Consideration of vehicle age regulations in the Railway Law

These proposals were made by experts from DT Global Australia Pty Ltd - the implementing unit (PMC) of the project "Good international experiences to support the Vietnam Railway Authority in drafting the revised Railway Law 2017" sponsored by the Australian Government .

Specifically, these experts recommend that regarding the age of railway vehicles, the Railway Law should be reviewed and amended in the following direction: The Law does not regulate the age of railway vehicles, but only regulates the requirements for assessing the condition and suitability of the vehicle.

The vehicle owner, who is responsible for the safety of the road transport vehicle when put into use, is responsible for determining the life of his vehicle based on the technical condition, safety and suitability of the road transport vehicle.

The Law also identifies a focal point to conduct inspections and assessments of the status and suitability of road vehicles when their term expires.

Experts propose not to regulate vehicle age in the revised Railway Law (Photo: internet).

At the same time, PMC experts recommended reviewing, revising, and developing detailed guidance documents regulating the age of road vehicles used for the purpose of safety management planning; investment plans for upgrading and periodic assessment to ensure vehicle safety.

Explaining these proposals, PMC experts said that the regulations in the Railway Law on the age of railway vehicles are not consistent with the actual operation and vehicle conversion plans according to the action plan on emission reduction in the transport sector.

Because in reality when applied in Vietnam, the number of expired GTDS vehicles is still in good use and ensures safety. During the exploitation process, businesses always replace spare parts and periodically check.

On the other hand, according to the green transformation target, by 2050, the railway industry will convert 100% of locomotives and railway cars to use electricity and green energy. To meet this target, the current GTTĐS vehicles on the national railway system will have to be completely replaced.

"According to statistics, the number of locomotives and wagons that will expire by 2035 is 140 locomotives, 275 passenger wagons and 2,081 freight wagons. The current age limit regulations may cause difficulties for transport businesses in investing in replacement vehicles," PMC experts commented, citing international experience in managing the safety of railway vehicles.

Typically, Hong Kong, South Korea, France and Japan all use the Safety Management System (SMS) process to determine the inspection frequency and age of vehicles.

Accordingly, the method of managing fixed assets' life span is changed to a management method based on the Safety Management System (SMS). This is a system that assesses safety risks when continuing to operate a vehicle, based on the assessment of the current condition of the vehicle and the possibility of using the vehicle in the future.

SMS includes technical procedures and standards used by railway operators as a benchmark to identify risks. By collecting information about previous failures or indications that future failures may occur in vehicle components such as wheels, brakes, springs or couplings.

Vehicle condition data is collected from records kept at the repair shop or from automatic sensors that measure the level of wear and tear, which is used to assess the vehicle's compliance with technical standards... This determines whether the vehicle is still suitable for its intended use, except for some parts that may need to be replaced. Or from continuous monitoring of the vehicle's condition, it will be determined that the entire vehicle needs to be replaced instead of continuing to repair.

The rail operator's SMS is sent to the Independent Safety Regulator for assessment and review of these intentions for railway vehicles.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/can-nhac-quy-dinh-nien-han-phuong-tien-trong-luat-duong-sat-192240527211707011.htm