Serious damage to infrastructure on many lines
At the conference, Mr. Hoang Gia Khanh, General Director of VNR, stated that in 2025, storms, floods, and heavy rains directly affected and caused severe damage to railway infrastructure and VNR's business operations.
Numerous infrastructure components were damaged, causing disruptions to the main line and forcing the Corporation to suspend train operations, organize emergency repairs, and transfer passengers. In response to this situation, on December 5, 2025, the Ministry of Construction issued Decision No. 2242/QD-BXD declaring a state of emergency due to natural disaster to address the damage to transportation infrastructure on the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City railway line.
Railway tracks eroded and suspended due to flooding
Particularly in response to the serious track erosion caused by Typhoon No. 13 at Km1136+850, Van Canh - Phuoc Lanh section of the Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City railway line, railway units quickly mobilized more than 300 officials and workers, along with numerous machines and equipment, divided into multiple teams working day and night to remedy.
With strong determination, the railway sector completed the restoration and reopened the line after just four days and nights. This is the fastest post–storm and flood recovery project ever achieved in the history of the railway industry.
Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, Deputy General Director of VNR, stated that in 2025, extreme weather conditions and prolonged heavy rain and flooding have directly affected the railway system. Notably, on the night of September 26, under the impact of Storm No. 9 (Ragasa), Storm No. 10 (Bualoi), and post-storm circulations causing prolonged heavy rainfall, Yen Bai Station and Van Phu Station were flooded up to rail level; the Yen Bai signal building was submerged by more than one meter of water, and many locations suffered from uphill embankment landslides, with soil covering the tracks, among other damages.
On October 9th, in Trung Gia commune, Hanoi, floodwaters swept away the entire railway embankment, threatening train safety at Km16+700 - Km18+250 on the Dong Anh - Quan Trieu railway line.
On October 26th, the impact of Typhoon No. 12 and its post-storm circulation caused heavy rain, leading to landslides on the embankment, soil and rocks covering the railway tracks, washing away the ballast, and causing prolonged flooding in the Van Xa - Hue section.
On November 6th, the impact of Typhoon No. 13 in the provinces from Quang Ngai to Phu Yen (now Dak Lak province) caused damage to many railway lines, disrupting train services.
Damage to infrastructure and transportation exceeding 700 billion VND
Mr. Tuan also noted that disaster preparation and response are always implemented by VNR in a systematic and serious manner, from the Corporation level down to all units across infrastructure, stations, and transport operations.
In particular, preparatory work is paid much attention such as developing disaster prevention and response plans; identifying and recording vulnerable points across the national railway network for inspection, repair, and reinforcement ahead of the rainy season; preparing materials and equipment; and coordinating with local authorities to be ready for emergency response when incidents occur, fully applying the “four-on-the-spot” principle: on-site command; on-site forces; on-site materials, equipment, and funding; and on-site logistics.
Construction work to repair the roadbed had been washed away.
As soon as incidents caused by storms and floods affected infrastructure and transport operations, railway units proactively responded quickly and effectively. Many emergency situations were handled in a timely manner, minimizing loss of life and property and helping to maintain basic continuity of transport services. Passenger transfer arrangements and customer service were also organized carefully and promptly, minimizing disruption to passengers.
However, due to the impact of storms and prolonged heavy rains, the railway infrastructure on the railway lines has suffered severe damage. In many locations, the entire trackbed has been washed away, the ballast has been eroded, and the superstructure has been deformed. Sections of the track have had to be closed to organize rescue efforts.
VNR estimates the total cost to repair the infrastructure at over 585 billion VND, including: 138 billion VND for initial repairs; and approximately 447 billion VND for emergency repair.
Regarding transportation, the estimated damage is approximately 186.9 billion VND, including: losses due to the suspension of 121 passenger trains and 117 freight trains; the rerouting of 8,454 passengers and goods by road; the provision of 45,205 free meals; and the refund of 39,000 train tickets. Revenue losses from the suspension of train services amount to 74 billion VND; and damage to locomotives and carriages is estimated at 2.12 billion VND.
Transport revenue declined by an additional approximately VND 5 billion per day due to speed restrictions on trains passing through damaged sections, which reduced line capacity; total revenue losses are estimated at around VND 100 billion over a period of about 20 days.
Vietnam Railways Corporation summarizes its disaster prevention, mitigation, and recovery efforts in 2025 and develops long-term solutions to effectively implement these efforts in the future.
Prioritize the allocation of funds for urgent projects
In response to this situation, VNR has proposed that the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Finance report to the Government to adjust the railway infrastructure usage fee to 2%, to be applied for the 2026-2030 period. According to VNR, this adjustment would help ease the corporation’s financial difficulties, contribute to stabilizing production and business operations, retain cargo sources, and support revenue recovery.
VNR also proposed that the two Ministries urgently report to the Government and the Prime Minister to prioritize the allocation of funds for the immediate implementation of emergency projects to repair damaged railway infrastructure on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City line, specifically the sections passing through Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, and Lam Dong provinces.
At the same time, VNR proposed that the Vietnam Railway Authority promptly issue an Emergency Construction Order for natural disasters to repair damaged transport infrastructure, ensuring long-term railway safety.
In the long term, to ensure that disaster prevention, response, and recovery, as well as rescue in the railway sector, are timely and effective while minimizing losses, Mr. Dang Sy Manh, Chairman of VNR’s Board of Members, stated that VNR needs to decisively implement the approach: “Thorough Preparation - Resilient Response - Prompt Recovery - Efficient Train Operations.”
In this context, the application of science and technology, mechanization, artificial intelligence (AI), and digitalization need to be promoted to ensure timely and accurate communication; enhance safety, reduce labor intensity, and increase productivity.