Rail track crack delays train in northern Vietnam

A train with around 1,100 passengers on board was stopped on Saturday morning in the middle of its journey from Hanoi to the port city of Hai Phong, after a crack was detected on the rail track.

Local authorities said a safety officer in Hai Duong Province saw the 2-centimeter gap on the track during a scheduled check in the morning.

He immediately reported the case to the management.

The HP1 train heading to Hai Phong was alerted and stopped at Cam Giang Station.

The track was fixed in an hour and the train, packed with passengers eager to start their four-day holiday, reached the destination safely.

Vietnam’s rail system has been degrading after decades of use.

Legislators in 2010 rejected a $56-billion project to build a north-south high-speed rail link and suggested that shorter high-speed lines connecting some regions and provinces would be more suitable.