Bringing smart machines into track maintenance, improving safety

Vietnam Railway Corporation said that this unit is implementing the project "Improving railway safety management capacity in Vietnam" funded by Korea, with a total investment of nearly 253 billion VND.

The project aims to introduce, apply technology, receive and operate some advanced railway maintenance equipment in Korea on existing railway lines in Vietnam; Build and adjust to suit railway operating conditions in Vietnam.

Specifically, the representative of Vietnam Railway Corporation said that the national railway network has a total of about 3,146km of track; using many types of rails: 24kg rails, 25kg rails, 30kg rails, 38kg rails, 43kg rails and a few 50kg rails, most of which are short rails that are not welded, so they affect the smoothness of the train when running. Similarly, sleepers, switches, and accessories include many types. The ballast stone foundation is lacking and the stone size is mostly not in accordance with regulations.

With the implementation of the project "Improving railway safety management capacity in Vietnam", Vietnam Railways hopes to be able to apply smart machines and equipment to effectively maintain and repair railways, improving safety.

While the medium-term public investment projects have only been resolved, the renovation has not been significant; the annual maintenance costs have not been fully allocated according to the approved technical and economic norms, meeting only 35-38% of the requirements. Railway infrastructure maintenance is mainly done manually, with the combination of mechanical equipment but very limited, the manual maintenance rate accounts for over 80%.

The few large-capacity equipment used for maintenance using ODA funds such as the core breaking screening machine; railway quality inspection vehicle; ballast air conditioner... are mostly fully depreciated. Each time a damaged part is replaced, it must be ordered separately, leading to high costs; when operating, it takes a lot of time to block the section, affecting train operations.

With the implementation of the project "Improving railway safety management capacity in Vietnam", the Korean side will introduce and operate some advanced railway maintenance equipment on existing railway lines in Vietnam; build and adjust the railway traffic maintenance system to suit the characteristics of railway operations in Vietnam such as combining training and practice in applying standards for replacing rails, sleepers, and railway foundations...

Specifically, providing equipment for rail maintenance and repair; rails and rail accessories for testing; machines and equipment for compressed gas welding in training and practice; machines and equipment for thermite welding in training and practice; machines and equipment for replacing rails and sleepers on the line; machines, equipment and consumables for rail grinding and drilling...

At the same time, train Vietnamese railway personnel in professional practice to perform rail maintenance work such as checking and identifying rail defects (on the surface and hidden defects inside the rails) using rail probes, rail saws, rail welding, rail grinding, etc.

"Using personal, smart maintenance equipment will help to quickly detect hidden defects that cause unsafety in rail components and sleepers that cannot be detected by manual inspection with the naked eye. This will help prevent and minimize accidents due to untimely maintenance or insufficient funds for maintenance according to technical and economic standards. Railway maintenance contractors can also easily invest in effective and accurate maintenance," said a representative of Vietnam Railways Corporation.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/dua-may-thong-minh-vao-bao-tri-duong-ray-nang-cao-an-toan-192231120224814357.htm