Proactively eliminate small self-opened paths
The North-South railway line through Ha Tinh province is over 70km long, running through Duc Tho, Vu Quang, and Huong Khe districts. As of early 2025, in Ha Tinh, there are still more than 80 locations of self-opened railway crossings with potential risks of insecurity and traffic accidents. Also from the beginning of 2025 until now, localities in Ha Tinh have made efforts to eliminate self-opened crossings intersecting with railways.
Mr. Le Quang Vinh - Head of the Economic, Infrastructure and Urban Affairs Department of Huong Khe district - said that the railway passing through Huong Khe district is quite large, up to 45km long. Therefore, the number of locations for self-opened crossings intersecting with railways is also large at 61 points.
According to Mr. Vinh, up to now, Huong Khe district has eliminated 21 self-opened railway crossings.Of which, in the first 4 months of 2025 alone, 15 self-opened paths have been eliminated.The removal was carried out by using excavators to dig and break the self-opened path.
Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc - Vice Chairman of Duc Tho District People's Committee - said that Duc Tho District has 15 self-opened railway crossings that must be eliminated.Up to this point, 11 points have been cleared by digging and breaking the path.
Difficult to complete due to lack of funding
Mr. Le Quang Vinh - Head of the Economic, Infrastructure and Urban Affairs Department of Huong Khe district - informed that according to the plan, in May and June 2025, Huong Khe district will remove 12 more self-opened and small crossings intersecting the railway.
"The difficulty in our district at present is that there are still 18 major railway intersections that need underpass or access roads, so a large source of funding is needed. Of which, 9 positions are allocated from the central budget, and 9 other positions are allocated from the provincial budget and district budget. Each such position is expected to cost 2 - 3 billion VND. While the province has not yet arranged a budget, it is very difficult for the district to arrange a budget for implementation" - Mr. Vinh shared.
Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc - Vice Chairman of Duc Tho District People's Committee - said that the 4 self-opened crossings intersecting with the remaining railway in Duc Tho District must be implemented as barriers or underpasses, so a large budget is needed. The locality has made a plan to propose to the Department of Construction, the Department of Construction has also proposed to the Ministry of Construction to arrange funding for implementation. While the funding has not been allocated, it cannot be implemented.
Mr. Tran Van Ke - Director of Nghe Tinh Railway Joint Stock Company - informed that in Ha Tinh province, especially from 2025 to now, it has actively eliminated self-opened railway crossings that can cause traffic accidents. However, in this province, there are still quite large railway intersections that need to be used for underpasses or service roads. According to Decision 358 of 2020 of the Prime Minister approving the "Project to ensure order in traffic safety corridors and completely handle self-opened crossings across railways", the implementation of eliminating self-opened crossings at railway intersections uses funding from the central and local sources.
However, according to Mr. Ke, up to now, funding from both the central and local governments of Ha Tinh has not been allocated, so it is difficult and difficult to complete the elimination of all self-opened railway crossings in 2025 according to Decision 358 of the Government.
