The "golden" time before the closure of the train street coffee shop
The train street cafes have started to thrive after about 2 years of interruption due to the pandemic. This place has become a popular attraction for foreigners and tourists coming to Hanoi to visit and experience. Many foreign newspapers have even voted this street as a unique destination, a must-visit when coming to Hanoi.
Poetic scenery on the train street
The train street is crowded, busy and bustling with many tourists flocking to it.
Train Street is the connecting section between Le Duan, Tran Phu, Cua Dong and Phung Hung streets. The length of the road is about 2 km. Most of the businesses here, 100%, violate the railway traffic safety corridor.
The cafes started opening around 2017. The 300-meter stretch is lined with old houses and businesses that were built more than 100 years ago when Vietnam was a French colony. Since then, the landscape has changed dramatically as residents have turned their homes into trendy cafes and souvenir shops.
The businesses are just a meter from the tracks and have no fences or railings. After photos of the area began to appear on social media, tourists began flocking to it.
Now the train street is just a memory
Perhaps, what attracts all visitors when coming here is the simple beauty of the train tracks observed from a balcony corner, a small house corner… Many people like to watch the train tracks forever and wait for the train to pass, especially on a relaxing, pleasant afternoon, sitting and sipping a cup of coffee.
As the train passes, tourists take out their smartphones and start taking pictures. Usually, the coffee shops are full before the train arrives. Especially during holidays, the number of tourists coming here to take photos, film, and enjoy coffee increases dramatically, causing people's income to increase as well. Many people believe that this is considered an aspect that helps develop the capital's tourism industry.
Closed due to potential risks
The announcement of temporary closure of railway cafes by the People's Committee of Hoan Kiem District on the afternoon of September 14 surprised businesses and tourists. Accordingly, the situation of trading and taking photos at railway cafes that are affecting railway traffic safety and order will be dealt with decisively.
This is also not the first time that the issue of violating the railway safety corridor at the railway cafe street has been raised. In October 2019, the railway cafe street was forced to stop operating due to violations of the railway corridor and the Covid-19 outbreak. By April 2022, the railway cafe street started operating again and became a place attracting many foreigners and tourists to Hanoi to visit and experience.
The railway industry has pointed out the serious violations of railway safety corridors in the area of Hang Bong ward, Cua Nam, Dien Bien. Many coffee shops are open, many foreign tourists and people come to take photos and film on the railway.
Tourists compete to take photos on the train street
After the Ministry of Transport commented, Hanoi asked local wards to set up fences to prevent tourists from taking photos on the train tracks.
The story of violating the railway safety corridor at the railway cafe street is not new. Previously, the railway management agencies and local authorities have repeatedly intervened to handle it. In fact, the authorities have continuously handled violations of encroachment on the railway traffic safety corridor. But after that, things have not changed much, as people are still clinging to the railway tracks to make a living.
Many opinions say that while Hanoi is trying to attract tourists to the capital, the creation of unique destinations that are well received by tourists needs to be maintained and well managed. The train street coffee street is listed on many world travel news sites and is visited by many foreign tourists. However, the issue of safety is still put first.
The increase in the number of customers on the railway cafe street poses a potential risk to traffic safety. Train drivers are nervous every time a train passes by here, having to blow their horns continuously for fear of a traffic collision. About 10 minutes before the train passes, the whole neighborhood suddenly becomes chaotic due to the loud horn, people on the tracks rush into the cafe to avoid the train.
Increasing number of customers on train street coffee shops poses potential traffic safety risks
As for tourists holding phones, cameras, and camcorders in their hands, they suddenly eagerly look towards the train from the moment it appears until it leaves, seemingly forgetting the danger of the iron train passing them less than 1 meter away just for the purpose of taking beautiful photos and videos.
According to the People's Committee of Hoan Kiem District, the unit will assign functional agencies to organize barriers, propaganda, and mobilize people and tourists in many forms, so that there will no longer be a situation of jostling to take photos on this street, causing unsafety on the railway corridor.
