Circular No. 02/2009/TT-BGTVT stipulates the inspection of quality, technical safety, and environmental protection for railway transportation vehicles.

CIRCULAR

Regulations on quality inspection, technical safety, and environmental protection for railway transportation vehicles

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Based on the Railway Law dated June 14, 2005;

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;

Based on Decree No. 109/2006/NĐ-CP dated September 22, 2006 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Railway Law;

The Ministry of Transport guides the inspection of quality, technical safety, and environmental protection for railway transportation vehicles as follows:

Chapter 1.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation, applicable subjects

1. This document regulates the inspection of quality, technical safety, and environmental protection for imported, produced, assembled, modified, restored railway transportation vehicles, and during their operation on the following railway networks:

d) Dedicated railways not connected to national railways but passing through residential areas and intersecting with roads.

This Circular applies to agencies, organizations, and individuals related to the design, importation, production, assembly, modification, restoration, and operation of railway transportation means used on the rail networks specified in Clause 1 of this Article.

Railway transportation means

(hereinafter referred to as means) include locomotives, carriages, power cars, and other specialized means moving on rails.

第二条 组织和实施奖励工作的支出水平，如政府第152/2025/NĐ-CP号决定关于分级授权和奖励领域的分权规定

These regulations apply to organizations and individuals involved in the design, importation, production, assembly, modification, restoration, and operation of railway transportation vehicles used on the railway networks specified in Clause 1 of this Article.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. include rail cars, bogies, cranes, ballast tampers, track inspection machines, and other means that can move on rails. (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle) includes locomotives, carriages, power cars, and other specialized vehicles that move on railway tracks;

2. Power car is a carriage equipped with an engine to self-propel on railway tracks;

3. consist of the body, steering frame, brake valve, coupling buffer system, diesel engine, air pump, main generator, traction motor, pantograph, electrical converter, hydraulic transmission system. is a railcar, trolley, crane, ballast tamper, track inspection machine, and other vehicles capable of moving on railway tracks;

4. Main assembly includes diesel engines, main generators, traction motors, directional switches, brake valves, coupler buffers;

5. System" includes braking systems, drive systems, electrical systems:

6. Modification involves changing the usage characteristics of the vehicle or altering its structure and technical features differently from the original design for diesel engines, traction motors, directional switches, braking systems, and coupler buffers;

7. Product refers to the vehicle or component/system;

8. Design entity is an organization with legal personality, registered to operate in the business of designing railway transportation vehicles in accordance with current regulations;

9. Production facility is a business producing, assembling, modifying, restoring, and repairing vehicles that meet the conditions stipulated by current regulations.

Chapter 2.

QUALITY INSPECTION, TECHNICAL SAFETY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Article 3. Basis for Quality Inspection, Technical Safety, and Environmental Protection

The basis for inspecting the quality, technical safety, and environmental protection of railway transportation vehicles (hereinafter referred to as inspection) includes:

1. Current technical standards and regulations;

2. Design documents or technical files.

Article 4. Types of Inspection

Inspection includes the following types:

1. Inspection of imported products and those produced or assembled domestically;

2. Inspection of modified and restored products;

3. Periodic inspection of vehicles;

4. Unusual inspections.

Article 5. Design Documents

Design documents prepared by design institutions or production facilities meeting the required conditions shall be submitted in three copies to the registration authorities for review. The design documents are defined as follows:

1. For vehicles produced or assembled domestically, the design documents include:

a) Technical drawings:

- Overall drawings of the vehicle;

- Assembly drawings of components and systems;

- Drawings and technical specifications of domestically produced components and systems;

- Technical specifications of imported components and systems.

b) Explanations and calculations:

- Explanation of basic technical characteristics of the vehicle;

- Dynamic calculations: smoothness of operation, safety against overturning and derailment;

- Traction force calculations (applicable to locomotives, power cars, or other powered vehicles);

- Calculations for testing the strength of the chassis, body, and frame of the locomotive or powered vehicle;

- Braking system calculations.

2. For domestically produced or assembled components, the design documents include:

a) Overall drawings of the product;

b) Technical explanations of the product's characteristics.

3. For modified vehicles, the design documents include:

a) Overall drawings of the vessel before and after conversion;

b) Technical documentation of the components and systems used for modification;

c) Explanatory materials and calculations related to the conversion content.

Article 6. Design Review

1. The design review process shall be conducted for products prior to their initial production, assembly, or modification.

2. Design review involves examining and comparing the contents of the product design documentation with the current technical standards and regulations. The design review must be completed within fifteen days from the date of receipt of complete and valid documentation. In cases where the review period needs to be extended due to requests for additional design documentation, the inspection agency must notify the design entity or production facility in writing.

3. After the review, the design documentation shall be transferred to the design entity or production facility, the vehicle owner, and stored at the inspection agency.

Article 7. Inspection of Produced and Assembled Products

1. Technical documentation used during the inspection process includes:

a) Design documentation of the product that has been reviewed by the inspection agency;

b) Quality certificates (for products requiring quality certificates) or relevant technical documents of assemblies and systems used in the production and assembly of the product;

c) Inspection and acceptance documentation of the product from the production facility.

2. Content of Inspection:

a) For vehicles: inspection according to the content stipulated in Appendix 1 attached to this Circular;

b) For assemblies: inspection according to current technical standards and regulations, and comparison of technical parameters with the reviewed design documentation.

3. Inspection methods:

a) For vehicles: inspection of each individual vehicle;

b) For assemblies: inspection of one randomly selected product from the batch.

Article 8. Inspection of Converted Equipment

1. Technical documentation used during the inspection process includes:

a) Modified vehicle design documentation that has been reviewed by the inspection agency;

b) Quality certificates (for products requiring quality certificates) or relevant technical documents of assemblies and systems used in the modification of the vehicle;

c) Inspection and acceptance documentation of the modified vehicle from the production facility.

2. The inspection content includes reviewing and evaluating the quality of modified vehicles according to current technical standards and regulations and the modified design documentation that has been reviewed by the inspection agency.

3. Inspection method: inspection of each individual vehicle

Article 9. Inspection of Imported Vehicles

1. Technical documentation used during the inspection process includes:

a) Technical agreement of the import contract;

b) Documentation introducing the technical characteristics of the vehicle;

c) Valid factory release quality certificate issued by the manufacturer or by an authorized foreign organization recognized by the Vietnamese Inspection Agency.

2. Content of inspection

Inspection according to the content stipulated in Appendix 1 attached to this Circular.

3. Inspection Method

Inspection of each individual vehicle

Article 10. Periodic Inspection of Vehicles

1. Inspection timing for vehicles operating on national railways and urban railways.

Periodic inspections are carried out concurrently with the scheduled maintenance periods of the vehicles, specifically as follows:

a) Initial inspection period for imported and newly produced and assembled vehicles: periodic inspection is carried out concurrently with the second and third level overhauls (for locomotives and specialized vehicles) and annual overhauls (for passenger cars);

b) For operational vehicles:

- Locomotives and powered passenger cars are inspected during major overhauls, intermediate overhauls, second-level overhauls, and third-level overhauls;

- Passenger cars are inspected during major overhauls and annual overhauls;

- Specialized vehicles are inspected every twelve months.

2. Inspection timing for vehicles operating on dedicated railways connected and not connected to the national railway network is carried out according to the following cycles:

a) For imported and newly produced and assembled vehicles: the first periodic inspection is thirty months from the date of import inspection and new production and assembly;

b) For operational vehicles: the inspection cycle is eighteen months.

3. Technical documentation used during the inspection process includes:

a) Vehicle technical history;

b) Inspection and acceptance documentation of the vehicle from the production facility.

4. Inspection content is stipulated in Appendix 1 attached to this Circular.

Article 11. Unusual Inspection

Unusual inspections are carried out upon request of authorized state agencies when a vehicle is involved in an accident or when there are complaints about product quality.

Article 12. Issuance and Use of Quality, Technical Safety, and Environmental Protection Certificates

1. The issuance of quality, technical safety, and environmental protection certificates shall be carried out as follows:

a) Products shall be inspected according to the provisions of Article 4 of this Regulation, and design documents shall be reviewed. If they meet the current technical standards and regulations, the inspection authority shall issue the quality, technical safety, and environmental protection certificate (hereinafter referred to as the certificate) in accordance with the corresponding model attached as Appendix 2 to this Circular;

b) After completing the inspection, the issuance of the certificate shall be completed within no more than one day for periodic inspection vehicles, three days for imported, manufactured, assembled, or converted vehicles.

2. The use of certificates shall be carried out as follows:

a) The production and assembly certificate shall be issued to the manufacturing facility to allow the use and assembly on the vehicle;

b) The certificate issued to the vehicle shall be used for registration procedures and circulation of the vehicle;

c) Vehicle owners and operators are responsible for preserving the certificate and presenting it when requested by competent state authorities. Any alteration or erasure of the issued certificate is strictly prohibited.

3. Validity of the certificate and its revocation:

a) The certificate issued by the inspection authority to the vehicle will automatically become invalid if the vehicle suffers severe damage to major components and cannot ensure safety during continued operation;

b) The inspection authority shall revoke the certificate if the vehicle owner or operator fails to comply fully with the current technical standards and regulations in maintenance, repair, and operation of the vehicle;

4. The inspection authority shall retain the inspection records for a period of three years from the date of issuing the certificate.

Chapter 3.

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 13. Responsibilities of the Vietnam Maritime Administration Inspection Bureau

1. Implement vehicle inspection for railway transportation nationwide.

2. Adhere to the current technical standards and regulations when conducting product quality and technical safety inspections.

3. Develop and promulgate operational guidance documents related to inspection work within their jurisdiction.

4. Conduct inspections and issue certificates objectively and in accordance with the law. The head of the inspection authority and the inspectors directly involved shall be responsible for the inspection results.

5. Uniformly manage the issuance and issuance of certificates to inspection subjects.

6. Review, evaluate, and authorize testing laboratories and foreign inspection organizations.

7. Collect and use inspection fees and charges in accordance with current regulations.

8. Annually report to the Ministry of Transport the results of the implementation of quality, technical safety, and environmental protection inspection work for railway transportation vehicles.

Article 14. Responsibilities of Design, Manufacturing, Assembly, Importing Entities, and Vehicle Owners and Operators

1. Responsibilities of design, manufacturing, assembly, and importing entities:

a) Implement the provisions regarding design documentation and review design documentation as stipulated in Articles 5 and 6 of this Circular;

b) Bear legal responsibility for the quality of products designed by themselves;

c) Comply with current technical procedures, norms, regulations, standards, and specifications when importing, designing, manufacturing, assembling, repairing, converting, or restoring products;

d) Establish quality control procedures for each product and invest in appropriate testing equipment in accordance with relevant regulations. Testing equipment must undergo regular calibration;

đ) Organize quality control for each product and bear responsibility for the quality of products leaving the factory;

e) Bear responsibility for the origin, quality, and authenticity of imported products;

g) Be subject to quality, technical safety, and environmental protection supervision by the inspection authority during the production process;

h) Preserve technical documents, quality certificates, and certificates and present them when requested by competent state authorities;

2. Vehicle owners and operators:

Are responsible for repairing and maintaining the vehicle to ensure technical safety and environmental protection standards between inspection periods conducted by the inspection authority.

Article 15. Effective Date

This Circular takes effect 45 days from the date of issuance; Decree No. 58/2005/QĐ-BGTVT dated November 7, 2005 of the Ministry of Transport on "Regulations on the Inspection of Quality, Technical Safety, and Environmental Protection of Railway Transportation Vehicles" is hereby repealed./.