Railway accidents in Vietnam
Encyclopedia
Railway accidents in Vietnam are common. According to statistics released by national railway company Vietnam Railways
, 451 railway accidents were reported across the country's railway network
in 2010, having caused 211 deaths and 284 injuries. A joint Japanese-Vietnamese evaluation team reported in 2007 that the poor state of railway infrastructure was the fundamental cause for most railway accidents, of which the most common types were train crashes against vehicles and persons, especially at illegal level crossings; derailment
s caused by failure to decrease speed were also noted as a common cause of accidents. As of 2010, around 90% of all railway accidents occurred at level crossings without safety fences, and most were said to have been caused by motorists failing to follow traffic safety laws. One researcher from Villanova University
reported that, on average, one accident occurred on Vietnam's railways every day.
Along with recent efforts aimed at infrastructure rehabilitation, the recent adoption of safety measures by Vietnam Railways has led to a decline in railway accidents. These measures include: public awareness campaigns on railway safety in the media; construction of fences and safety barriers at critical level crossings in major cities; mobilization of volunteers for traffic control at train stations and level crossings, especially during holiday seasons; the installation of additional auto-signal systems; and the construction of flyovers
and underpass
es to redirect traffic.
, 442 railway accidents were reported across the country's railway network
in 2008, having caused 190 deaths and 262 injuries; most of these accidents were said to have been caused by motorists failing to follow railway safety regulations. By way of comparison, the number of fatalities due to railway accidents was recorded as 115 in 1998, and 82 in 1988. The following table gives recent statistics for railway accidents in Vietnam:
As a whole, railway accidents account for 1.5% to 1.6% of all transportation accidents occurring in Vietnam, contributing to 1.8% to 2.35% of all fatalities and 0.7% to 0.8% of all injuries. Averaged over a ten-year period from 1988 to 1998, the number of railway accidents taking place at level crossings was recorded as 2,595, or 66.3% of all railway accidents during that period. This rate can also be expressed as 12.34 accidents per million train-km, which is 4 times higher than the accident rate in Canada, and 100 times that of India.
in 2010 noted that, out of 5,400 level crossings in Vietnam, only 750 (or 14%) were manned or had alarm systems to signal the arrival of trains. Along the North-South Railway line, 3,650 level crossings were counted, 3,000 (or 82%) of which had no barriers, alarm systems or guards. The city of Hanoi
, along with the provinces of Nghe An, Khanh Hoa
and Dong Nai have the highest density of road-rail crossings.
While on a visit to Vietnam to evaluate infrastructure development projects sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), researcher A. Maria Toyoda noted "There are numerous safety issues with level crossings, residences right up against the tracks, and other areas of activity that are dangerously close... People will cross the tracks at great risk, dodging in front of the train. ... usually, an accident occurs every day." In the first 10 months of 2009, 431 railway accidents reportedly took place throughout Vietnam, causing 166 casualties and injuring 319 people.
between Da Nang
and Huế
. Weather can also be a factor in derailments, as seen on September 6, 2010, when a passenger train from Hanoi to Lao Cai was derailed by a landslide that followed several days of heavy rain, killing two people.
claims that accidents on railway bridges are rare. At least one major railway accident, the 1953 Col des Nuages derailment, happened due to a bridge failure; however, the failure was due to a bomb attack carried out by the Viet Minh
, rather than pre-existing structural weakness.
From 1994 to 2005, a major bridge rehabilitation project took place on the North–South Railway line, with the Pacific Consultants International Group and Japan Transportation Consultants providing consultancy services. The overall project cost was JPY
11,020 million, or 18% less than the budgeted cost. The overall results of the project included a reduction in running hours from one end of the line to the other (from 36 hours in 1994 to 29 hours in 2007); an increase of speed limits on rehabilitated bridges (from 15 kph to 60 kph, which contributed to the reduction in running hours; and a reduction in the number of railway accidents throughout the line.
In 2007, Vietnam Railways awarded an additional VND 150 billion (USD
9.5 million) five-year contract for consultancy services to Japan Transportation Consultants, the Pacific Consultants International Group, and the Japan Railway Technical Service (Jarts), regarding a VND 2.47 trillion project to further improve bridge and railway safety on the North–South line. The project's goals include the refurbishment of 44 bridges and 37.6 km (23.4 mi) of railway tracks, the building of two new railway bridges and a new railway station at Ninh Binh, and the purchase of 23 track machines. The project was expected to be completed in 2010.
Improving maintenance has been identified as a priority for the rail transport sector, specifically maintenance and repair work in rail workshops due to its direct impact on passenger safety. In some cases, a lack of proper maintenance of infrastructure can contribute to accidents even when safety measures are in place. On November 22, 2009, for instance, nine people were killed when a bus collided with a southbound train at a level crossing in Hanoi; one set of warning lights at the crossing was out of order, and the other set had collapsed. The replacement of old and damaged rolling stock
is also a priority; a 2006 report by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
identified the poor condition of trains and rolling stock as a major cause in 50% of railway accidents.
Besides the above, Vietnam Railways has taken a number of other steps to improve railway safety, including the construction of fences and safety barriers at critical level crossings in major cities, the installation of additional auto-signal systems, and the construction of flyovers
and underpass
es to redirect traffic around railway lines.
to detect whether drivers have used alcohol.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has identified poor management practices and the weak enforcement of safety laws and regulations as contributing to railway accidents as well. To ensure the enforcement of safety laws, railway authorities have announced their intention to increase the number of spot checks on safety at level crossings, prevent people from using unauthorised crossings, and build more access roads to level crossings. Volunteers have also been mobilized to provide traffic control at both level crossings and train stations, especially during holiday seasons.
, located between Huế
and Da Nang
and described as "the most dangerous mountain in Vietnam", has been the scene of at least two of Vietnam's most serious rail accidents.
Vietnam Railways
The railway system in Vietnam is operated by the state-owned Vietnam Railways . The principal route is the thousand-mile single track North-South Railway line, running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This was built at the metre gauge in the 1880s during the French colonial rule...
, 451 railway accidents were reported across the country's railway network
Rail transport in Vietnam
The railway system in Vietnam is owned and operated by the state-owned Vietnam Railways . The principal route, the single track North-South Railway running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, accounts for of the network's total length of...
in 2010, having caused 211 deaths and 284 injuries. A joint Japanese-Vietnamese evaluation team reported in 2007 that the poor state of railway infrastructure was the fundamental cause for most railway accidents, of which the most common types were train crashes against vehicles and persons, especially at illegal level crossings; derailment
Derailment
A derailment is an accident on a railway or tramway in which a rail vehicle, or part or all of a train, leaves the tracks on which it is travelling, with consequent damage and in many cases injury and/or death....
s caused by failure to decrease speed were also noted as a common cause of accidents. As of 2010, around 90% of all railway accidents occurred at level crossings without safety fences, and most were said to have been caused by motorists failing to follow traffic safety laws. One researcher from Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
reported that, on average, one accident occurred on Vietnam's railways every day.
Along with recent efforts aimed at infrastructure rehabilitation, the recent adoption of safety measures by Vietnam Railways has led to a decline in railway accidents. These measures include: public awareness campaigns on railway safety in the media; construction of fences and safety barriers at critical level crossings in major cities; mobilization of volunteers for traffic control at train stations and level crossings, especially during holiday seasons; the installation of additional auto-signal systems; and the construction of flyovers
Overpass
An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...
and underpass
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
es to redirect traffic.
Statistics
According to statistics released by national railway company Vietnam RailwaysVietnam Railways
The railway system in Vietnam is operated by the state-owned Vietnam Railways . The principal route is the thousand-mile single track North-South Railway line, running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This was built at the metre gauge in the 1880s during the French colonial rule...
, 442 railway accidents were reported across the country's railway network
Rail transport in Vietnam
The railway system in Vietnam is owned and operated by the state-owned Vietnam Railways . The principal route, the single track North-South Railway running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, accounts for of the network's total length of...
in 2008, having caused 190 deaths and 262 injuries; most of these accidents were said to have been caused by motorists failing to follow railway safety regulations. By way of comparison, the number of fatalities due to railway accidents was recorded as 115 in 1998, and 82 in 1988. The following table gives recent statistics for railway accidents in Vietnam:
| Railway accidents in Vietnam, 2007–2010 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Accidents | Fatalities | Injuries |
| 2010 | 451 | 211 | 284 |
| 2009 | 564 | 208 | 391 |
| 2008 | 442 | 190 | 262 |
| 2007 | >530 | 230 | n/a |
As a whole, railway accidents account for 1.5% to 1.6% of all transportation accidents occurring in Vietnam, contributing to 1.8% to 2.35% of all fatalities and 0.7% to 0.8% of all injuries. Averaged over a ten-year period from 1988 to 1998, the number of railway accidents taking place at level crossings was recorded as 2,595, or 66.3% of all railway accidents during that period. This rate can also be expressed as 12.34 accidents per million train-km, which is 4 times higher than the accident rate in Canada, and 100 times that of India.
Collisions at level crossings
Railway accidents in Vietnam occur mainly at unprotected or unauthorized level crossings; as of 2010, around 90% of all accidents were reported to occur at level crossings without safety fences. A study carried out by Vietnam RailwaysVietnam Railways
The railway system in Vietnam is operated by the state-owned Vietnam Railways . The principal route is the thousand-mile single track North-South Railway line, running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This was built at the metre gauge in the 1880s during the French colonial rule...
in 2010 noted that, out of 5,400 level crossings in Vietnam, only 750 (or 14%) were manned or had alarm systems to signal the arrival of trains. Along the North-South Railway line, 3,650 level crossings were counted, 3,000 (or 82%) of which had no barriers, alarm systems or guards. The city of Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, along with the provinces of Nghe An, Khanh Hoa
Khanh Hoa Province
Khánh Hòa is a province of Vietnam, located in the South Central Coast. It has a population of 1,066,300 and spans an area of 5,197 km². Its capital is Nha Trang...
and Dong Nai have the highest density of road-rail crossings.
While on a visit to Vietnam to evaluate infrastructure development projects sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), researcher A. Maria Toyoda noted "There are numerous safety issues with level crossings, residences right up against the tracks, and other areas of activity that are dangerously close
Derailments
Failure by train drivers to decrease speed along dangerous sections of track occasionally cause derailments; the 2005 Phú Lộc derailment is one such example, which led to 13 casualties and hundreds of injuries when a train derailed along the Hai Van PassHai Van Pass
The Hải Vân Pass , is an approximately 2 mile long mountain pass on National Road 1A in Vietnam. It traverses a spur of the larger Annamite Range that juts into the South China Sea, on the border of Đà Nẵng and Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, near Bach Ma National Park. Its name refers to the mists that...
between Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
and Huế
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
. Weather can also be a factor in derailments, as seen on September 6, 2010, when a passenger train from Hanoi to Lao Cai was derailed by a landslide that followed several days of heavy rain, killing two people.
Bridge failure
Main railway lines have a maximum speed of 70 kph, but trains regularly slow to 30 kph (and even 5 kph in some cases) around bridges, many of which were damaged during the war and which still suffer from structural safety problems. Along with speed limits, weight limits are also in place on bridges. Railway operator Vietnam RailwaysVietnam Railways
The railway system in Vietnam is operated by the state-owned Vietnam Railways . The principal route is the thousand-mile single track North-South Railway line, running between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This was built at the metre gauge in the 1880s during the French colonial rule...
claims that accidents on railway bridges are rare. At least one major railway accident, the 1953 Col des Nuages derailment, happened due to a bridge failure; however, the failure was due to a bomb attack carried out by the Viet Minh
Viet Minh
Việt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pac Bo on May 19, 1941. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China...
, rather than pre-existing structural weakness.
Rehabilitation and development
The condition of railway infrastructure in Vietnam, although improving, is still poor enough overall to require rehabilitation. Rail transport only became a national priority for the Vietnamese government around the mid-1990s, at which point most of the railway network was severely degraded, having received only temporary repair from damages suffered during decades of war.From 1994 to 2005, a major bridge rehabilitation project took place on the North–South Railway line, with the Pacific Consultants International Group and Japan Transportation Consultants providing consultancy services. The overall project cost was JPY
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
11,020 million, or 18% less than the budgeted cost. The overall results of the project included a reduction in running hours from one end of the line to the other (from 36 hours in 1994 to 29 hours in 2007); an increase of speed limits on rehabilitated bridges (from 15 kph to 60 kph, which contributed to the reduction in running hours; and a reduction in the number of railway accidents throughout the line.
In 2007, Vietnam Railways awarded an additional VND 150 billion (USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
9.5 million) five-year contract for consultancy services to Japan Transportation Consultants, the Pacific Consultants International Group, and the Japan Railway Technical Service (Jarts), regarding a VND 2.47 trillion project to further improve bridge and railway safety on the North–South line. The project's goals include the refurbishment of 44 bridges and 37.6 km (23.4 mi) of railway tracks, the building of two new railway bridges and a new railway station at Ninh Binh, and the purchase of 23 track machines. The project was expected to be completed in 2010.
Improving maintenance has been identified as a priority for the rail transport sector, specifically maintenance and repair work in rail workshops due to its direct impact on passenger safety. In some cases, a lack of proper maintenance of infrastructure can contribute to accidents even when safety measures are in place. On November 22, 2009, for instance, nine people were killed when a bus collided with a southbound train at a level crossing in Hanoi; one set of warning lights at the crossing was out of order, and the other set had collapsed. The replacement of old and damaged rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
is also a priority; a 2006 report by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The is a cabinet level ministry of Japan responsible for the country's foreign relations.The ministry is due to the second term of the third article of the National Government Organization Act , and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Establishment Act establishes the ministry...
identified the poor condition of trains and rolling stock as a major cause in 50% of railway accidents.
Besides the above, Vietnam Railways has taken a number of other steps to improve railway safety, including the construction of fences and safety barriers at critical level crossings in major cities, the installation of additional auto-signal systems, and the construction of flyovers
Overpass
An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...
and underpass
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
es to redirect traffic around railway lines.
Education and policy
A number of education and training initiatives have been proposed or carried out by Vietnam Railways. Public awareness campaigns in the media have been carried out to educate the public about railway safety. The training and professional development of train operators has also been suggested as a major area of focus. One train driver interviewed in 2009 reported that he had worked as a driver for Vietnam Railways for over 10 years without receiving any training or professional development to improve his skills, which he had learned in Russia. Checks on drivers have also been suggested, along with random blood testingBlood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content , also called blood alcohol concentration, blood ethanol concentration, or blood alcohol level is most commonly used as a metric of alcohol intoxication for legal or medical purposes....
to detect whether drivers have used alcohol.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has identified poor management practices and the weak enforcement of safety laws and regulations as contributing to railway accidents as well. To ensure the enforcement of safety laws, railway authorities have announced their intention to increase the number of spot checks on safety at level crossings, prevent people from using unauthorised crossings, and build more access roads to level crossings. Volunteers have also been mobilized to provide traffic control at both level crossings and train stations, especially during holiday seasons.
List of notable accidents
As discussed above, the state of railway safety in Vietnam lends itself to frequent accidents, many of them fatal. Although listing them all would be impractical, certain notable accidents can be highlighted. The area around the Hai Van PassHai Van Pass
The Hải Vân Pass , is an approximately 2 mile long mountain pass on National Road 1A in Vietnam. It traverses a spur of the larger Annamite Range that juts into the South China Sea, on the border of Đà Nẵng and Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, near Bach Ma National Park. Its name refers to the mists that...
, located between Huế
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
and Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
and described as "the most dangerous mountain in Vietnam", has been the scene of at least two of Vietnam's most serious rail accidents.
- June 24, 1953 – 1953 Col des Nuages derailment: "About 100 or more" were killed when two locomotives and 18 cars of a passenger train plunged 50 feet through a sabotaged viaduct in the Col des Nuages, now known as the Hai Van Pass. Officials said that a strong explosive charge went off just as the train arrived at the viaduct, tumbling a 25-foot span into the ravine. The pass had frequently been the scene of attacks by the Viet MinhViet MinhViệt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pac Bo on May 19, 1941. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China...
. - August 4, 2003 – Fourteen Vietnamese war veterans were killed on their way to visit historical sites when their minibus collided with a southbound train at a crossing in Cam Lo District, Quang Tri ProvinceQuang Tri ProvinceQuảng Trị is a province on the North Central Coast of Vietnam, north of the former imperial capital of Huế.-Geography:Located in North Central Vietnam, Quang Tri Province is surrounded by Quang Binh Province on the north, Thua Thien-Hue Province on the south, Savannakhet Province of Laos on the...
. Twelve people were declared dead at the scene, while two more later died of their injuries. - March 12, 2005 – 2005 Phú Lộc derailment: An express passenger train on the North-South RailwayNorth-South Railway, VietnamThe Vietnam North-South Railway, also known as the Reunification Express, is a railway that runs from Ha Noi to Ho Chi Minh City. The total length of this railway is , with a gauge of metre gauge...
derailed in central VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, killing 11 people and injuring hundreds, many of which were in a serious condition after the crash. The accident occurred near the Hai Van Pass, in Phu LocPhu LocPhu Loc is a district of Thua Thien-Hue Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam.As of 2003 the district had a population of 149,418. The district covers an area of 728 km²...
district, Thừa Thiên-Huế ProvinceThua Thien-Hue ProvinceThừa Thiên-Huế is a province in the North Central Coast of Vietnam, approximately in the center of the country. It borders Quang Tri Provice to the north and Da Nang City to the south, Laos to the west and the South China Sea to the east. The province has 128 km of coastline, 22,000 ha of...
while the train was traveling southbound from HanoiHanoiHanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
to Ho Chi Minh cityHo Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
. - February 8, 2007 – An express train collides with a "passenger car" in Khanh Hoa provinceKhanh Hoa ProvinceKhánh Hòa is a province of Vietnam, located in the South Central Coast. It has a population of 1,066,300 and spans an area of 5,197 km². Its capital is Nha Trang...
, killing 13 people and injuring 24, most of whom were returning home on the occasion of TetTetTet can mean:*Tết or Tết Nguyên Đán, the Vietnamese new year**Tet Offensive, a military campaign that began in 1968*Têt in Roussillon, France*Equal temperament, abbreviated as 12-TET, 19-TET and so on...
. - November 22, 2009 – Nine people were killed when a bus returning from an engagement ceremony collided with a southbound train at a level crossing in Thuong Tin, Hanoi. One set of warning lights at the crossing was out of order, and the other set had collapsed.
- February 6, 2011 – A SE-2 Saigon-Hanoi passenger train collided head-on with 6 vehicles including cars and pick-up trucks at an one-lane rail-road bridge in Bien HoaBien HoaBiên Hòa is a city in Dong Nai province, Vietnam, about east of Ho Chi Minh City , to which Bien Hoa is linked by Vietnam Highway 1.- Demographics :In 1989 the estimated population was over 300,000. In 2005, the population wss 541,495...
, killing 2 people and injured 26. The vehicles and other scooter riding commuters on the bridge were unable to move due to a traffic jam and the accident was blamed on human failure to signal the incoming train to stop. - March 30, 2011 – Again in Thuong Tin, Hanoi, a minibus carrying 18 people to a wedding collided with northbound cargo train at an ungated level crossing. The accident killed 9 people and left 6 injured, all in the same family.