Circular No. 01/2010/TT-BGTVT on flood, storm prevention, aftermath mitigation; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters, and rescue operations in railway activities

CIRCULAR

Rules on prevention, response to, and mitigation of flood and storm consequences; emergency response to natural disasters and rescue operations in railway activities

 Emergency response to natural disasters and rescue operations

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Based on the Railway Law dated June 14, 2005;

Pursuant to the Law on Flood and Storm Prevention and Control 1993 and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Law on Flood and Storm Prevention and Control 2000;

Pursuant to Decree No. 08/2006/NĐ-CP dated January 16, 2006, issued by the Government, detailing certain provisions of the Ordinance on Flood and Storm Prevention, which was amended and supplemented on August 24, 2000;

Pursuant to Decree No. 51/2008/NĐ-CP dated April 22, 2008 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Transport;

Pursuant to Decision No. 63/2002/QD-TTg dated May 20, 2002 of the Prime Minister on Flood and Storm Prevention and Control;

Pursuant to Decision No. 76/2009/QD-TTg dated May 11, 2009 of the Prime Minister on Strengthening the National Committee for Search and Rescue and the Search and Rescue System of Central Ministries and Local Authorities;

Pursuant to Decision No. 118/2008/QD-TTg dated August 27, 2008 of the Prime Minister promulgating the Financial Management Regulation for Search and Rescue Operations, Emergency Response to Natural Disasters and Catastrophes;

Pursuant to Circular No. 136/2007/TT-BTC dated November 28, 2007 guiding financial management, budget allocation, and settlement of funds for economic public services performed by state-owned companies in the field of national railway infrastructure management and maintenance funded by the state;

Pursuant to Circular No. 92/2009/TT-BTC dated May 12, 2009 of the Ministry of Finance on guiding payment of expenses from the state budget for organizations and individuals participating in search and rescue operations, emergency response to natural disasters and catastrophes;

The Minister of Transport hereby stipulates rules on prevention, response to, and mitigation of flood and storm consequences; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and rescue operations in railway activities as follows:

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular stipulates rules on prevention, response to, and mitigation of flood and storm consequences; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and rescue operations concerning infrastructure structures, equipment, assets, people, and transportation means on the national railway.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to domestic and foreign organizations and individuals operating in the railway sector related to prevention, response to, and mitigation of flood and storm consequences; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and rescue operations on the national railway.

Article 3. Definitions of flood, storm, accident, natural disaster

In this Circular, the definitions of flood, storm, accident, and natural disaster are understood as follows:

Flood, storm, accident, and natural disaster include: floods, inundation, flash floods, sea water surge, tropical depression, storm, whirlwind; landslides, trees, buildings due to rain, floods, storms, or sea waves, earthquakes, dike breaches, dam failures, forest fires threatening or causing harm to infrastructure structures, equipment, assets, people, and transportation means on the railway.

Article 4. The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue under the Ministry of Transport

The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue under the Ministry of Transport is established by the Minister of Transport, serving as a functional agency assisting the Minister in organizing and implementing flood and storm prevention, response to, and mitigation of their consequences; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and rescue operations within the scope of the Ministry's management according to the business guidance of the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control and the National Committee for Search and Rescue.

Article 5. The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue under the Vietnam Railway Administration

1. The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue under the Vietnam Railway Administration is decided to be established by the Director of the Vietnam Railway Administration to assist the Director in directing and organizing the implementation of flood and storm prevention, response to, and mitigation of their consequences; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and search and rescue operations within the scope of the Vietnam Railway Administration's state management functions and subject to business guidance and direction from the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue under the Ministry of Transport.

2. The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue under the Vietnam Railway Administration has the following tasks:

a) Participate in the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue under the Ministry of Transport; participate in directing flood and storm prevention, response to, and mitigation of their consequences; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and search and rescue operations in railway activities.

b) Coordinate in drafting legal normative documents on flood and storm prevention, response to, and mitigation of their consequences; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and search and rescue operations in railway activities.

c) Participate in common activities, coordination, and cooperation in flood and storm prevention, response to, and mitigation of their consequences; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and search and rescue operations in railway activities.

d) Participate in annual inspections of flood and storm prevention, response to, and mitigation of their consequences; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and rescue operations of railway business enterprises.

đ) Popularize and educate the law; participate in international cooperation on flood and storm prevention, response to, and mitigation of their consequences; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and search and rescue operations in railway activities.

e) Summarize and draw lessons from annual flood and storm prevention, response to, and mitigation of their consequences; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and search and rescue operations of the Vietnam Railway Administration. Propose rewards and disciplinary actions for units and individuals under the Vietnam Railway Administration in flood and storm prevention, response to, and mitigation of their consequences; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and search and rescue operations.

Article 6. The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Response, Emergency Incident Management, and Rescue of Vietnam Railway Corporation

1. The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Response, Emergency Incident Management, and Rescue of Vietnam Railway Corporation (hereinafter referred to as the Steering Committee of Vietnam Railway Corporation) shall be established by the General Director of Vietnam Railway Corporation to assist the General Director in implementing flood and storm prevention and response, emergency incident management, and rescue operations on the National Railways and to follow the business guidance and directives of the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue of the Ministry of Transport.

2. The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Response, Emergency Incident Management, and Rescue of Vietnam Railway Corporation consists of three levels:

a) Level of the Corporation.

b) Regional level.

c) Base level.

Article 7. Tasks of the Steering Committee of Vietnam Railway Corporation

1. Direct and guide member units in implementing flood and storm prevention and response, emergency incident management, and rescue operations according to the business guidance and directives of the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue of the Ministry of Transport and other State regulations regarding flood and storm prevention and response, emergency incident management, and rescue operations.

2. Compile plans for flood and storm prevention and response, emergency incident management, and rescue operations from member units, develop annual plans for flood and storm prevention and response, emergency incident management, and rescue operations on the National Railways; report to the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue of the Ministry of Transport.

3. Organize inspections of flood and storm prevention and response, emergency incident management, and rescue operations; inspect critical points before the flood and storm season on the National Railways; direct member units to develop reinforcement plans for weak structures to ensure safety during the flood and storm season.

4. Monitor, inspect, and urge member units to implement flood and storm prevention and response, emergency incident management, and rescue operations.

5. Organize continuous duty for flood and storm prevention and response, emergency incident management, and rescue operations including the following contents:

a) Receiving instructions from superiors on flood and storm prevention and response, emergency incident management, and rescue operations;

b) Receiving and processing information about flood and storm conditions, emergencies, and rescue operations from the Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting Center and reports from member units;

c) Issuing documents and instructions; conveying orders from superiors to member units;

6. Direct the restoration of damage caused by floods and storms, emergency incident management, and rescue operations; directly command rescue efforts for large, difficult, and complex projects. Regularly report to the Ministry of Transport and relevant agencies on the restoration of damage caused by floods and storms, emergency incident management, and rescue operations.

7. Coordinate with the Vietnam Railway Administration, local authorities, and search and rescue committees at various locations; transportation sector agencies and units in flood and storm prevention and response, emergency incident management, and rescue operations within the railway sector.

8. Participate in budget preparation and approval for preventive funds for annual flood and storm prevention and response, emergency incident management, and rescue operations on the National Railways. Inspect and confirm the volume and cost of restoring damage caused by floods and storms, emergency incident management, and rescue operations related to the National Railways of member units.

9. Summarize experiences, propose commendations and disciplinary actions for units and individuals in flood and storm prevention and response, emergency incident management, and rescue operations on the National Railways.

Article 8. Flood and Storm Prevention and Control Command Board; Emergency Response and Rescue Regional Area

The Flood and Storm Prevention and Control Command Board; Emergency Response and Rescue Regional Area (hereinafter referred to as the Regional Command Board) shall be established by the General Director of Vietnam Railway Corporation according to regions, including representatives of the Regional Infrastructure Management Sub-Board; railway management companies, railway signaling and communication management companies (hereinafter referred to as railway infrastructure management companies); transportation units; independent economic accounting units directly under Vietnam Railway Corporation within the region.

The Regional Command Board shall be guided in business operations and directed by the Vietnam Railway Corporation Flood and Storm Prevention and Control Command Board to ensure the implementation of flood and storm prevention and control work, and post-disaster recovery; emergency response and rescue within the scope of management of the region.

Article 9. Tasks of the Regional Command Board

The Regional Command Board shall have the following tasks:

1. Establish a list of critical facilities affected by floods, storms, emergencies, and natural disasters; develop inspection, repair, reinforcement, and protection plans for these facilities before the flood and storm season; develop plans for purchasing materials and equipment for flood and storm prevention, emergency response, and rescue; ensure traffic and post-flood and storm recovery measures to be submitted to the Vietnam Railway Corporation Flood and Storm Prevention and Control Command Board; Emergency Response and Rescue.

2. Develop flood and storm prevention and control; emergency response and rescue plans for the unit and coordinate with regional local flood prevention and search and rescue command boards to unify and coordinate actions to mitigate the aftermath of floods, storms, emergencies, and natural disasters; unify measures to ensure smooth traffic and post-flood and storm recovery; unified emergency response and rescue measures for the locality. Inspect and confirm the plans and approve the flood and storm prevention and control; emergency response and rescue plans

3. Supervise and monitor the reinforcement and repair of flood and storm prevention facilities, emergency response facilities, and evacuation routes according to schedule, design, and preparation of materials and equipment; directly inspect critical facilities within the region.

4. Participate in reviewing designs, budgets for materials and equipment reserves, reinforced and repaired works, and restoration and damage mitigation works due to floods, storms, emergencies, and natural disasters according to分级任务的原因是确保翻译的准确性和专业性，避免一次性处理大量文本时可能出现的错误或遗漏。每个句子独立翻译可以更好地保持原文的法律术语和结构，同时确保翻译的一致性和准确性。以下是按照您的要求，逐句翻译的结果：

5. Direct rescue and relief efforts to mitigate losses caused by floods, storms, accidents, natural disasters, and rescue operations within the designated area. Mobilize forces within the area to implement emergency response measures to mitigate flood, storm, accident, and natural disaster impacts and conduct rescue operations.

6. Summarize, disseminate experiences, recommend rewards and disciplinary actions for individuals and groups involved.

7. Report periodically and urgently on flood prevention, storm resistance, emergency response to accidents and natural disasters, and rescue operations to the Flood and Storm Prevention and Control Steering Committee; Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters and Rescue Operations Steering Committee of Vietnam Railway Corporation.

Article 10. The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Mitigation; Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters at the Grassroots Level

The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Mitigation; Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters at the Grassroots Level (hereinafter referred to as the Grassroots Steering Committee) shall be established by the Heads of Infrastructure Management Companies, Railway Transport Companies, transport units under Railway Transport Companies, and independent economic accounting units under the Vietnam Railway Corporation; it shall be subject to business guidance and directives from the Vietnam Railway Corporation's Steering Committee and the Regional Steering Committee.

Article 11. Tasks of the Grassroots Steering Committee

1. Implement inspection work on related facilities concerning flood and storm prevention and mitigation; emergency response to accidents and natural disasters and rescue operations, and identify weak facilities that may be affected by floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters; inspect houses, warehouses, materials, construction equipment, communication devices, backup equipment, etc., before the rainy season and storm season.

2. Develop specific and detailed plans for flood and storm prevention and mitigation; emergency response to accidents and natural disasters and rescue operations suitable to the nature and production and business tasks of the unit; coordinate with local authorities to implement appropriate measures to proactively prevent and mitigate floods and storms; respond to accidents and natural disasters and rescue operations.

3. Participate in the following activities:

a) Prepare designs and budgets for protective, reinforcing, repairing, and remediation works for flood and storm damage, accidents, and natural disasters;

b) Participate in directing the repair, reinforcement, and protection of facilities;

c) Purchase, stockpile, and store materials, equipment, and means of transportation for flood and storm prevention and mitigation; emergency response to accidents and natural disasters and rescue operations appropriately, timely, in quantity, type, and quality;

d) Allocate manpower, implement patrol and guard shifts for critical facilities and areas during the rainy and storm seasons.

4. Directly organize command and rescue efforts to mitigate damage caused by floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters to ensure traffic and quickly restore production in all situations. It shall be subject to the direction and coordination of forces by higher-level Steering Committees for Flood and Storm Prevention and Mitigation; Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters or competent authorities.

5. Maintain regular contact with higher-level Steering Committees for Flood and Storm Prevention and Mitigation; Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters or higher-level management bodies to promptly obtain information about flood, storm, accident, and natural disaster occurrences.

6. Organize summaries, draw lessons, propose rewards and disciplinary actions for individuals and groups involved in flood and storm prevention and mitigation; emergency response to accidents and natural disasters and rescue operations within the unit.

Article 12. Emergency Teams for Flood and Storm Prevention and Mitigation; Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters and Rescue Operations

In critical areas, the Heads of Infrastructure Management Companies, transport units, and independent economic accounting units under the Vietnam Railway Corporation shall establish emergency teams for flood and storm prevention and mitigation; emergency response to accidents and natural disasters and rescue operations to provide timely rescue when floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters occur.

Article 13. Railway Emergency Response Center for Accidents and Natural Disasters and Rescue Operations

The Railway Emergency Response Center for Accidents and Natural Disasters and Rescue Operations, subordinate to the Vietnam Railway Corporation and regional Railway Emergency Response Centers, shall carry out flood and storm prevention and mitigation; emergency response to accidents and natural disasters and railway rescue operations according to the directives and business guidance of the Vietnam Railway Corporation and the Ministry of Transport’s Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Mitigation and Search and Rescue Operations, and other state regulations regarding flood and storm prevention and mitigation; emergency response to accidents and natural disasters and rescue operations.

Chapter II

PREVENTION, MITIGATION, AND REMEDY OF FLOOD AND STORM DAMAGE,

 ACCIDENTS, NATURAL DISASTERS AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

PART 1. PREVENTION OF FLOODS, STORMS, INCIDENTS, AND NATURAL DISASTERS

Article 14. Principles for Flood, Storm, Incident, and Natural Disaster Prevention Work

All organizations and individuals operating in the railway sector must proactively and positively implement flood, storm, incident, and natural disaster prevention work to minimize damage when floods, storms, incidents, and natural disasters occur.

Article 15. Contents of Annual Flood, Storm, Incident, and Natural Disaster Prevention Work

1. Managing and protecting the railway infrastructure system and railway transportation means from the destructive impact of floods, storms, incidents, and natural disasters. Preventing actions that may cause damage or destruction to facilities during floods, storms, incidents, and natural disasters.

2. Within their management scope, they must regularly inspect and evaluate the safety level of facilities that need protection or those related to flood and storm prevention and response to incidents and natural disasters and rescue operations. If damage or deterioration is discovered, timely measures must be taken to address it; if beyond their capacity, they must immediately report to the superior authority for resolution before the rainy season, floods, and storms.

3. Developing annual flood, storm, incident, and natural disaster prevention plans for their units. The plan must anticipate potential incidents, floods, storms, and natural disasters; the impact on infrastructure facilities, equipment, assets, and railway transportation means; establish appropriate response plans and measures according to the following contents:

a) Measures such as anchoring, securing, supporting, bracing, and blocking to protect facilities, equipment, means of transport, and goods.

b) Evacuation plans for means of transport, equipment, and goods; rescue and relief plans, and passenger and cargo transfer plans.

c) Stockpiling materials, spare equipment; stockpiling food and supplies to prevent blockages caused by floods, storms, incidents, and natural disasters for north-south long-distance trains or local trains running over 300 kilometers.

d) Measures to prevent floating objects from entering facilities during floods.

e) Continuously monitoring the development of floods, storms, incidents, and natural disasters; observing the actual situation of floods, storms, incidents, and natural disasters affecting facilities; monitoring the flood, storm, incident, and natural disaster resistance levels of facilities and equipment.

f) Establishing communication protocols during floods, storms, incidents, and natural disasters. Anticipating situations such as power outages, communication disruptions... to proactively and effectively address them.

4. At all levels, the Command Boards must organize inspections of flood, storm, incident, and natural disaster prevention work of subordinate units, particularly critical and vulnerable facilities.

5. Preparing materials, means, and essential supplies for flood and storm prevention and aftermath mitigation; responding to incidents and natural disasters and rescue operations;

a) Main materials include: timber planks, gravel, crushed stone, steel cages, rails, rail spikes, I-beams, pallets, ropes, signposts, crossbeams, steel wire, fuel, gasoline;

b) Equipment includes: locomotives, carriages, rescue cranes, construction cranes, various types of rollers, trucks, pile drivers, excavators, generators, pumps, welders, jacks, wired and wireless communication devices;

c) Stockpiling essential food, supplies, and medicines at vulnerable and dangerous locations for use when necessary;

6. Organize training on information reception and processing and flood and storm prevention, response, and aftermath mitigation; accident response, and rescue operations.

7. Organizing the activities of emergency forces for flood and storm prevention and aftermath mitigation; responding to incidents and natural disasters and rescue operations of the unit.

Article 16. Prevention of Floods, Typhoons, Accidents, and Natural Disasters during the Surveying, Design, and Construction Phase of Railway Projects

All railway projects must be capable of withstanding the impact of floods, typhoons, accidents, and natural disasters. From the surveying and design stages, regulations stipulated in Technical Standards and Norms must be strictly adhered to, while also complying with the following provisions:

1. Study the topography and geomorphology of the construction site and watershed areas, the formation of upstream structures that affect the railway project, and collect comprehensive statistical data on rainfall volume, flow rate, water level rise, wave erosion, tidal influence in coastal regions, wind pressure, and pay attention to flood, typhoon, accident, and natural disaster conditions in the area, taking historical data into account, and geological drilling at the construction site to serve as a basis for design work.

2. Select appropriate locations, materials, and structural types to withstand typhoons and winds.

3. Calculate hydrology based on design flow rates; design structures according to wind intensity to ensure overall stability against wind and typhoons, as well as individual components; design according to Standards but must consider the impact of global and regional climate change, the impact of hydraulic and hydropower projects, agricultural and fisheries projects, and human activities such as deforestation and indiscriminate extraction of raw materials on environmental changes in the construction area.

4. When designing bridge spans, avoid narrowing natural river flows to prevent affecting flood drainage, damaging the approach roadbed, and causing scouring of bridge piers and abutments. The depth of scour under the pier and abutment foundations must be calculated to determine the foundation depth higher than the river bottom after safe scour depth, depending on the type of foundation. Pay attention to designing guide walls to adjust water flow direction, paving slopes of embankments and approaches to bridges, and constructing upstream protective piles to deflect floating debris from hitting the bridge piers directly.

5. For road projects, thoroughly calculate drainage channels (longitudinal, transverse, crown) with sufficient drainage area to handle large volumes of water during heavy rain and floods.

6. The rail bed elevation must be higher than the highest calculated water level during typhoons and floods. In cases where it is necessary to accept temporary flooding over the rail bed, special designs must be made to protect the flooded section, such as paving the rail bed and shoulders to prevent erosion, and reinforcing the subgrade to withstand loads under saturated conditions.

7. The slope of railway embankments must be appropriate for the height of the embankment (cut or fill), the type of geology, and the stratigraphic structure; it must be designed to ensure stability even in unfavorable conditions such as floods, typhoons, heavy rains, surface and groundwater impacts.

8. Adequate investment should be made in scientific research to apply new technological advancements to create structures capable of withstanding the impact of floods, typhoons, accidents, and natural disasters. Research hydrological and hydraulic laws of rivers, flood and typhoon patterns in different regions to propose suitable structural types to resist floods, typhoons, accidents, and natural disasters in specific areas.

Article 17. Prevention of Floods, Typhoons, Accidents, and Natural Disasters for Railway Projects Under Construction

Construction projects with construction periods extending through flood and typhoon seasons must consider measures to prevent and combat floods, typhoons, accidents, and natural disasters for unfinished projects, auxiliary works, and construction equipment to ensure safety for material storage yards, workshops, and camps.

1. During the construction drawing design phase, the following basic principles must be noted for preventing and combating floods, typhoons, accidents, and natural disasters:

a) Strictly follow the basic construction sequence, ensuring design precedes construction to avoid simultaneous design and construction which would lead to a lack of preparedness for flood, typhoon, accident, and natural disaster prevention.

Based on the construction drawings and overall schedule established by the design agency, the construction unit must start from the investigation and survey data of the area, the actual capabilities of the unit regarding technical equipment, labor force, material supply capacity, upper-level support capacity, cooperative relationships with other units, and the commencement date of the project to develop a construction organization plan and overall schedule closely aligned with reality. This plan focuses on flood, typhoon, accident, and natural disaster prevention measures, especially for critical and weak projects located in frequently flooded and typhoon-prone areas, and must be reviewed by authorized authorities.

b) A reasonable overall construction schedule must be developed to avoid simultaneously constructing multiple projects, spreading out too many parallel items without sufficient response capability when floods, typhoons, accidents, and natural disasters occur. Avoid constructing critical items such as river blockages, transporting bridge beams by floating vessels, sinking wells, pouring concrete underwater, building high towers... during rainy and stormy weather. Specific schedules for important project components must be established so they can be completed or reach a stop point before the rainy season.

c) Construction drawings must incorporate awareness of flood, typhoon, accident, and natural disaster prevention from the preparation stage until completion of the project.

Site preparation must arrange a construction layout with the highest possible flood, typhoon, accident, and natural disaster resistance capability. Important warehouses and workshops of the project must be located in sheltered and elevated areas to avoid flooding. If projects are at risk from strong wind and typhoon impacts, they must be designed using materials and structures capable of resisting wind and typhoons. If the project's foundation is threatened by flooding, additional protective works such as levees, drainage channels, sumps, and pumping stations must be constructed to ensure the safety of the site's facilities.

Large construction equipment on-site such as pile drivers, cranes, beam launching vehicles, barges, floating pontoons... must be properly protected. Wind-sheltered and shallow water locations must be planned for hiding and securing floating equipment during storms and floods. Other equipment must also have appropriate handling measures. Warehouses and camps must be secured before the rainy season.

d) In the construction drawings design, measures for organizing construction that are suitable should be applied to minimize the impact of floods, typhoons, accidents, and natural disasters, especially scientific and technological advancements aimed at mechanization and modernization of construction work. Increasing production and manufacturing components in workshops and limiting outdoor work not only improves project quality but also reduces dependence on weather conditions for construction activities.

đ) The construction drawings design must include specific plans to prevent and combat floods, typhoons, accidents, and natural disasters, even for unexpected typhoons. The plan must consider measures to protect construction equipment, machinery, materials, warehouses, and camps; evacuation plans for people and assets; rescue force organization; maintaining communication; and stockpiling rescue materials such as tugboats, cranes, trucks, pumps, generators, and radio equipment. Flood and typhoon prevention plans of units may consult with local authorities when necessary, without hindering production or affecting the lives of local residents.

e) For sections of projects requiring continuous construction, even during the rainy and typhoon season, special designs ensuring quality must be implemented. To ensure quality during mandatory construction under heavy rain and strong winds, particularly in concrete pouring, waterproofing structures, and asphalt laying, mobile shelters and appropriate additives must be used. Detailed construction drawings must be prepared for sections constructed during the rainy and typhoon season with a high level of preventive awareness. For ongoing projects, spare structural components should be arranged for temporary securing during windstorms. Construction equipment must be positioned for quick evacuation and securing. When planning backup equipment, particular attention must be given to power outages, having generators, sufficient pumps, communication devices, cranes, and towing equipment for evacuating machinery and equipment.

When designing to replace old bridges, locations for disposing of waste and debris must be planned, avoiding dumping them into rivers or leaving them in the riverbed or piling them up on the banks to obstruct water flow. Upon completion of the project, the construction site must be cleaned to restore a clean environment in the construction area.

2. Preventing typhoons, floods, accidents, and natural disasters during construction and project completion:

Construction must follow the construction drawings design and overall schedule established by the construction unit, taking into account flood, typhoon, accident, and natural disaster prevention efforts. During construction until project completion, attention must be paid to the following issues:

a) Materials, excess concrete, and leftover formwork piles must not be discarded into rivers, causing obstructions to water flow.

b) When there is a forecast of impending floods or typhoons in the construction area, the actual condition of the project and construction equipment and facilities must be quickly inspected regarding their ability to withstand typhoons and floods. If they are in a state not considered in the construction drawings design, their stability must be immediately checked and timely remedial measures proposed.

c) For steel or concrete bridge beams being installed and formwork on scaffolding, stability against overturning and sliding must be checked. Their safety can be increased by lowering the beams, adding counterweights, interlocking joints, clamping, and securing them firmly.

d) For floating barges or pontoons serving construction, their stability must be checked and promptly addressed by lowering the center of gravity of equipment on the barges or pontoons, plugging holes to prevent water from entering the pontoons, and securing them from all four sides. If possible, floating equipment should be evacuated to sheltered areas on land where it is easy to secure.

d) The riverbed and riverbanks must be cleaned, and the construction site cleared before handing over the project.

Article 18. Prevention of Floods, Typhoons, Accidents, and Natural Disasters for Operating Railways

Management work includes inspection, maintenance, and repair according to regular, periodic, and special regimes which inherently contain the content of flood, typhoon, accident, and natural disaster prevention measures for the project, thus such management work must be strictly implemented. It is necessary to monitor and record updated hydrological data periodically and store them fully in the files.

Important items related to flood, typhoon, accident, and natural disaster prevention can be categorized by type of construction as follows:

1. For small bridge, culvert, tunnel projects:

a) For small bridges, it is first necessary to clear the flow channel to create good drainage conditions. The weak parts of the bridge, including the nose section, approach road, and the junction between the approach road and the abutment, must be regularly inspected and repaired. If the bridge has shallow foundation structures, the degree of erosion of the riverbed must be checked and measures taken to reinforce against erosion.

b) For cross-drainage culverts, the culvert channel must be cleared, and upper and lower structures of the culvert must be maintained and serviced;

c) For railway tunnels: Clear longitudinal and crown drains, relaying sections of damaged drain. Inspect and reinforce areas where the tunnel has collapsed, water accumulation, or seepage.

2. For large and medium-sized bridges.

Before the flood and typhoon season, measurements of river cross-sections of medium and large bridges must be organized.

Strictly implement inspection, maintenance, and repair work for damages on bridge structures, especially parts directly affected by floods, typhoons, accidents, and natural disasters, in addition to:

a) For bridges located on rivers that often have floating debris during typhoons and floods, which may collide with piers causing damage to the bridge, anti-collision piles should be constructed upstream to deflect floating debris. These anti-collision piles must be repaired annually to effectively function during typhoons and floods.

b) For bridges over 50 years old, research changes in hydrology and hydraulics of the flow due to global climate change and recent destruction of human ecological environments, which may threaten the safety of the structure. If such risks occur, appropriate handling plans must be developed.

3. For railway tracks

The following items related to flood, typhoon, accident, and natural disaster prevention must be strictly implemented:

a) Clear drainage channels including longitudinal and crown drains. Clean out sand, mud, and debris buried in the channels; cut down trees and grass to ensure the drainage cross-section of the channels. Create a slope on the shoulder of the road for water to flow into the channels or down the lower slope, ensuring continuous slope for the channels to direct water into collection pits and out of the railway area. Reinforce against erosion upstream and downstream of drainage channels;

b) Treat embankments of excavated roads to prevent collapse. Cover, fill, and level the surface of the embankment to ensure its stability and drainage capacity, remove trees growing on top of the embankment. Treat underground water seeping onto the embankment surface (if present), paving the embankment with stones;

c) Enhance the stability of filled roadbeds. During floods and typhoons, some sections of excavated roads may be submerged, even temporarily flooding over the road. In such cases, the stability of the roadbed and embankment must be strengthened by constructing embankments on both sides of the roadbed, reinforcing the shoulders and surface of the road with quality materials.

4. Architectural constructions

a) Clean gutters, roof drainage pipes, and manholes of buildings;

b) Inspect and repair buildings with leaks. Develop reinforcement plans for weak buildings that do not meet safety standards during typhoon and flood seasons;

c) Repair damaged platforms, station yards, and cargo areas that accumulate water.

5. Telecommunication and signal constructions

a) Clear safety corridors and signal visibility ranges;

b) Replace faulty utility poles, crossarms, rusted and broken wires. Supplement broken and missing wires. Rebuild eroded utility pole foundations;

c) Inspect and handle grounding systems and lightning protection for machinery and equipment and central stations to ensure safety during rainy and stormy seasons;

d) Repair damaged communication and signaling equipment to ensure proper operation during floods and typhoons;

đ) Develop fire and short circuit prevention plans for signaling equipment in flooded areas.

Article 19. Responsibilities of railway transport units in flood, storm prevention and emergency response to natural disasters

1. Annually before the flood and storm season, railway transport units must have plans to ensure safety for people, means of transportation, and goods when floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters occur.

2. Develop plans to transfer passengers at weak points, areas, and regions.

3. Coordinate with local authorities and military, police, health, and transportation forces to be prepared to carry out passenger transfers and maintain public order at transfer locations.

PART 2. FLOOD AND STORM PREVENTION; EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO ACCIDENTS, NATURAL DISASTERS AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

 FLOOD AND STORM PREVENTION; EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO ACCIDENTS, NATURAL DISASTERS AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

Article 20. Principles in flood and storm prevention, emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and rescue operations

All organizations and individuals operating in the railway sector must proactively and urgently carry out flood and storm prevention; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and rescue operations to save lives, property, and protect railway facilities threatened or destroyed by floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters.

Article 21. Contents of flood and storm prevention; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and rescue operations

1. Issue warnings about floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters; decide on flood, storm, accident, and natural disaster alerts; issue urgent mobilization decisions; and take immediate measures regarding flood and storm prevention; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and rescue operations for railway units in areas affected by floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters.

2. Ensure uninterrupted communication for command and control within areas affected by floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters and with the Flood and Storm Prevention, Emergency Response to Accidents, Natural Disasters and Rescue Operations Steering Committee at all levels.

3. Promptly deploy forces and equipment for flood and storm prevention; emergency response to accidents, natural disasters and rescue operations.

4. Search and rescue victims; evacuate railway staff and civilians from dangerous areas. Salvage means of transportation and equipment; protect state assets, unit assets, and individual assets (transportation means, goods, warehouses, items...).

5. Protect and rescue railway structures currently being damaged or at risk of causing disasters due to floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters.

6. Ensure security and order for railway agencies and units in areas affected by floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters.

7. Guide railway staff and civilians to implement environmental sanitation and disease prevention in areas affected by floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters and in evacuation areas.

8. Train cars on tracks or in stations must be coupled together, and train car doors must be securely closed. Train cars not engaged in dispatching or running trains must have hand brakes tightened and securely blocked.

9. Stations must create all conditions for freight customers to quickly remove goods from stations or load them onto train cars. Remaining goods in warehouses and yards must be elevated, covered with tarps, and securely fastened.

10. Areas frequently flooded must evacuate locomotives and train cars from flooded zones.

11. Upon receiving news of flooding, damage, or obstacles on the track, the station dispatcher for adjacent stations along that section must hold all trains and locomotives scheduled to enter the affected area; simultaneously report to the Train Dispatching Center to block the area, if the Train Dispatching Center cannot be reached, the station dispatchers may block the area; then report to transportation units, bridge and road management units, and local information signal management units to inspect the condition of damaged structures and obstacles to find ways to quickly repair them.

12. When a train is running

a) During prolonged heavy rain, the station dispatcher must issue a warning to trains entering the area with the message: "be cautious, speed not exceeding 15 km/h";

b) If strong winds can cause trees and power poles to fall, creating obstacles on the track or if the wind strength impedes the locomotive's safe operation, the station dispatcher, train conductor, and driver must consult, assess the situation, and if deemed dangerous for train operation, keep the train at the station until the storm subsides.

c) After the storm has passed, the local infrastructure management unit must send personnel to check and immediately resolve issues affecting train safety. The station dispatcher may only allow waiting trains to enter the area once the local infrastructure management unit reports that the track is clear and safe. If there is no report from the local infrastructure management unit within 60 minutes, the train may enter the area with the warning: "drive cautiously, speed not exceeding 15 km/h, watch the track after rain, storm, and flood".

13. In cases of prolonged heavy rain and strong winds (points a and b of Clause 12 of this Article) for sections with known weak points, the station dispatcher must wait for the local bridge and road management unit or inspection team to report that the track is clear and safe before allowing trains to proceed.

14. When a train is running and the train conductor or driver notices strong winds threatening the safety of the train, they must stop the train and send personnel to guard both ends of the train. Once the storm passes, the train conductor and driver must sound the horn to call back the guards and consult with the driver to proceed cautiously at a speed not exceeding 15 km/h and be prepared to stop the train if obstacles appear.

15. When a train is running and sees the railway flooded:

a) If the water level reaches the rail surface, waves are present, wave height exceeds 5 cm, water is flowing strongly, and floodwater is murky and turbulent (feeling resistance against the current), the driver and conductor must stop the train before the flooded section, send personnel to guard according to regulations, and immediately inform the nearest station (by phone or sending someone to report). The station receiving the report must immediately inform the local bridge and road management unit. The train can only pass through the flooded section after the local bridge and road management unit confirms it is safe for the train to pass.

b) If the flooding is caused by heavy rain accumulation, without strong currents or waves, and there is no flood or storm, passing through the flooded section must comply with specific conditions for locomotives and train cars, as follows:

- The train speed through the flooded section must not exceed 5 km/h;

- For train cars:

+ For passenger carriages equipped with onboard generators mounted on the steering frame, if water reaches a level of 110 mm above the rail surface, the generator belt must be installed at an angle of suspension of the machine of 30 degrees or more. If the water level exceeds 110 mm but is below 210 mm above the rail surface, measures must be taken to completely seal the generator or suspend it to the highest possible level to ensure that water does not enter the generator.

+ For air-conditioned passenger carriages equipped with undercarriage generators and two-tier passenger carriages, they may only pass through flooded areas where the water level does not exceed 100 mm above the rail surface.

+ When the water level reaches 210 mm or higher above the rail surface, passenger and freight vehicles shall not be allowed to pass to prevent water from entering the bearings and oil boxes.

+ After passing through flooded areas up to 210 mm deep, the main stations at both ends must inspect the entire drive shaft housing of all carriages to ensure that water does not enter the drive shaft housing, which could cause a fire.

- For locomotives, the maximum permissible water level above the rail top is:

+ 50 mm for diesel-electric locomotives D20E, D19E, D18E, D13E, D12E, D9E, D8E;

+ 100 mm for diesel-electric locomotives D19Er, D14Er;

+ 170 mm for locomotives TY (D4H) and Ru (D11H);

+ 200 mm for locomotive DPH-21 (D10H);

+ 275 mm for locomotive Australian (D5H);

+ 300 mm for steam locomotives.

During train operation, the driver must enhance observation and handling to ensure that water does not enter the electric traction motors of diesel-electric locomotives, the oil gauge holes, the reduction gearboxes of locomotives TY and Australian, or the batteries of locomotive Ru.

If the water level exceeds the specified limits, train operation must be halted. If the train is in a section, the train conductor and driver must consult to proceed or retreat to a safe location.

c) While the train is stationary, if it is observed that water levels may rise, or if the track is eroded, subsided, or has soil collapse potentially causing the train to become obstructed or at risk of an accident, the train conductor and driver must independently decide to move the train backward or forward away from danger. When moving the train back to the station, the train conductor and driver must apply all measures prescribed for reversing the train according to the "Train Operation Procedures and Track Consolidation Work".

Article 22. Flood, Typhoon Prevention and Emergency Response Work

1. Duty Hours:

a) On days without floods, typhoons, accidents, or natural disasters: duty during regular working hours;

b) On days with tropical depressions, heavy rain, floods, typhoons (alert level 1 or higher): duty in two shifts, including weekends and holidays:

+ Morning shift from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm;

+ Night shift from 4:30 pm to 7:30 am the following day.

2. Duty personnel:

a) Leaders at all levels of units;

b) Leaders of functional departments;

c) Flood and Typhoon Prevention and Emergency Response Command Boards at all levels;

d) Some staff assisting the Flood and Typhoon Prevention and Emergency Response Command Boards.

3. Duty schedules are assigned by the Flood and Typhoon Prevention and Emergency Response Command Boards at all levels.

4. Duties of the duty shift:

a) To grasp weather conditions, flood, typhoon, accident, and disaster situations through directives from higher-level Flood and Typhoon Prevention and Emergency Response Command Boards, via mass media; simultaneously, to understand rescue work within the unit's management scope;

b) To analyze and issue directives to grassroots units for flood, typhoon, accident, and disaster prevention and response;

c) Reporting and conveying superior instructions to relevant units and individuals;

d) To report on the development of rainstorms, typhoons, accidents, and disasters, provide preliminary damage assessments, and rescue efforts within the unit's management scope.

5. Regulations for personnel on flood and typhoon prevention and emergency response duty:

a) Personnel directly involved in flood and typhoon prevention and emergency response duty during night shifts, holidays, and public holidays shall be granted compensatory leave corresponding to their duty time as follows:

+ Night shift from 4:30 pm to 7:30 am the following morning, entitled to 24 hours of compensatory leave (one full day);

+ Day shift on public holidays, entitled to 24 hours of compensatory leave (one full day).

b) In cases where compensatory leave cannot be arranged, compensation for labor shall be paid according to state regulations;

c) Sources of funds for labor compensation for flood and typhoon prevention and emergency response duties are as follows:

+ Railway Infrastructure Management Companies shall allocate from their annual flood and typhoon prevention reserve fund (included in the cost of regular maintenance);

+ Transport Units shall include in transport costs;

+ Independent Units shall include in product costs;

+ The Vietnam Railway Corporation shall include in its management fund.

Article 23. Organization for handling floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters when they occur.

When floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters occur, the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters, and Rescue at all levels must proactively implement according to the prepared plan and select appropriate measures to effectively address the incidents.

For units directly affected by floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters, the following specific tasks must be carried out immediately:

1. Railway Management Companies:

a) Organize strict patrols and guard posts in areas affected by floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters, and regularly conduct inspections; promptly isolate or reduce speed when there is damage to infrastructure posing a threat to train safety;

b) Mobilize immediate emergency forces, materials, equipment, and transportation means, and stand ready to carry out repairs;

c) In critical areas, additional supplementary route diagrams must be established. In necessary cases, track inspection with rail jacks must be conducted before allowing trains to run;

d) Particularly at locations with upstream water conservancy or hydroelectric dams, it is essential to understand the dam discharge situation, take cooperative measures, and protect sections of the railway embankment, bridges, culverts, or ongoing construction works that are at risk of flooding or erosion due to dam discharge.

2. Railway Signal Information Companies must mobilize backup communication equipment (including personnel) to ensure continuous and unobstructed communication, while deploying emergency forces ready for repairs.

3. Railway transport units, stations, trains, and staff working on trains must organize the protection of trains, passengers, and cargo; organize passenger and cargo transfer upon orders from the General Director of Vietnam Railway Corporation or the Head of the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters, and Rescue of Vietnam Railway Corporation or the head of the direct management railway transport company according to their level of authority.

4. Within areas affected by floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters, construction units within the railway land area must proactively coordinate with railway infrastructure management companies and related units to rescue damaged projects or those at risk of destruction. All units must participate alongside local forces and Railway Inspectors to maintain order and security in the disaster response area, strictly comply with directives from higher-level Steering Committees for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters, and Rescue, and be ready to assist other units upon mobilization to mitigate the consequences of floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters.

5. In cases where floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters are severe, exceeding the capacity of reserve human resources, materials, and equipment, the unit must urgently request higher authorities to mobilize human resources, materials, and equipment from other units to support disaster relief efforts. Procedures for material and equipment handover must be fully completed according to legal regulations to serve as a basis for settlement and reimbursement.

SECTION 3. MITIGATION OF CONSEQUENCES OF FLOODS, STORMS, ACCIDENTS,

 FLOOD AND STORM PREVENTION; EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO ACCIDENTS, NATURAL DISASTERS AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

Article 24. Principles in the work of mitigating the consequences of floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters and rescue operations

All organizations and individuals operating in the railway sector must actively and proactively mitigate the consequences of floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters and rescue operations to reduce the impact of natural disasters, quickly restore railway transportation, resume production, and stabilize people's lives.

Article 25. Contents of work to mitigate consequences of floods, storms, accidents, natural disasters, and rescue operations.

1. Rescuing people and assets in danger.

2. Transporting passengers and goods.

3. Promptly providing relief and assistance to stabilize the lives of residents and railway employees in areas affected by floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters.

4. Repairing infrastructure works of the railway that have been damaged, ensuring uninterrupted railway transportation with the shortest possible time.

5. Salvaging and repairing locomotives, carriages; equipment and means of transport for construction and train operation to restore production and repair flood and storm prevention works that have been damaged.

6. Investigating and compiling damage statistics.

7. Implementing environmental sanitation and disease control measures.

8. Preparing budget estimates and settling costs for mitigating the consequences of floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters in accordance with regulations.

Article 26. Specific contents on mitigating the consequences of floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters.

1. Clearing traffic disruptions in railway transportation.

When floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters cause interruptions in railway transportation:

a) The General Director of Vietnam Railway Corporation decides to establish a Rescue and Relief Council; when storms or natural disasters damage railway infrastructure, the leader responsible for managing and maintaining railway infrastructure at Vietnam Railway Corporation shall be the Chairman of the Council; when rescuing locomotives and carriages, the leader responsible for locomotives and carriages at Vietnam Railway Corporation shall be the Chairman of the Council; when transporting passengers and goods, the leader responsible for transportation operations at Vietnam Railway Corporation shall be the Chairman of the Council;

b) The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention, Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters at all levels under Vietnam Railway Corporation must mobilize all forces to perform the following tasks:

- Organizing defense according to regulations to ensure safe train operation;

- Surveying and assessing damages to facilities and transportation means and preparing records confirming the volume and extent of damage with the participation of representatives from local authorities and People's Committees of communes (wards, towns) where the storm, flood, accident, or natural disaster occurred;

- Formulating plans to repair facilities; salvaging and lifting transportation equipment (if necessary); forecasting the schedule to resume traffic; simultaneously reporting to Vietnam Railway Corporation. In cases of accidents or incidents during train operation, the relevant units shall handle them according to the "Regulations on Handling Railway Traffic Incidents" issued by the Ministry of Transport;

- Based on specific circumstances, the Director of the Transportation Enterprise and the Station Manager report to the General Director of the directly managing Vietnam Railway Corporation to decide on transportation plans and methods for passengers and goods;

- For trains running along the route and unable to pass through the obstructed area, the Transportation Control Center must keep the trains at town, city, or provincial stations to facilitate passenger dining and living conditions;

- In cases where the damaged section of the road is short and near convenient automobile routes, the Transportation Enterprises and Station Managers at both ends of the section report to the Transportation Control Center to formulate passenger transfer plans; simultaneously contacting the local authorities at the transfer location to seek support and ensure public order;

- In cases where trains are trapped in sections due to floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters, the Transportation Enterprises, Station Managers at both ends of the section, and the Train Captain must organize passenger rescue, passenger transfer, and protect the train and cargo;

- When traffic is interrupted, railway works are damaged, and trains cannot run, and the distance for transferring passengers is far, it is necessary to mobilize road transport means to assist; The Passenger Transport Company must report the specific situation, transfer plan, and implementation solutions to the General Director of Vietnam Railway Corporation for decision-making on organizing transfers;

- For particularly important goods requiring transfer, the Cargo Transport Company must report to the General Director of Vietnam Railway Corporation and can only proceed with transfer upon approval by the General Director of Vietnam Railway Corporation;

- The Transportation Control Center is responsible for closely monitoring the journey of trains within the affected area of floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters and issuing urgent orders to ensure safe train operation; directing the protection and transfer of passengers; protecting trains and cargo; directing rescue trains (if any), trains carrying materials, equipment, and test loads according to the requirements of the repair work.

2. Hierarchical organization of repair work.

To enable units to take the initiative in repair work, the hierarchical organization of repair work is stipulated as follows:

a) In cases where damage is not significant, technical issues are not complex, and the forecasted resumption of traffic does not exceed one day, the local Steering Committees for Flood and Storm Prevention, Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters shall resolve independently; reporting to higher-level Steering Committees for Flood and Storm Prevention, Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters for material support and dispatching personnel if necessary;

b) In cases where damage is relatively large, technical issues are relatively complex, and the forecasted resumption of traffic is between two to three days, the Regional Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention, Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters shall establish a Command Team for Repair Work to direct units to repair facilities, salvage equipment (if any), and report to the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention, Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters of Vietnam Railway Corporation, while requesting Vietnam Railway Corporation to provide material, equipment, transportation means, and personnel for repair work.

c) In case of significant damage volume and complex technical issues, with expected traffic reopening duration of four days or more, the Flood and Storm Prevention, Emergency Response, and Rescue Steering Committee of Vietnam Railway Corporation must establish a Rescue and Repair Command to direct the repair units and crane transportation vehicles (if available), report to the Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue Steering Committee of the Ministry of Transport; if the project exceeds its own repair capacity, the Flood and Storm Prevention, Emergency Response, and Rescue Steering Committee of Vietnam Railway Corporation must report and request support from the Ministry of Transport.

3. Mobilization of human resources, materials, and equipment

a) To quickly mitigate the aftermath of floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters, when necessary, the Flood and Storm Prevention, Emergency Response, and Rescue Steering Committees at all levels may request superiors to mobilize human resources, materials, and equipment from other units for rescue operations. Upon mobilization, these units must complete all handover procedures for labor, materials, means of transport, and equipment according to regulations to serve as the basis for future settlement.

b) Production units of materials (such as stones, sleepers, etc.) under Vietnam Railway Corporation, in addition to fulfilling the flood, storm, accident, and disaster prevention reserve quantities, must organize additional shifts and overtime to timely supply materials as required by rescue operations.

c) Trains or flatcars transporting workers and materials for traffic restoration shall be given priority over all types of trains.

d) The transport control center is permitted to use and mobilize locomotives and carriages, including those not yet fully loaded or partially loaded, if they need to be used for traffic restoration. Goods on partially loaded carriages must be unloaded.

đ) The Head of the Flood and Storm Prevention, Emergency Response, and Rescue Steering Committee of railway infrastructure management companies can decide to use existing soil, rocks, and materials on railway transport means for rescue purposes in cases where such materials belong to units under Vietnam Railway Corporation. For materials belonging to other organizations, prior agreement is required before usage.

When using soil, rocks, and materials, full payment procedures must be completed according to regulations.

e) When many people are needed to overcome obstacles, passenger trains may be used. If there are no passenger trains available, cargo carriages of type GG or HH (non-specialized) may be used to transport workers to the site to resolve obstacles. For fewer people, flatcars or automobiles may be used for transportation.

Article 27. Steps in rescue and recovery activities for floods, storms, accidents, natural disasters, and rescue operations

1. For railway road, bridge, culvert, and tunnel projects:

The time frame for rescue and recovery activities due to floods, storms, accidents, natural disasters, and rescue operations is divided into two steps as follows:

- Step 1: From the time of the order to block the area and prohibit train operation due to floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters until the order to resume speed at ≥15 km/h.

- Step 2: Restoration of the project after floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters.

Specific contents of each step are as follows:

(1) - Step 1: From the time of the order to block the area and prohibit train operation due to floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters until the order to resume speed at ≥15 km/h.

Step 1 includes two phases:

a) Phase 1: Temporary traffic restoration at 5 km/h.

This phase starts from the time of the order to block the area and prohibit train operation, when the construction unit deploys forces to repair the flood, storm, accident, and rescue work, until temporary traffic restoration at 5 km/h.

- After completing the temporary traffic design, the construction unit must conduct a detailed inspection and prepare a record confirming the completion of the project section under their responsibility, meeting the conditions for load testing or traffic restoration, requesting permission from the Rescue and Repair Command for load testing or traffic restoration.

- The Rescue and Repair Command establishes a load testing committee. The committee consists of representatives from the Rescue and Repair Command, the construction unit, the local railway management company, and the train crew (train driver or train conductor).

- The load testing committee's responsibilities include:

+ Preparing the load testing or traffic restoration plan.

+ Inspecting and reviewing the parts of the project, requiring repairs to sections that do not meet the conditions for load testing or traffic restoration.

+ Preparing a record confirming the conditions for load testing or traffic restoration.

+ Disseminating the load testing or traffic restoration plan to all committee members for thorough understanding and implementation.

+ Directing the load testing.

+ Checking the technical parameters measured during each load testing or traffic restoration session and requiring repairs.

+ Preparing a record of the load testing or traffic restoration results, concluding the traffic restoration conditions for phase 1 (temporary traffic restoration), and reporting to the Rescue and Repair Command.

- The railway transport unit affected by floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters is responsible for inspecting the train composition for load testing or traffic restoration, guiding the train to follow the load testing or traffic restoration plan.

- The railway management company organizes the installation of signs for train operation according to the order to reopen the route and "railway signal procedure." During the rescue period, the railway management company continues regular track, bridge, and tunnel patrols to ensure smooth traffic flow upon reopening the area.

- The construction unit (or railway management company) prepares a plan for setting up checkpoints and subsequent inspections and repairs while waiting for the handover procedures for managing the project based on its current status.

- The Project Rescue and Repair Command checks the volume of work completed, issues orders to reopen the route along with operating conditions for the two terminal stations, the Traffic Control Center, the Infrastructure Management Company, the Railway Transport Company, and Vietnam Railway Corporation.

b) Phase 2: Reinforcing the temporary project to ensure stable operation at ≥15 km/h.

Immediately after temporary traffic restoration, the Rescue and Repair Command continues to direct the reinforcement and stabilization of the project to ensure safe operation at ≥15 km/h. The tasks in this phase include:

- Surveying and evaluating the load-bearing capacity of the temporary project.

- Develop supplementary reinforcement plans to enhance the structural stability of the project, ensuring safe train operation conditions according to specified load and speed ≥15km/h.

- Prepare a framework for checking technical parameters of the project after each train passage throughout the second phase construction period.

- Organize continuous construction, quickly put the project into operation, ensuring safety according to specified load and speed ≥15km/h.

- Conduct train tests according to specified load and speed ≥15km/h.

- Arrange directional signs guiding trains according to regulations.

- Accept quality and quantity of the first stage restoration work.

- Restore speed ≥15km/h.

For small projects, the duration of reinforcement in the second phase shall not exceed 7 days; for large and complex projects, it shall not exceed 15 days.

In case of necessity to extend the time, it shall be decided by the General Director of Vietnam Railway Corporation.

(2) - Stage 2: Restore the project after floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters.

Immediately after the first stage opening, organize the design and construction budget for the second stage restoration according to standards equivalent to the system before damage or upgrade the damaged system.

- If the project is not complex and does not require geological drilling or hydrological surveys, proceed with the second stage immediately.

- If the project is complex and requires drilling, geological and hydrological research, or changes in structure type, the survey, design, and budget must be completed within 45 days after the opening and submitted to Vietnam Railway Corporation for approval. In cases of extreme complexity, if the design and budget take longer, report to the General Director of Vietnam Railway Corporation to request an extension while making this a fixed slow-speed point as usual.

2. For the Signaling Information System:

The repair and recovery of damages caused by floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters, and rescue operations are carried out in two stages as follows:

- Stage 1: Calculated from the time of signaling information interruption due to floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters until communication is restored and signaling obstacles are resolved to ensure safe train operation conditions. Stage 1 consists of two phases:

a) Phase 1: Clearing obstacles affecting the signaling information system, restoring communication lines; dismantling and maintaining signaling equipment damaged by floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters.

b) Phase 2: Supporting fallen signal poles, temporarily replacing broken ones. Reinstalling signaling equipment to their original positions to ensure safe train operation.

The restoration time for Phase 2 shall not exceed 7 days. For systems with significant damage and complex technology, it shall not exceed 15 days.

- Stage 2: Restore, replace, and supplement the signaling equipment system to ensure initial technical standards for long-term stable operation.

3. For architectural works belonging to the railway infrastructure system:

The repair and recovery of damages caused by floods, storms, accidents, or natural disasters, and rescue operations are carried out in two stages as follows:

- Stage 1: Calculated from the time of notification about architectural works in the railway infrastructure system being affected by storms, floods, accidents, or natural disasters causing disruption of traffic management operations until temporary restoration ensures safe traffic management operation conditions. Stage 1 consists of two phases:

a) Phase 1: Clearing obstacles from collapsed architectural works; restoring traffic management system equipment; dismantling and maintaining train operation equipment.

b) Phase 2: Temporarily reinstalling collapsed architectural works to ensure safe train operation conditions. Repairing and reinstalling traffic management equipment to ensure safe railway transportation.

The restoration time for Phase 2 shall not exceed 7 days. For systems with significant damage and complex technology, it shall not exceed 15 days.

- Step 2:

Restore, replace, and supplement traffic management systems and architectural works to ensure initial technical standards for long-term stable operation.

4. Functional agencies from Railway Infrastructure Management Companies to Vietnam Railway Corporation must supplement and adjust restoration and repair plans for these projects into annual plans and immediately organize restoration. In case of insufficient funds, record the deficit in the next year's plan.

5. Projects in the second stage restoration are allowed to design and construct simultaneously and can designate tenders to experienced construction units within the railway sector to ensure progress and quality of restoration. Depending on the level of restoration, the completion time for the second stage will be stipulated with urgent requirements to ensure quality and safe train operation.

Article 28. Documents for repairing railway infrastructure damaged by floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters

1. After completing the first phase of emergency repairs to restore traffic, the Railway Infrastructure Management Companies and participating construction units must complete the completion documents, certificates, and reports to the Flood and Storm Prevention and Control Steering Committee; Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters and Rescue Committee, and submit them to the General Director of Vietnam Railway Corporation (through the permanent office of the Flood and Storm Prevention and Control Steering Committee; Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters and Rescue Committee of Vietnam Railway Corporation for review and approval).

2. The contents of the documents must be complete as prescribed, including: explanatory notes, design drawings - budget estimates (or repair plans), damage records caused by floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters and rescue operations with confirmation from competent authorities, local governments, and related financial and documentary evidence.

Article 29. Labor Regulations and Compensation during the Process of Repairing and Mitigating Consequences of Floods, Storms; Emergency Response to Accidents and Natural Disasters and Rescue Operations

1. Application Objectives for the First Phase of Repairs.

a) The following subjects shall be considered as directly participating in the repair and mitigation of consequences of floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters and rescue operations.

- Direct labor forces working on construction sites (including rescue teams when there is a train accident);

- Construction support forces, security forces, and communication personnel on construction sites, and train guides at ongoing repair sites;

- Site Commanders and their assistants.

b) The following subjects shall be considered as indirectly participating in the repair and mitigation of consequences of floods, storms, emergency response to accidents and natural disasters, and rescue operations:

- Personnel on duty at both ends of the stations managing train operations serving the repair work such as: rescue operations, transporting materials, load testing, etc., supporting the repair work;

- Personnel responsible for loading and unloading materials at warehouses, yards, and quarries outside the affected areas, supporting flood and storm repair work, emergency response to accidents and natural disasters, and rescue operations;

- Train drivers, locomotive drivers, automobile drivers, and personnel performing tasks on trains: rescue operations, transporting materials, load testing, etc.;

2. Working Hours.

a) Direct participants may not be scheduled for continuous work exceeding 12 hours (except in special cases);

b) The direct participants mentioned in point a of Clause 1 of this Article shall be credited with one day's labor (excluding travel time to the construction site) if they meet the following criteria:

Stage 1: If they work for at least 6 hours on the construction site.

Stage 2: If they work for at least 8 hours on the construction site.

3. Reward System for the First Phase of Repairs:

a) Allowance for Duties Performed During the Repair and Mitigation of Consequences of Floods, Storms, Accidents, and Natural Disasters and Rescue Operations:

- For the direct participants mentioned in point a of Clause 1 of this Article, in addition to their regular daily wage, which includes grade salary and other allowances (if applicable), they will receive additional duty allowance, with the maximum daily allowance for one person being twice the average daily wage based on the government-set minimum wage;

- For the indirect participants specified in point b of Clause 1 of this Article, in addition to their regular daily wage, which includes grade salary and other allowances (if applicable), they will receive additional duty allowance, with the maximum daily allowance for one person being equal to the average daily wage based on the government-set minimum wage;

b) Additional Meal Allowance During the Repair Period for Participants in the Repair and Mitigation of Consequences of Floods, Storms, Accidents, and Natural Disasters and Rescue Operations:

Participants in the first phase of repair and mitigation of consequences of floods, storms, accidents, and natural disasters and rescue operations shall receive additional meal allowance, with the maximum additional meal allowance not exceeding 50,000 VND per day per person;

c) Those mobilized to participate in the repair of infrastructure each day of troop movement and waiting time shall be calculated according to the normal daily wage system and shall enjoy travel expenses according to the current regulations, the determination of troop movement time, waiting time, and travel expense calculation shall be based on the personnel dispatch decision and travel permit.

Article 30. Reward for Project Progress

If the repair project is completed ahead of the traffic opening schedule specified in the construction plan approved by the competent authority and proposed by the Project Repair Command:

Stage 1: Not exceeding 3 days beyond the schedule and not more than 2 units of work per day beyond the schedule;

Stage 2: Not exceeding 2 days and not more than 1.5 units of work per day beyond the schedule.

Chapter III

FINANCIAL SOURCE FOR PREVENTION, MITIGATION AND RESPONSE TO FLOODS, STORMS, DISASTERS AND RESCUE OPERATIONS

 EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO INCIDENTS, NATURAL DISASTERS AND RESCUE

Article 31. Financial sources for prevention, mitigation, and response to floods, storms, disasters, and rescue operations include the following financial sources:

1. Capital from the state budget.

2. Relief funds from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals when floods, storms, incidents, and natural disasters occur.

3. Funds raised or voluntarily contributed in accordance with the law.

Article 32. Reserve funds for flood, storm prevention, disaster response, and rescue operations

Annually, railway infrastructure management companies must allocate 5% of their regular maintenance budget assigned in the plan to reinforce and repair before the rainy and storm season. Vietnam Railway Corporation must reserve funds ranging from 1% to 2% of the total state budget estimate allocated to carry out tasks of mitigating disasters, natural calamities, traffic accidents, and search and rescue operations; these funds are used for emergency response and restoration to ensure initial traffic flow; if insufficient, report to the Ministry of Transport to adjust and supplement the state budget reserve (if applicable).

Article 33. Management and utilization of financial sources for prevention, mitigation, and response to floods, storms, disasters, and rescue operations

1. Financial sources for prevention, mitigation, and response to floods, storms, disasters, and rescue operations shall be used for the following purposes:

a) Mitigating the aftermath of floods, storms, responding to incidents, natural disasters, and rescue operations, ensuring initial and secondary traffic flow;

b) Repairing and upgrading facilities to serve flood and storm prevention, incident and natural disaster response, and rescue operations; equipping forecasting and directing equipment for flood and storm prevention, incident and natural disaster response, and rescue operations;

c) Rescuing people and property; rescuing facilities and transportation means damaged by floods, storms, incidents, and natural disasters; salvaging sunken vessels;

2. All costs for prevention, mitigation, and response to floods, storms, incidents, natural disasters, and rescue operations shall be settled according to actual expenses under current regulations.

3. In cases where the reserve funds for flood and storm prevention, incident and natural disaster response, and rescue operations are insufficient, Vietnam Railway Corporation shall report to the Ministry of Transport (through the Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue Committee of the Ministry of Transport) to adjust and supplement from the state budget reserve.

Article 34. Consolidation and submission of reports on losses caused by storms, floods, incidents, and natural disasters for capital application approval.

Within 15 to 30 working days from the completion of the aftermath of floods, storms, incident and natural disaster response, and railway rescue operations, participating agencies and units shall submit consolidated reports on losses caused by storms, floods, incidents, and natural disasters to Vietnam Railway Corporation for consolidation and submission to the Ministry of Transport or relevant state authorities for capital application approval according to current regulations.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 35. Effective Date

This Circular takes effect 45 days from the date of issuance and revokes Decision No. 3862/2001/QĐ-BGTVT dated November 19, 2001, issued by the Ministry of Transport on the Regulations for Flood and Storm Prevention and Mitigation in the Railway Sector.

Article 36. Implementation Organization

1. Participating enterprises in railway activities are responsible for disseminating and guiding subordinate units, organizations, and individuals involved in railway transportation activities to implement this Circular.

2. The Ministry of Transport's Flood and Storm Prevention and Search and Rescue Steering Committee shall take the lead and coordinate with the Vietnam Railway Administration, Vietnam Railway Corporation, and related agencies to organize inspections of the implementation of this Circular.

3. During the implementation process, if there are difficulties or obstacles, report to the Ministry of Transport for review and decision-making to amend and supplement appropriately./.