Reportage

Concerns with the railwayGiat Bridge - Nghia Dan

Tien Dong • DNUM_CEZBBZCACE 13:39

The Cau Giat - Nghia Dan railway line is determined to continue. But the direction for this railway line will be a question that needs to be answered, after more than 10 years of stopping train operations and when the entire line is damaged.

One time glory

The Cau Giat - Nghia Dan railway line has a total length of 30km and was built in 1966, starting from Cau Giat station (Quynh Luu), ending at Nghia Dan station (now Thai Hoa town). This railway line was built as an important part of the Vietnam railway transport system during the war against the US. The construction and completion of the railway line in the context of the country struggling to cope with the war demonstrated the efforts of the people of Nghe An to overcome difficulties, and at the same time affirmed its importance to the war to unify the country.

Once completed, this route is considered the lifeline between the lowlands and the highlands. It not only serves the needs of transporting passengers and goods between the Northwest region and the plains of Nghe An province but also plays a strategic role in providing logistics for the southern battlefield.

During the war, the railway played a role in transporting logistical resources such as food, weapons and troops from the rear to the front. With complex mountainous terrain and constant attacks from the enemy, maintaining the operation of the line was a feat for the Vietnamese railway industry. Small stations along the line became points for receiving and delivering goods and supplies, ensuring uninterrupted circulation between strategic areas.

Until now, many people along Highway 48 still remember clearly the trains connecting Cau Giat (Quynh Luu) to Nghia Dan, Thai Hoa. At that time, the road was not developed, so on time, the train was loaded with goods from the lowlands and transported forest products... to the main station to go to the South and North. When the train whistle sounded, people from all over the areas of Quynh My, Ngoc Son, Quynh Chau (Quynh Luu) and Nghia Thuan, Nghia My (Nghia Dan) happily carried their burdens to follow the train back and forth. There were times when the train ran 2 to 3 trips per session.

However, after the renovation period, this route gradually lost its strategic role. By 2012, trains on the route officially stopped operating due to economic inefficiency. Since then, the entire railway line has fallen into a state of serious degradation. Many rail sections have been buried, stations have become abandoned structures, and surrounding infrastructure is no longer maintained or replaced, affecting management work.

In 2022, Nghe Tinh Railway Joint Stock Company (the management unit of this railway line) submitted a report on the current status of the entire railway line to Vietnam Railway Corporation. This showed a truly alarming situation. Along the entire 30km long line, there are 42 curves and 26 sections with steep slopes. Concrete sleepers have replaced most of the previous wooden sleepers, but after a long period of not running trains and not being maintained, the sleepers have rusted, broken, and lost their effectiveness. In many sections, the wooden sleepers have rotted and been buried under the ground.

The entire line has 12 turnouts, including 9 P24 turnouts and 3 P43 turnouts. The turnouts are in very bad condition, the turnout sleepers are rotten, and some turnouts are buried by rocks and soil. Not to mention there are 7 bridges, including 2 steel girder bridges and 5 concrete bridges with ballast troughs. However, these bridges have also been damaged, and most of the wooden sleepers on the bridges have rotted and broken.

In addition, there are 17 level crossings on this route, of which 6 need to be blocked and 11 have signs. Currently, the barriers and equipment and materials at the level crossings have deteriorated and some have been dismantled.

We conducted a field survey of the entire line, and realized the bleak reality of this railway. Although no longer in operation, the Cau Giat - Nghia Dan railway line is still maintained as a mandatory "heritage", meaning that railway management agencies are still responsible for protecting and maintaining some minimum facilities. However, this precarious maintenance does not help to ensure the safety of this route.

The entire line has 3 stations: Nghia Dan, Nghia Thuan and Quynh Chau; 6 guardhouses and 4 switchboards. But in reality, these structures have also seriously degraded. In particular, all stations are in the same situation of subsidence, cracked roofs, peeling plaster, pillars, peeling off, revealing rusty steel. To the point that the authorities have had to put up warning signs about the degraded buildings and prohibit entry.

Especially on this route, many constructions have encroached and erased many railway sections. Especially many provincial and national roads under construction have overlapped railway sections. Not to mention, many civil constructions have been built encroaching on and covering the entire corridor of the Cau Giat - Nghia Dan railway line.

Can it be revived?

Currently, the question is whether the Cau Giat - Nghia Dan railway line should be restored or not. Some opinions say that the renovation of this line can boost the economy of the Northwest Nghe An region and better connect with major economic centers.

Another approach is to exploit the tourism potential of the route. With its rich history and role in the war, this railway line can completely become an attractive historical relic, serving educational and tourism purposes. Train tours through the mountainous landscapes of Nghe An, combined with cultural and historical destinations in the area.

Through our research, we found that recently, the People's Committee of Thai Hoa town has sent many documents requesting the management agency of this railway line to make some adjustments. Accordingly, because the time of stopping the operation of this railway line has been too long, the management unit needs to confirm whether to continue using it or not.

According to the People's Committee of Thai Hoa town: The project to adjust the general planning of Thai Hoa town was approved by the People's Committee of Nghe An province in 2019, Nghia Dan railway station is planned to the east of the town (near Ho Chi Minh road). In addition, the eastern area of ​​Thai Hoa town currently has Nghia Thuan station with an area of ​​over 16,000m2.²Therefore, it is recommended that the competent authorities clarify whether this station will continue to be used or not. If not, where is the new station expected to be located and what is the area size so that the town has a basis for arranging the location and land fund in the zoning plan accordingly...

It is known that up to now, Thai Hoa town has not received a definitive answer from the authorities for its recommendations. This has led to difficulties and obstacles in implementing plans as well as investing in the construction of technical infrastructure and social infrastructure works in the town.

Recently, in response to the petition of voters of Thai Hoa town about moving Nghia Dan station out of the town center because it has been inactive for more than 10 years, causing environmental pollution and wasting assets and land, the Ministry of Transport has responded in writing affirming that it will continue to maintain this railway line.

According to the Ministry of Transport, in the coming time, the Ministry will direct the Vietnam Railway Authority, Vietnam Railway Corporation and relevant agencies to review, research and evaluate the demand for passenger and cargo transport by rail to consider and decide on upgrading and renovating the Cau Giat - Nghia Dan railway line to restore train operations.

However, to restore this railway line, is an issue that needs to be thoroughly and carefully evaluated. Because it requires a large investment, including the cost of infrastructure renovation, station upgrade, and train purchase...

It can be seen that the Cau Giat - Nghia Dan railway, once a strategic traffic "vein", is now lying dormant in oblivion. The preservation and development of the route is not only an economic story but also a responsibility to history and culture. Whatever the future holds, this railway is still an indelible part of the memory of the people of Nghe An...