Close crosswalks to limit accidents
In 2023, on residential roads crossing the railway to enter Tan Hung block, Quynh Thien ward, there were 2 traffic accidents. Specifically, at about 1:45 p.m. on January 27, 2023, at Km240+625, train SE5 traveling from Hanoi – City. Ho Chi Minh directly hit a 7-seater car with license plate 37A-362.xx. The car was carrying 5 people and was driving from Highway 1A across a residential road without guards to enter a residential area. Although the accident did not cause any loss of life, 2 meters of fence collapsed, cars were seriously damaged, and affected train operations and caused traffic congestion.
The scene of the accident occurred on the afternoon of January 27, 2023 in Tan Hung block. Photo: Documents
Next, at about 4:20 p.m. May 2, 2023, at Km241+200, passing through Tan Hung block area, a car with registration number 36A-445.xx was coming from the residential area to National Highway 1A, when passing There was no guard on the railway, so due to lack of observation, it collided with train SE12 traveling towards Vinh – Hanoi. The accident caused the car to be thrown by the train onto the sidewalk, causing serious damage. The car driver was assisted by people and taken to the emergency room in critical condition.
Those are two of many accidents that occurred between cars and trains in the Tan Hung area. Faced with that situation, functional departments and agencies have repeatedly inspected and decided to close fewer crosswalks in this area.
The horizontal road leading to the welcome gate of Tan Hung block. Photo: Tien Dong
According to the plan, the crosswalk at locations at Km240+625m (Tan Hung block’s welcome gate) and Km241+195m, also in the Tan Hung block’s territory, will be closed. After the survey, the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee also sent documents to the People’s Committee of Hoang Mai town many times to urgently close the crossroads at the above locations. However, after many times organizing work with households to narrow and close crosswalks, local people did not agree, and at the same time made a petition to all levels and functional branches to request additional Add and adjust guard positions and maintain the entrance to the welcome gate of Tan Hung block.
Present at Tan Hung block, we were taken by Mr. Phan Duc Phap – Secretary of the Party Cell and Head of Tan Hung block to see the civil crossings operating in the area. According to Mr. Phap, Tan Hung block has 350 households located entirely west of the North-South railway. Not to mention that this western area also has a large portion of people in the Tan Thanh block (who often pass through the crossroads on the Tan Hung block), along with many quarries, brick factories, and business establishments, so the number of people and transportation Convenience of traffic through residential roads to get to National Highway 1A and vice versa is very large. For a long time, people have been passing through 3 crossroads in the area, of which 1 crossroad has an automatic guard.
Mr. Phan Duc Phap – Secretary of the Party Cell and Head of the Tan Hung Block wants the authorities to thoroughly consider closing the crossroads in the area. Photo: Tien Dong
Also according to Mr. Phap, previously, the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee also worked at the block to survey, narrow and close some self-opening crossroads, including the crossroad leading to the welcome gate of Tan Hung block. The locality has also proposed to relocate the automatic barrier from another place to install it here and narrow the self-opening walkway at some other points. However, it has not been implemented yet.
Need to consider thoroughly
The proposal of the people of Tan Hung block is to keep the crosswalk leading to the block’s welcome gate, move the automatic barrier at the Km240+406m crossroad to the Km240+625m crossroad position, then organize the closure of the crossroad at Km240+406m. Km240+406m. This means that in the block area there will also be 2 horizontal roads with automatic guards. Because the demand for travel is increasing, especially in TX. Hoang Mai is implementing a development roadmap to the city. Not to mention, these cross roads were all opened by the State, not spontaneous roads opened by the people.
Currently, the collector route is not connected. Photo: Tien Dong
In addition, people also proposed that it is necessary to soon build a system of frontage roads along the railway, because in reality, currently the frontage roads are not seamless and are too narrow. If a crosswalk is closed, traffic will flow to the remaining paths, which will cause congestion every time a train passes through.
From the actual recommendations of the people, the People’s Committee of Hoang Mai town also proposed that the Provincial People’s Committee and the Provincial Traffic Safety Committee have a plan to move the automatic guard at the Km240+406m crossroad to the position of the Km240+625m crossroad, Then organized to close the crossroad at Km240+406m. After moving, the location of the guarded crossing at Km240+625 is 525m from the guarded crossing at Km240+100.
Hoang Mai Town People’s Committee also proposed adding an automatic guard at Km241+195. This location, if installed, will have a distance of 565m to the guarded crossroad at Km240+625, close to the guarded crossroad. The highest at Km242+090 is 895m. However, up to this point, the complete handling of these civil crossings has not been done. Currently, people still go through the above crossroads every day to get to National Highway 1A and vice versa. This poses many potential traffic safety risks.
Currently, people still travel on cross roads without guards. Photo: Tien Dong
Most recently, on April 3, 2024, the Provincial People’s Committee just issued Official Dispatch No. 2544/UBND-NC on strengthening measures to ensure railway traffic safety in the province. Accordingly, the Provincial People’s Committee requested the Department of Transport to advise on the implementation of the Project to ensure order and traffic safety corridors and completely handle self-opening paths across the railway in the province. In particular, priority should be given to the construction of the section from Km242+730 to Km243 in Quynh Thien ward, Hoang Mai town to remove 7 self-opening paths. Including: Km242+750; Km242+760; Km242+763; Km242+795; Km242+810; Km242+817; Km242+895.
In addition, the Provincial People’s Committee also assigned local authorities to coordinate with railway management units to review and immediately implement measures to close and eliminate self-opening paths that pose a risk of traffic accidents. railway traffic. Especially at 12 self-opening walkways, there is a high risk of traffic accidents. Of which, Quynh Thien ward alone has 3 points, including: Km240+730; Km241+260; Km241+395.
Particularly for 2 locations in Tan Hung block, Km240+625 (block welcome gate) and Km241+195, the Provincial People’s Committee assigned the local government to direct the immediate implementation of alert and guard measures according to Point dd, Clause 1, Article 9, Decree No. 65/2018/ND-CP.
Obviously, adjusting guard locations as well as narrowing self-opening paths is extremely necessary. Otherwise, if a fatal accident occurs, it will be a great loss not only for the victim’s family but also for the whole society, because traffic accidents between trains and other vehicles at intersections often occur. very dire. If there is no timely solution, the potential risk of traffic accidents will certainly remain.
