Hanoi to shut down coffee shops along Train Street this week

Nguyen Anh Quan, vice chairman of Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem District where the Train Street is located, said district authorities would put up barriers at the rail crossings to prevent tourists from entering the area.

‘In three days max, we will revoke all business licenses of households whose operation violates the railway’s safety corridor,” Quan said Wednesday.

The move came just a day after railway authorities urged the Hanoi administration to shut down selfie hotspots and makeshift coffee shops along the Train Street, citing “safety concern” reason.

Hanoi Train Street is formed by railway tracks running alongside Dien Bien Phu and Phung Hung streets in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, with residential buildings just a few feet away on either side.

The highly unusual sight of a train running several hundred meters on these tracks fascinates tourists from within and outside the country.

Since Vietnam reopened international tourism in mid-March, the train street has begun to revive with the return of foreign tourists.

Several cafes have set up tables and chairs alongside the rail tracks while many local and foreign tourists stand in the middle of the railway to take photos that pose safety risks.

In 2019, Hanoi authorities also cleared makeshift coffee shops along the train street and set up barriers to prevent tourists from entering the area to avoid accidents.