28-10-2024 (HANOI) Major disruptions struck Vietnam’s North-South railway corridor on Friday evening as severe flooding from Storm Tra Mi forced hundreds of passengers to abandon their train journeys and resort to emergency bus transfers.
The Quang Binh Railway Joint Stock Company reported that train SE7, en route from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, came to a standstill at Dong Hoi station due to extensive flooding across multiple sections of the track. Simultaneously, trains SE2, SE4, and SE6, travelling in the opposite direction, were stranded at Dong Ha station in Quang Tri province.
Railway officials identified two critically affected areas: the track passing through Le Thuy district in Quang Binh province and the section crossing Vinh Linh in Quang Tri province. The depth of floodwater at these locations prompted immediate safety concerns, necessitating the complete suspension of rail services.
In a coordinated response to the crisis, railway management implemented an emergency passenger transfer operation. At approximately 19:00 hours, 321 passengers from train SE7 were safely evacuated and distributed among seven buses, accompanied by railway staff, for transport to Dong Ha station. Reciprocal arrangements were made for passengers stranded at Dong Ha, with multiple buses chartered to ferry them to Dong Hoi station, enabling them to resume their journeys on alternative trains.
“All bus transfers were provided free of charge to affected passengers,” confirmed a railway spokesperson. “Our priority was ensuring passenger safety while maintaining continuity of travel as much as possible under these challenging circumstances.”
As of 21:00 hours, the situation showed no signs of improvement, with persistent rainfall continuing to plague the Quang Binh region.
