240 + 625 on the North-South railway line witnessed numerous serious accidents, resulting in 2 deaths, 3 injuries, and damage to 3 cars.

Pointing to the remnants of the collision still visible on the fence separating the railway from the residential area at the level crossing leading to Tan Hung village, Mr. Bui Dinh Nuoi recounted the accident involving his daughter and son-in-law: "They were driving across here, and because there was no warning barrier and they weren't paying attention, they were hit by a train and thrown into the fence. My daughter broke five ribs, my son-in-law broke one rib, and the car was completely deformed. After the accident, the family had to pay for the railway to rebuild the fence before we could retrieve the car for repairs. Saving their lives was a miracle, but we are still haunted by fear whenever we hear the train whistle."

Despite frequent and horrific accidents, this "death trap" remains in a state of "three no's": no level crossing guard, no traffic lights, and no automatic warning system.

Notably, since March 2023, the Vietnam Railways Corporation has sent a working group to coordinate with local authorities to survey the site. After the assessment, the inter-agency group clearly indicated that an automatic level crossing already exists at Km 240 + 100 (the road leading to the Hoa Tien Cave historical site). Therefore, the continued installation of another automatic level crossing at Km 240 + 406 violates the regulation on the minimum distance of 500m between two level crossings in urban areas (according to the Circular of the Ministry of Transport).

Based on that, representatives of the railway industry decided on the following plan: Close the level crossing at Km 240 + 406 and move the automatic crossing guard to the Tan Hung village gate at Km 240 + 625.

Mr. Ho Xuan Duc, a local resident who witnessed the survey on March 30, 2023, recalled:"After inspecting the safety conditions, the leader of the Vietnam Railway Corporation asked the representative of the railway sector in Region 1 (Thanh Hoa province) about the cost of relocating the level crossing from Km 240 + 406 to Km 240 + 625. Upon learning the cost was approximately 300 million VND, the leader decided to proceed immediately, much to the delight of the local people.

The level crossing project remains on paper because the proposal... circumvents the law.

Such a popular and lawful decision has been stalled for over three years. Mr. Le Thac Tho, head of Self-Management Group No. 3, Block 6, expressed his frustration:"Nearly 300 households have unanimously signed a petition, repeatedly petitioned at voter outreach meetings, and waited patiently for over three years, but to this day, the pedestrian crossing remains completely empty. People's lives are threatened daily, and we don't understand why the authorities still haven't taken action."

Reporters' investigations reveal that, immediately after compiling the survey findings and working with the railway industry, on April 10, 2023, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai town sent a document to the Vietnam Railway Corporation and the People's Committee of Nghe An province proposing to close the level crossing at Km 240 + 406 to redirect traffic to the service road, and simultaneously relocate the automatic level crossing gate to Km 240 + 625.

Shortly thereafter, on April 12, 2023, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued a document assigning the Department of Transport to take the lead and coordinate with relevant units to urgently advise the Provincial People's Committee on consideration and resolution.

However, the next steps have not yet been updated in Hoang Mai ward. Mr. Vu Xuan Luong, Head of the Economic, Infrastructure and Urban Planning Department of Hoang Mai ward, said: After the implementation of the two-tiered government system, Hoang Mai ward continues to receive many suggestions at meetings with voters and National Assembly representatives, ward People's Council representatives, and petitions from citizens. "We are also gathering documents and files to coordinate with the Vietnam Railway Corporation to review and resolve these issues completely and ensure compliance with regulations," Mr. Vu Xuan Luong said.

However, upon reviewing Document No. 904/UBND-KTHTDT dated May 25, 2026, from the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Ward to the Vietnam Railway Corporation, the People's Committee of Nghe An Province, and the Department of Construction, it appears that Hoang Mai Ward will not continue to implement the proposal previously made by the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town.

Specifically, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Ward only proposed adding an automatic level crossing barrier at Km 240 + 625, completely "neglecting" the closure of the level crossing and relocation of the barrier at Km 240 + 406. This means that Hoang Mai Ward is proposing to establish three automatic level crossing barriers within a 500m radius (Km 240+100; Km 240+406 and Km 240+625). This proposal is completely contrary to the current technical regulations of the Transport and Construction sectors.

The inevitable consequence was that in June 2026, the Vietnam Railways Corporation issued a document rejecting and refusing to add a level crossing barrier at Km 240 + 625 while the violation at Km 240 + 406 still existed.

It is necessary to ensure safe passage through the century-old village gate.

Mr. Ho Xuan Duc shared:"The gate to Tan Hung village is located on the main road, a route deeply ingrained in the heart and history of this land for over a century. We do not understand why, during the previous survey for installation, the authorities overlooked this crucial location and placed the barrier at an inappropriate position at Km 240 + 406."

Notably, historical image data on Google Maps clearly shows that: Before April 2017, the level crossing at Km 240 + 100 leading to the Hoa Tien Cave historical site already had a barrier. Meanwhile, as of September 2017, the level crossing at Km 240 + 406 still lacked a barrier. Images of the barrier at Km 240 + 406 only appeared in July 2019.

This indicates that the installation of the automatic level crossing barrier at Km 240 + 406, carried out between September 2017 and July 2019, was incorrect. The level crossing at Km 240 + 406 should have been closed from that time, and the automatic barrier should have been prioritized for placement at the entrance to Tan Hung village (Km 240 + 625).

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The minimum distance of 500m between two level crossings in urban areas is a consistent regulation that has been applied continuously over many periods, from Circular No. 33/2012/TT-BGTVT dated August 15, 2012 of the Ministry of Transport and currently Circular No. 34/2025/TT-BXD dated November 14, 2025 of the Ministry of Construction.

Based on the local situation and regulations regarding the minimum distance between level crossings in urban areas, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Ward needs to promptly update the Department of Construction's recommendations to the Provincial People's Committee regarding the proposal to close the level crossing at Km 240 + 406 and relocate the automatic barrier to Km 240 + 625 (Tan Hung village gate), as previously proposed by the People's Committee of Hoang Mai town. This will contribute to ensuring traffic safety, complying with legal regulations while also meeting the wishes of the local people.

Nguyen Toan