Vietnam Closes Cafes on Popular Train Street
Vietnam Closes Cafes on Popular ‘Train Street’
In Hanoi, Vietnam, trains snake through the city’s Old Quarter, some passing just centimetres from homes, cafes and people. One section, known as “Train Street,” has been attracting tourists looking for the perfect social media photo. They have been able to walk along the tracks, enjoy a drink and watch trains move through the narrow passage, right in front of their noses.
But all that looks likely to end. In the middle of September 2022, local officials stopped visitors from walking along a large part of the street, and told cafes to close. The news may not have been a surprise. Businesses were also told to close in October 2019, and had only recently begun to reopen.
The street has been described as an accident waiting to happen. And it’s easy to see why, with tourists taking photos on the tracks as trains approach. On weekdays, only a few trains pass along the street each day. There are more on weekends.
Officials have said that the street is dangerous, but cafe owners are unhappy, and say they have been helping to keep visitors safe.
One owner told Agence France-Presse: “When it was time for the train to pass by, we asked all guests to move in, there was no danger at all.”
At least one cafe used loudspeakers to tell people when a train was coming. Businesses on the street hope to work with officials to find a solution so they can open their doors to tourists once again.