Coffee shops on Hanoi’s train street shut down

As safety considerations gained urgency, Hanoi authorities have decided to shut down makeshift coffee shops on its famous Train Street.

The Train Street is formed by railway tracks running alongside Dien Bien Phu and Phung Hung streets, with residential buildings just a few feet away on either side. The highly unusual sight of a train running several hundred meters on these tracks charms and fascinates hundreds of thousands of tourists from within and outside the country every year.

The safety issue has received greater public concern when a train had to apply its emergency brake in the face of visitors crowding the section that has become a popular tourist attraction.

In recent years, cafes have opened up along the tracks to serve the tourists who can sit and enjoy their drinks just inches from the railway tracks. This practice was extremely dangerous and increased the risk of railway accidents that threaten the lives of foreign tourists./.

VNA