REACTIVIATION OF THE THANH HOA-VINH RAIL LINE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04560A006400010043-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2000
• Sequence Number: 43
• Publication Date: October 1, 1968
• Content Type: MEMO

Ar wllywor Release 2000/06/30,: CIA-RDP78BO456.OA006400010043-1
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PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION MEMORANDUM
REACTIVATION OF
THE THANH HOA-VINH
RAIL LINE
Declass Review, NIMA/DoD
GROUP 1 EXCLUDED FROM
AUTOMATIC DOWNGRADING
AND DECLASSIFICATION
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This document contains information affecting
the national defense of the United States,
within the meaning of Title 18, sections
793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as amended.
Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is
prohibited by law.
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REACTIVATION OF THE THANH HOA-VINH RAIL LINE
Recent aerial photography reveals that the entire Thanh Hoa-Vinh
rail line is serviceable and probably in use by two-axle rolling stock.
Conventional rolling stock is being utilized as far south as Tho Trang
(Figure 1). This is the first time since bombing restrictions were
imposed on 31 March 1968 that the rail line has been serviceable between
the 19th parallel and Vinh, and the first time in recent years that
conventional rolling stock has been observed south of Thanh Hoa.
The rail line south of the 19th parallel was apparently reactivated
between One of the by-pass bridges over the Song
Cau La (river), 11 nm north of Vinh was reconstructed during this
period (Figure 2). On 12 canvas-covered and nine empty
two-axle flat cars were observed at the previously inactive Vinh trans-
shipment point (Figure 3).
After the imposition of the bombing restrictions and prior to the
reactivation of the southernmost rail segment, material was being
transferred from rail cars to trucks at three transshipment points
immediately north of the 19th parallel: My Ly, Tho Trang, and Qui Vinh.
The overflow from this transshipment operation was stored at adjacent
facilities along Route IA.
Since the line has been reactivated to Vinh, the transshipment
points at My Ly and Qui Vinh have shown a drastic reduction in activity,
with Tho Trang becoming the point at which material is transloaded from
conventional to two-axle cars (Figure 4). Thus, it now appears that the
rail line is once again the primary mode for transporting supplies into
the Vinh area and that vehicles are utilized only in a supplemental
capacity.
During the period in which the rail line was subject to repeated
airstrikes, many of the rapidly constructed temporary bridges south of
Thanh Hoa would support only the smaller two-axle ("lorry-type") rolling
stock. The introduction of conventional rolling stock indicates that
the axle load limits have been significantly increased on that segment
of the rail line.
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NORTH
VIETNAM
'QUI VINH
TRANSSHIPMENT POINT
THO TRANG
TRANSLOADING POINT
RECONSTRUCTED
BY-PASS BRIDGE
(FIG. 2)
SOUTHERN TERMINUS OF
CONVfEN11ONAL
ROLLING !STOCK
(FIG, 4)
MY LY'
TRANSSHIPMENT POINT
SOUTHERN TERMINUS OF
2.AXLE ROLLING STOCK
(FIG. 3)
FIGURE 1. THANH HOA-VINH RAIL LINE.
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FIGURE 4. RAIL TRANSLOADING POINT, THO TRANG, NORTH VIETNAM.
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