HCMC – Vietnam Railways (VNR) has recommended allocating nearly VND1.3 trillion to urgently upgrade and reinforce deteriorating railway structures that pose safety risks, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
VNR said a total of nearly VND16.2 trillion is needed to repair, renovate, and upgrade critical structures on the national railway network. This includes VND500 billion for reinforcing weak tunnels, VND4 trillion for repairing severely deteriorating bridges, over VND1.5 trillion for reinforcing culverts, and VND9.4 trillion for repairing main rail line structures, station tracks, and others.
Specifically, the sector needs to prioritize an investment of around VND1,295 billion to reinforce railway structures that pose immediate safety risks.
Information from VNR indicates that out of the 39 tunnels in the railway network, 12 were built and put into operation between 1926 and 1936 and have never undergone major upgrades. The concrete or stone linings of these tunnels have deteriorated.
Recently, a landslide at the Bai Gio Tunnel triggered a disruption along the North-South rail line in Khanh Hoa Province for over a week in April, resulting in VND50.4 billion in damage to the railway sector.
