The popular train street in Hanoi, Vietnam might be shut down permanently. — Unsplash
Baffling as it may be to the locals, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hanoi, Vietnam is the "Train Street".
It is simply a stretch of narrow railway tracks running along the Tran Phu and Phung Hung streets in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. But it became a viral sensation circa 2017-2018, when tourists began posting on social media about the thrill of sipping on coffee as a train rumbled by precariously close.
Earlier this month brought news that the hot spot is going to be closed for good. Hanoi Municipal People's Committee has requested the Ministry of Construction to reroute the trains. No more trains will mean no more cafes set along the track.
This isn’t the first attempt at permanent closure. For example, in 2022 and more recently 2025, the Train Street had been temporarily shut due to safety reasons.
Now if you’re fascinated by the idea of dining near a railway track, but minus the risk of losing a limb while doing so, there are alternative spots you can seek.
In Malaysia, one of the places you can go to for this is located in Kelantan. Specifically, it is a restaurant in Tanah Merah, set near the track that the local KTM runs on. But it’s not so dangerously near that the passengers can snatch the western-Thai fusion food right out of your plate when passing by.
Over in Bangkok, Thailand, you have two options. Both are located in the Ratchathewi area, located about half an hour apart from each other. One is at a humble establishment serving mainly coffee, another is at a cosy little eatery serving halal food.
Meanwhile in Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture, in the historic city of Kamakura, you will find a two-storey traditional restaurant located beside the Enoden tracks. Here, you can experience dining while safely watching retro-looking electric trains whizz by right outside the window.
In Kamakura, the train runs along the seashore. — Unsplash
