Vietnam's Viral Railway Coffee Street Just Reopened! Now Forced to Shut Down Again?!

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Hanoi's "Railway Coffee Street" Ordered to Shut Down Shortly After Reopening

Hanoi's "Railway Coffee Street" has barely had time to celebrate. Just days after reopening, the viral attraction has been ordered to cease operations by the authorities.

The trigger was a written request from Vietnam Railways to the Hanoi People's Committee, demanding "comprehensive handling of cafes operating in violation of railway safety regulations near the north of Hanoi Railway Station."

The Hoan Kiem District People's Committee of Hanoi announced that from the afternoon of September 14th, relevant departments would forcibly shut down all businesses along Railway Street, revoking their business licenses within a maximum of three days.

District authorities have already established railway safety passages in the areas where the cafes cluster, and are urging citizens and tourists not to come for photos, citing the chaos and traffic safety risks.

The street had already survived one long shutdown — over two years of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic and violations of railway safety regulations. When it finally reopened to tourists, visitor numbers climbed steadily. But the significant risk of traffic accidents never went away, so the Vietnam Ministry of Transport's decision was to suspend the cafes and shops outright.

Hoan Kiem District authorities have placed roadblocks at the entrances to Railway Street, prohibiting tourists from entering the Phung Hung, Dien Bien Phu, and Tran Phu railway sections. Many visitors who arrived unaware found the roads sealed by police and left reluctantly; some settled for commemorative photos outside the barriers — after all, they couldn't let the trip go completely to waste.

The street's fame is recent. Beginning in 2018, foreign tourists started visiting, filming, and photographing on the tracks north of Hanoi Station — especially when trains passed through — and the foot traffic kept growing. Residential buildings on both sides responded by opening coffee shops, restaurants, and stores to catch the flow, and Railway Street gradually became the "internet-famous check-in spot" it is today.

The Safety Concerns of Railway Street

The problem is geometry. The track sits in a slot as narrow as an alley, barely one meter from the residential buildings on either side. During business hours, shop owners set tables and chairs right beside the rails for their customers, clearing them away only when a train approaches. For visitors, this arrangement is a hazard in itself.

Warning signs line the track reminding tourists not to walk or linger on the rails — yet many stay put taking photos until a train is actually bearing down on them.

No accidents have been reported on Railway Street so far, but local media report that train drivers have filed countless complaints. Every pass through the area forces them below the regulated speed, nerves on edge; there have been multiple instances of sudden braking — each one, potentially, a catastrophe.

Near Misses and Driver Concerns

One driver, Master Nam, still remembers his most terrifying moment. His train was running from Hanoi Station toward Haiphong when, on reaching Phan Dinh Phung Street, he saw an Asian female tourist suddenly step onto the tracks, turn around, and take a selfie with the approaching train behind her.

By reflex he sounded the long horn — and the tourist didn't move. Master Nam slammed into emergency braking. The train finally stopped about 3 meters short of her, and the woman simply walked off the tracks as if nothing had happened.

Scenes like that have happened three times this month alone. "The driver's pressure is enormous," the account goes. "Tourists often stand very close to the tracks, only 30–40 centimeters from passing trains. The slightest collision would have unimaginable consequences."

Government Response and Future Solutions

Local government and the railway company have run multiple rectification campaigns in the past against the safety violations in this area, and the results were positive — right up until the pandemic closed the street for over two years.

Now, with the situation improved, Railway Coffee Street came back to life. But the hazards came back with it, and as tourist traffic keeps rising, so does the risk of a genuine accident. Suspending operations and blocking access is, for now, the safer choice; the alternative is a major safety incident waiting to happen.

The business owners, naturally, are devastated — the closure effectively cuts off their livelihood. Cafes on both sides of Railway Street have shut their doors one by one, and the street has gone quiet and empty again.

The closure has ignited fierce debate online. Many netizens argue that a tourism experience this novel deserves to be preserved. Others counter that Railway Street is simply too narrow — however much people love sipping coffee as trains squeeze past, safety has to come first, always.

Nguyen Anh Quan, Deputy Chairman of Hoan Kiem District, says he has received countless complaint messages and will work with the relevant authorities to develop the most appropriate solution in line with the train schedule, responsive to public needs and tourist opinion. His stated hope: for the area to become a safe tourist attraction once more.

Image source: Internet

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