Following the collapse of Bien Hoa's Ghenh Bridge, train travel along Vietnam's North-South railway line will be disrupted for the next three to five months, according to Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong.
The official informed Tuoi Tre of the bridge repair timeline, which will affect thousands of travelers along the country's main rail line.
On Sunday, March 20, nine of Vietnam Railways' (VNR) 18 scheduled trains departed from Saigon's train station only to be turned back after news of the collapse broke. The 2,500 passengers aboard these trains were later given the option to fully refund their tickets or use bus transportation provided by VNR to reach Bien Hoa Station and continue their journey from there.
Video via Tuoi Tre.
City transportation services also sprang into action to assist VNR in alleviating the passenger overload at Saigon Station. By the end of the day, 1,400 passengers had made it to Bien Hoa via bus for onward travel and another 1,500 people reached Saigon traveling in the opposite direction.
According to VNR Deputy General Director Doan Duy Hoach, the Ghenh Bridge collapse is an unprecedented situation. While small accidents are commonplace along the country's 1,726-kilometer main railway line, the damaged bridge will not be fixed overnight.
“We will discuss the official solution on Tuesday,” Hoach told Tuoi Tre yesterday. “As fixing the Ghenh Bridge will take a lot of time, we will need to rearrange all train schedules to suit the current situation.”
Moving forward, buses will continue to ferry passengers between the Bien Hoa and Saigon train stations, while those who wish to opt for another means of transportation are able to return their train tickets for a full refund, reports Zing.
Dao Anh Tuan, VNR CEO, also stressed to the news outlet that passengers may be subject to increased luggage restrictions when traveling to and from Saigon in order to make bus transfers run more smoothly.
Meanwhile, as of yesterday afternoon, authorities told Tuoi Tre the exact number of casualties from the incident was not yet confirmed. Over the weekend, Dong Nai police feared additional people could be trapped within the barge that struck Ghenh Bridge, causing the incident, however no further information has been provided on this matter.
Authorities have, however, arrested the barge's two drivers, who spent a day on the lam before they were caught, reports VnExpress. Tran Van Giang, 36, and 28-year-old Nguyen Van Le fled the scene after their vessel collided with the bridge but were later apprehended by authorities in the Mekong Delta. Dong Nai police report the barge involved in the collision was operating with an expired registration.
[Photo via Tuoi Tre]
