Hanoi Train Street: Rules, Safety and What to Know Before You Go

Photos of a train squeezing between rows of houses, with cups of coffee just out of its way, have made Hanoi Train Street famous on social media. What those photos rarely show is that the city considers the trackside cafés a safety violation, has closed them more than once and asks tour companies not to bring visitors. This guide explains what the train street is, what the rules say and why we do not recommend sitting by the track.

What Hanoi Train Street is

The train street is not a single street but stretches of the national railway where homes were built very close to the line. The track belongs to the Hà Nội – Đồng Đăng line, which runs between Hà Nội station and Long Biên station, and then crosses the Red River on Long Bien Bridge.

By 2019, households along parts of the line had opened small cafés, and visitors were gathering to watch trains pass at arm’s length. The best-known stretch runs near Phùng Hưng and Trần Phú streets on the edge of the Old Quarter; others lie in the lanes off Khâm Thiên and Lê Duẩn streets.

Why Hanoi Train Street is restricted

The city’s view is clear. The railway has a protection corridor on each side of the track, and tables, chairs and crowds inside that corridor break railway safety rules. The table at the top of this guide summarises the official position.

• 2019. Authorities first ordered businesses along the track to be dealt with, but trading came back after the checks ended.
• September 2022. Hoàn Kiếm district stopped the cafés on the Phùng Hưng – Trần Phú stretch, said that every café there was in breach of the railway corridor, and put up barriers and checkpoints.
• March 2025. The Hanoi Department of Tourism told travel and transport companies not to promote or run tours to the trackside café area.
• 2025 and 2026. Police repeatedly asked crowds of visitors to leave, removed seating and awnings, and had café owners sign pledges. In several cases the tables returned once the checks were over.

So whether a café is open on the day you pass is not a sign that it is allowed. It usually means enforcement has paused.

The safety risk

Trains on this stretch pass right beside the houses, with very little room on either side of the track. In August 2026 a passing train knocked a phone out of a tourist’s hand, an incident that went viral and prompted a local investigation.

A train cannot stop quickly or swerve. Bags, selfie sticks, loose clothing and children who step forward at the wrong moment are all at risk. A traffic police officer patrols the track before trains arrive to keep people back, which shows how thin the safety margin is.

Local tip If you want to see a train in the city, watch from a public street at a level crossing, behind the barrier and well back from the track, or walk out on Long Bien Bridge, where the walkway is separated from the rail.

Respecting the rules and the residents

If you find yourself near the track:

• do not sit, stand, walk or pose on the rails or in the space beside them;
• leave when police or railway staff ask you to;
• do not climb barriers or ignore warning signs;
• remember that people live here, so keep your voice down and do not photograph residents’ homes without asking.

What may happen next

The future of the train street may be decided by the railway itself. In early 2026 Hanoi proposed ending passenger trains on the section through the city centre so the area could be renovated, and the Ministry of Construction later agreed to reduce passenger trains and stop freight trains on that section. When those changes take effect, there may be fewer trains, or none, to watch. Check the table for the latest we know.

Combining it with nearby sights

The railway runs on to Long Bien Bridge along a line of masonry arches on the western edge of the Old Quarter. A walk across the bridge, followed by the Old Quarter’s trade streets, is a safer way to enjoy Hanoi’s railway history.