Hanoi Train Street

Takeshi Aida from Hong Kong, Hong Kong · CC BY-SA 2.0

A stretch of working railway running between two rows of houses, less than a metre from the doorsteps.

The North–South railway runs straight through an old residential block here, and the houses have grown so close that a passing train clears the doorsteps by a hand's width. The people who live on either side treat it as normal: they hang washing on the rails, put tea tables between the sleepers, then hear the warning horn, clear everything in half a minute and press themselves against the wall. That scene spread across social media, bringing a row of cafés along the track — and bringing repeated closures by the authorities on safety grounds. This is a destination whose status keeps changing: sometimes open, sometimes barriered off completely.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Hanoi Train Street?

Around train times — ask locally, the timetable changes

How long do you need at Hanoi Train Street?

45 minutes

What are the opening hours of Hanoi Train Street?

Varies; the area may be barriered off entirely

Did you know

The track is part of the North–South railway line, running through an inner-city residential block.
The gap between a passing train and the doorsteps on either side is measured in hand-widths.
Cafés along the track have been suspended repeatedly on safety grounds.
Residents on both sides carry on daily life on the rails between trains.

Travel tips

Check whether it is open right before you go — the area has been barriered off more than once.
If you can get in, stand inside a house or hard against the wall as the train comes; never on the track for a photo.

Source: https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/14096883184

Updated: 2026-08-16