Hanoi Train Street told to close down railway cafés

Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has ordered the cafés on Hanoi Train Street to close down, Tuổi Trẻ News reported Saturday. The ramshackle cafés are a major tourist hotspot but are viewed by some as a threat to public safety.

The train street, which features buildings just a few feet from a working railway line, has traditionally been residential but changed its complexion when industrious locals started opening up businesses besides the tracks in late 2017. The area has been a busy tourist area ever since, particularly for amateur photographers.

There are more than 60 small café-style shops along a strip mostly serving coffee, fruit juices, alcohol and snacks, with seating often little more than a few inches from the train tracks.

The cafés are incredibly cute and sitting on the tracks with a drink in hand makes for a great photo opportunity but they are an obvious safety risk. Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong said they caused a “real danger for social security, order and safety.”