Hanoi Train Track Café now closed amid safety concerns
The decision has caused public controversy, with some saying the Hanoi Train Track Café should continue to exist in order to attract visitors, particularly as it is a unique tourist destination. Meanwhile, many people have complained that the existence of these cafés is extremely dangerous because accidents could happen at any time when a train passes by According to relevant traffic laws, the safety corridor of the railway is regulated to be 3 metres, but in fact residential houses are only 2 metre from the edge of the outermost rail. Local residents there have built makeshift coffee shops in order to make a living and to capitalise on the trend. Many foreign tourists visiting Hanoi usually drop in for check-in photos or a cup of coffee. In 2019, a Hanoi – Hai Phong express train was forced to make an emergency stop at the train track café for more than a minute in order to wait for tourists to move out of the area around the rail tracks.