About 2,700 passengers were affected when the railway industry temporarily stopped a series of Thong Nhat trains and tourist trains on the evening of October 27, due to the impact of floods in the Central region.
Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) announced the temporary suspension of trains SE1/SE2 and SE3/SE4 (North-South Thong Nhat route) departing from Hanoi station and Saigon station on the evening of October 27.
The pair of trains SE19/SE20 traveling from Hanoi to Da Nang also temporarily stopped operating on October 27.
In the Central region, the “Heritage Connection” tourism program with trains HD1/2 and HD3/4 (Hue – Da Nang route) also had to stop operating on October 28 and 29.
The sudden stop of the train is expected to affect the travel plans of about 2,700 passengers who have purchased tickets.
VNR said it has notified passengers via SMS, Zalo, website and official fanpage. Affected passengers can go to the station to return their tickets for free within 30 days from the departure date printed on the ticket.
Floodwaters reached the bottom of Bach Ho bridge, Gia Vien, spanning the Perfume River in Hue. Image: VNR
Currently, flood waters on the North-South railway line continue to rise. In Thua Thien Hue, section Km682+550 to Km682+700, the water is about 70 mm higher than the top of the rail; section Km683+200 to Km683+650, flooded up to 185 mm. The water level has reached the bottom of the beams of Bach Ho bridge and Gia Vien bridge – two key points on the route through the center of Hue city.
VNR representative said that the company is coordinating with infrastructure units to closely monitor the flood situation, ready to restore train operations when safe conditions are guaranteed.
In the past four days, Hue City, Da Nang City, and Quang Ngai have had 400-600 mm of rain, especially Bach Ma peak of over 2,000 mm, causing floods in rivers to exceed historical levels in 2020. Under the influence of cold air combined with tropical convergence zone and easterly winds, the Central region has had very heavy rain.
The Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention said the rainfall from 7:00 p.m. on October 23 to 7:00 a.m. on October 27 in Hue, Da Nang and Quang Ngai is commonly 400-600 mm, with some places over 800 mm. The National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting predicts that the Central region will continue to rain until the end of October. From now until the morning of October 29, southern Quang Tri – Da Nang and eastern Quang Ngai will commonly receive 200-400 mm of rain, locally over 700 mm.
Particularly, Hue and Da Nang continue to be the center of rain with an amount of 300-500 mm, locally over 800 mm. In addition, Ha Tinh – northern Quang Tri has 100-200 mm of rain, locally over 350 mm, warning of the risk of high intensity rain of over 200 mm in three hours.
The railway industry recommends that passengers planning to travel in the coming days should regularly monitor information on the website or contact the station directly for support. Trains will be restored when weather conditions are stable and operational safety is guaranteed.