Passengers smile on the first passenger train after the opening of Deo Ca tunnel

At 7:00 p.m. on April 21, train SE8 with nearly 400 passengers passed through Bai Gio tunnel and safely headed north after a landslide and railway tunnel blockage for the past 9 days.

SE8 is the first passenger train to run through Bai Gio tunnel (Km 1231+100, section through Deo Ca in Dai Lanh commune, Van Ninh district, Khanh Hoa).

Previously, the first freight train numbered HH84 was in operation, officially resuming North-South railway operations from the evening of April 21.

Passengers on the train waved goodbye to the workers who had spent many days working hard to clear the tunnel. (Photo: Cao Son)

Mr. Le Anh Hai (from Ha Tinh) said that his family chose to travel by train to return home. At first, when hearing the news that the railway tunnel had collapsed and had to be transferred by road in the area at the end of Khanh Hoa bordering Phu Yen, everyone was worried about the difficulty of traveling. But when arriving at Van Gia station (Van Ninh, Khanh Hoa), the train announced that passengers would have to wait a few hours and then continue their journey, without having to transfer. "During the waiting time, the train provided free meals and water, so everyone was comfortable. Thank you very much for the efforts of the railway industry," said Mr. Hai. According to many passengers, when the train passed through Bai Gio tunnel, everyone tried to look out the glass to see what the tunnel was like. "It was dark so I couldn't see the tunnel clearly. But when I heard the news that the tunnel was open, it felt very strange, even though compared to normal days it was nothing if the train went smoothly. Now the trains can be open again after the efforts of the functional units," said Ms. Nguyen Thi Van (from Da Nang).

Train captain SE8 Tran Van Thang talks to passengers after the train passed through Bai Gio tunnel on the evening of April 21. (Photo: VT)

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Tran Van Thang, the captain of SE8 train, said that when they heard that their train was the first passenger train to pass through Bai Gio tunnel, everyone was excited and filled with indescribable joy. "For many years, the railway industry has not encountered such a long-term traffic jam. Initially, the train was scheduled to open on April 22, hundreds of passengers had to transfer, but in the end everything went smoothly," said Mr. Thang. According to the captain of SE8 train, when passing through Bai Gio tunnel, the passenger train was guided by a specialized train, traveling at a speed of about 5km/h, taking about 10 minutes before traveling at normal speed.

The railway is clear after nearly 10 days of efforts to fix the landslide at Bai Gio tunnel. (Photo: Cao Son)

Inspections on train SE8 are carried out regularly. The train provides free meals to passengers while waiting for the tunnel to be cleared. (Photo: VT)

It is expected that after train SE8, other trains SE3 and SE1 will also pass through Bai Gio tunnel on April 21 and 22. Previously, according to statistics from the Vietnam Railway Authority, in order to maintain transportation operations, minimize damage and impact on passengers, in nearly 10 days (from April 12 to 5:00 p.m. on April 21), the railway industry safely transported nearly 30,000 passengers on 110 passenger trains.

At 12:45 on April 12, the railway tunnel through Deo Ca (Km 1231+100, section through Dai Lanh commune, Van Ninh district, Khanh Hoa) on the North-South railway suffered a landslide, causing hundreds of cubic meters of rock and soil to block the tunnel entrance. The incident completely cut off the North-South railway through Deo Ca before it was reopened on the evening of April 21.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/hanh-khach-cuoi-tuoi-tren-chuyen-tau-khach-dau-tien-sau-thong-ham-deo-ca-192240421214239144.htm