Hanoi Train Street: train times, cafés and is it still open?
Train Street is the name given to a stretch of the Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City railway line running through the city centre: houses and cafés stand just tens of centimetres from the rails. The best-known stretch lies between Le Duan and Kham Thien streets; the easiest part to reach starts from Phung Hung Street, near Tran Phu, about a 15 to 20 minute walk from Hoan Kiem Lake. Access is not guaranteed. Since 2019 the authorities have repeatedly banned the cafés and visitor entry, with barriers and police checks; each time the cafés have reopened, sometimes a few days later (latest episode recorded in November 2025). On 27 February 2026, the Ministry of Construction and the Hanoi People's Committee agreed to reduce passenger train frequency and suspend freight trains on this section; we found no new published timetable (checked in October 2026). See also: the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and the weekend night market.
Highlights
The railway between the houses
The rails run level with the doorsteps, between narrow façades and café terraces. You walk on the ballast, on the wall side, to the café of your choice. Between trains, the place is quiet and residents go about their daily lives.
A train passing
The train crosses the street in under a minute, at reduced speed, a few centimetres from the tables. Cafés ask customers to stand and press against the wall a few minutes before it passes. It is brief and spectacular, especially in the late afternoon and evening.
The cafés on Phung Hung
Going in through a café is the usual way to reach the tracks: entry is free but you buy a drink. Guides quote 30,000 to 70,000 VND a drink (indicative prices, to be confirmed on site); some cafés add a seating charge at peak times. Ask the price before you sit down.
The official alternative
Since Train Street cannot be guaranteed, the city opened a café inside Long Bien station, at a safe distance from the tracks. Its opening and offer could not be confirmed in October 2026: check before you make the trip.
Practical info
Tips
- No guided tour of Train Street is authorised: the Hanoi Department of Tourism has told agencies not to sell one, so be wary of any offer that promises it. If barriers and police are in place, do not push the point. Never stand on the tracks or touch the train; keep children against the wall. Ask permission before photographing residents and do not walk into houses. Train times vary: guides quote about 6:00 and 9:00 northbound, 15:20 and 19:20 southbound (not guaranteed, and probably changed by the 2026 reduction). Arrive at least 45 minutes ahead and confirm the time with the café or your hotel.
How to get there
Phung Hung Street, Cua Nam ward, Hanoi (most convenient entrance near Tran Phu); stretch between Le Duan and Kham Thien streets. From Hoan Kiem Lake, a 15 to 20 minute walk west, or a few minutes by Grab.
Opening hours
Our guides that feature it
Nearby
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