Railways are one of humanity’s most significant inventions since the pre-industrial era. To this day, they continue to serve as an endless source of inspiration to reach new heights, showcasing the impact of science and technology on human life.
Historical Journey: When Did Railways First Appear?
As early as 700 BC, a basic form of the railway was invented and used throughout ancient Greece and Rome. This was essentially a limestone-paved road built in Corinth, a narrow land bridge connecting the Peloponnese peninsula to the mainland, situated between the two “capitals” of Athens and Sparta.
Known as Diolkos, this route played a crucial role as it allowed ancient trade ships to avoid the long and dangerous journey around the Peloponnese peninsula.
Diolkos combined two fundamental principles of railways and road transport via ships. It was paved with limestone, measuring 3-6 meters wide, with parallel grooves spaced about 1.6 meters apart.
Ancient documents suggest that transportation on Diolkos was carried out using various wheeled vehicles, but it is also possible that the ancient Romans used ships themselves for transport on this route by integrating a wheel system on the bottom of the ships.
The concept of railway tracks emerged in the 1550s in Germany, when wooden tracks were built with two elongated strips, referred to as “wagonways.”
This name originated because at that time, Germans primarily used horses to pull freight cars. Having tracks beneath the wheels facilitated quicker movement between areas compared to unpaved ground. It also reduced the chances of wheels getting stuck in mud or being damaged on rugged terrain.
By the late 1700s, wooden tracks were replaced by iron ones, becoming popular throughout Europe.
By the 1800s, mechanical engineers began applying steam locomotives to replace horse power, which proved more efficient and capable of pulling multiple carriages. At this point, the terminology shifted from freight wagons to trains.
In 1550, Germans began constructing elongated tracks for horse-drawn carriages. This was the precursor to today’s railway systems (Photo: RTF).
Railways in Vietnam
In Vietnam, the first railway lines were constructed in 1899 during French colonial rule, initially aimed at transporting food to capture the lucrative rice market of Indochina.
In 1936, a steam locomotive made its first complete journey along the railway line then known as the Trans-Indochinois, stretching 1,730 kilometers over a total duration of 60 hours.
The steam locomotive used to pull the train was a USRA Light Mikado No. 639 (abbreviated as Mike). This type was first manufactured and used in 1884 in Australia, later becoming popular in the United States, France, Germany, Japan, and China.
Subsequently, steam locomotives were gradually replaced by diesel engines, and the iconic image of the North-South trains with General Electric locomotives became familiar from the 1970s onward.
The General Electric B-B locomotive, combining an electric-diesel engine, was used on the North-South railway line (Photo: Historicvietnam).
This railway became a “lifeline” during the fight against American forces, serving as the only connection between the two regions. The war ended in April 1975, and the North-South railway was completely severed due to bombings.
According to National Geographic, an estimated 1,334 bridges, 158 train stations, and 27 tunnels suffered severe damage and required repairs.
However, just over a year of enthusiastic labor saw more than 60,000 officials, workers, soldiers, and citizens along the railway line excavate over 4 million cubic meters of earth and stone, rebuild 475 bridges, install 660 kilometers of railway, and construct 150 train stations…
On the morning of December 31, 1976, a long train whistle marked the departure of the Unified Train from Hanoi station towards Ho Chi Minh City, welcomed enthusiastically by the public. This train symbolized the reunification of Vietnam, acting as a “bridge” connecting the three regions of the country.
Since the first Unified Train journey, which lasted over 80 hours, the railway sector has made rapid advancements. Today, numerous Unified Trains operate daily to serve passengers, including modern, luxurious trains rated 5 stars that can shorten the Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City journey to just 29 hours.
The TN5 train on the North-South route, Van Dien – Thuong Tin section (Photo: Wikipedia).
Sharing with a Dân trí reporter, Mr. Đức Huy, 64 years old, residing in Pham Dinh Ho Ward (Hanoi), noted that he has been a long-time passenger on the North-South Unified Train since the line was restored.
“The Unified Train means a lot to me, as many members of my family still live and work in Ho Chi Minh City. Not only did family members rarely meet, but our business activities were also stalled,” Mr. Huy shared.
To this day, even though traveling by train takes longer than flying, Mr. Huy still believes that the experience on the North-South railway is “irreplaceable”: “Sitting on the train, many people may feel relaxed as they pass through the routes connecting provinces and cities. It is a very different experience.”
In 2023, the North-South railway was ranked as the top among the 8 most beautiful railways in the world, according to Lonely Planet, one of the largest travel websites globally.
This website describes the 2,772-kilometer railway that takes passengers through lush green rice fields, picturesque villages, and bustling cities, offering a glimpse into the diverse lives of the Vietnamese people.
The Future of Railways in Vietnam and Worldwide
According to records by the Guinness World Records, the fastest train in the world using maglev (magnetic levitation) technology reached speeds of 603 km/h, which is comparable to commercial airplane speeds.
This record was achieved by the L0 Series train (A07), operated by the Central Japan Railway Company on the Yamanashi maglev route in Yamanashi Prefecture (Japan) in April 2015.
An L0-series train operating in Fuefuki city (Japan) in August 2020 (Photo: Yamanashi).
Recently, the T-Flight maglev train, developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), has attracted attention as it surpassed that speed, setting a record of 623 km/h thanks to superconducting maglev technology.
This technology, also known as “hyperloop,” operates by “lifting” the train into the air to eliminate friction, moving through a specially designed vacuum tube.
According to CASIC, precision is crucial, with all details having a deviation of less than 1 mm against the contact surface. The flatness of the tracks must not exceed a difference of 0.3 mm.
This allows the train to operate in near-vacuum conditions, reducing air resistance, akin to a “flight close to the ground” at extreme speeds.
Experts predict that this technology could enable trains to achieve speeds nearly three times faster than current speeds due to the absence of air resistance, potentially reaching up to 1,200 km/h once installed and deployed.
Vietnam is also not left out of the “game,” but will currently apply the basic principles of traditional railways, combined with enhanced and modern technologies.
Accordingly, Vietnam will implement a high-speed railway line from North to South, with a design speed of 350 km/h, a load capacity of 22.5 tons per axle, which can transport passengers and goods along the route extending from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.
Dr. Trương Thị Mỹ Hạnh, Head of the Department of Urban Planning and Transport (University of Transport Technology), stated that to achieve this speed, the high-speed railway will eliminate level crossings, raising the entire railway line and removing all grade crossings.
Additionally, axle loads will be reduced through the system and method of power distribution, helping to lighten the burden on the infrastructure, combined with train control support technologies.
This expert also stated that this type of technology was developed and put into operation in 1964 in Japan and is currently being developed in many countries around the world, especially in China over the past two decades. In Vietnam, high-speed rail technology has been tested to ensure safety levels, with an average investment cost, and has the potential to connect with the existing railway network.
