A famous tourist spot in Hanoi's Old Quarter,"Hanoi Train Street"over which a plan to review the train route running through the city center has surfaced.Proposed by the Hanoi People's Committee in January 2026,and the Ministry of Construction subsequently asked the city side, in its review, to "complete the related work by July 2026." However, this is a directive and target, and with related legislation, development of alternative stations, and agreement on freight-transport transfer plans still remaining, the actual timing of the operating-route switch may shift. The licensed cafés on the Phung Hung Street side allowentry with a drink order,and Alley 224 on the Le Duan Street side remainsfree and openat present, so the world-famous tourist experience of seeing off trains right at the edge of the tracks looks set to continue for the time being.Shipped AwayandVnExpress InternationalBased on local reporting, we sum up the current situation and the route-change plan.
Where the route-change plan stands — from proposal to review stage
According to VnExpress International (dated March 5, 2026), the Hanoi People's Committee proposed in January 2026 a plan to halt train operations between Hanoi Station and Gia Lam Station running through the city center. In response, the Ministry of Construction asked the Hanoi side tocomplete the related work by July 2026.Around the same time, a cross-ministry task force was set up, and work to confirm the legal framework and draft a comprehensive plan is under way.
However, the reporting introduces the plan with conditional phrasing such as "if fully implemented" and "would mean," and the final decision and implementation timing are not fixed. The main points under consideration are as follows.
- A plan to make trains from the south terminate atHanoi Stationthe terminus
- A plan for trains from the north to terminate atGia Lam Stationthe terminus
- A plan to operate free shuttle buses as a passenger connection between the two stations
- A plan to reduce passenger-train frequency and abolish freight trains on the current route through the city center
The scene that went viral worldwide on social media and TikTok, "a train grazes past café seats right at the edge of the tracks,"may change over the medium term if the plan proceeds as scheduled, but travelers making visit plans should not take it as "it will definitely end in July 2026"; rather, an attitude ofchecking local announcements and the operating situation just beforeis needed.
The Phung Hung side — entry allowed if you order a drink at a licensed café
As of May 2026, Hanoi Train Street is centered on the section sandwiched between Phung Hung Street and Ly Nam De Street (especially around5 Trần Phú). On the Phung Hung side, general tourist entry is restricted by barricades and police checkpoints, butif you reserve and enter a licensed café and order a drink,entry is permitted.
The going rate for drinks is50,000–80,000 dong (about 294–471 yen),with Vietnamese-style iced coffee, coconut coffee, and hot chocolate as staples. Representative shops areCoffee 74(hot chocolate and coconut coffee are signatures) andRailway Cafe(run by an Italian owner, with a full espresso-based menu). The seats closest to the tracks book up early, so reserving in advance to match train passing times is the rule.
The Le Duan side, "Alley 224" — a hidden gem still open free of charge
The other,"Alley 224 (224 Lê Duẩn)" on the Le Duan Street side,remains open free of charge even as of May 2026. It has fewer cafés than the Phung Hung side, but with a strong local feel where residents' lives and tourists mix, it's being reassessed on social media as a "hidden gem known to those in the know."" it's being reassessed as.
As a caution, outside train passing times it's surprisingly deserted, so checking the timetable in advance is essential for viewing.Within a 10-minute walk of Hanoi Station,with good access too, its popularity as an alternative route is rising on weekends when the Phung Hung side is crowded.
Train schedule as of May 2026 (essential info for a café stay)
| Day | Train passing times |
|---|---|
| Weekdays | 19:00 / 19:45 / 20:45 / 21:30 |
| Weekends | 08:30 / 09:30 / 11:30 / 15:20 / 17:30 / 19:20 / 20:45 |
* Since the schedule changes frequently, on the day of your visit alwaysconfirm the latest times with the café staff.When a train approaches, you are obligated to follow the staff's guidance and sit away from the tracks. Standing to shoot or shooting on the tracks is strictly prohibited, and violations are subject to ejection or a fine. Bear in mind that as the route-review discussion progresses, the number of trains and times may also change.
Social media and tourist reactions
"A train passed 20cm ahead from the terrace seat at Coffee 74. Thinking I might not be able to experience it someday, I was too tense and excited to take a photo." (Instagram, paraphrased post by a Tokyo woman in her 20s)
"You can see local life better at Alley 224. I prefer this air over the Phung Hung side developed for tourists." (X, paraphrased post by a Hanoi-based photographer)
"I heard about the route change and went twice during my stay in Vietnam. The Railway Cafe owner laughed and said, 'The plan is still in progress, so you can enjoy it for a while.'" (Threads, paraphrased post by a Ho Chi Minh City-based travel blogger)
On TikTok, under the hashtag "#hanoitrainstreet」「#trainstreethanoi" the number of posts is increasing again. Videos of travelers visiting combined with the phrase "I want to go while the route-change talk is still on" are uploaded daily, and cumulative views are trending in the tens of millions.
Impact on Japanese tourists
For travelers visiting Hanoi from Japan, Train Street is a staple of Old Quarter sightseeing. If visiting within 2026, we recommend the following steps.
- Secure a reservation at a Phung Hung-side café in advance(possible via official Facebook and Instagram)
- Arrive 30 minutes before the train passing time and order a drink
- When the train passes, follow staff guidance and shoot from your seat
- After leaving, also stroll "Alley 224" on the Le Duan side together
- Before visiting, confirm the latest operating and regulation information via local media or your reservation venue
Since it's within a 15-minute walk of Hoan Kiem Lake,Café Giang, the birthplace of egg coffee.andFrom family-run shops like Pho Ly Quoc Su, visited by South Korea's president,it's efficient to build an afternoon-to-night itinerary combined with it.
Ripple effects on the industry and tourism
The route-change plan isover 30 trackside caféshighly likely to directly affect the operations of. Major shops such as Coffee 74, Railway Cafe, The Railway Hanoi, and 99 Train Café are said to be considering, in case train operations change, plans to "turn the retro tracks and abandoned rail line into a photo spot"and "nighttime light-up events making use of the tracks" they're said to be considering.
Hanoi city authorities are also jointly considering a plan to convert the former rail site into a pedestrian-only promenade, and its reuse as a tourism resource is being debated. On the other hand, among local residents there are those who say, "the touristification on the tracks stood on top of safety risks and the sacrifice of residents' daily lives"" and so there are also voices welcoming the route review.The tourism trends of Hanoi's Old Quarterare again approaching another major turning point.
Practical information to grasp before visiting
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Main locations | Phung Hung Street side (around 5 Trần Phú) / Le Duan Street side "Alley 224" |
| Phung Hung side entry | A drink order at a licensed café is required (50,000–80,000 VND) |
| Le Duan side entry | Free and open (as of May 2026) |
| Main cafés | Over 30, including Coffee 74, Railway Cafe, The Railway Hanoi, and 99 Train Café |
| Train schedule | 4 on weekdays / 7 on weekends (confirm on the ground) |
| Route-change plan | Proposed by the city in January 2026; the Ministry of Construction requested completion of the work by July of the same year (final decision undetermined) |
| Post-change track-use plans | Pedestrian promenade, photo spots, light-up events, etc. (under consideration) |
| Access | 10-minute walk from Hanoi Station / 15-minute walk from Hoan Kiem Lake |
| Cautions | When a train approaches, always be seated; shooting on the tracks is prohibited |
Summary: 30 cafés and the "world's closest train" — plan your visit while watching plan and reality
Hanoi's Train Street, as the review of the route-change plan proceeds, for the time beingthe experience of "seeing off a train right at the edge of the tracks"will continue to be possible. Both the reservation-based cafés on the Phung Hung side and the free-and-open alley on the Le Duan side may see the shape of the tourism resource change in the future depending on the plan's progress, but at this point we're not at a stage where we can say definitively "until when." If you want to experience this scene that went viral on social media worldwide,Plan your visit early while checking the latest operating informationis the realistic approach.
If you have a trip to Hanoi planned from Japan, make it your rule to order drinks at licensed cafés and enjoy them safely by following the staff's guidance. How the former railway site will be reborn if a route change is carried out is something to check on a future trip—keeping this two-stage way of enjoying the journey in mind will help you adapt flexibly even if plans change.
Source
- Shipped Away｜Is Hanoi Train Street open in 2026? Timetable, Review, Photos
- VnExpress International｜Hanoi moves to end train services through its world-famous railway coffee street
- Saigoneer｜Hanoi’s Proposal to Stop Train Service Might Spell the End of ‘Train Street’
- Vietadvisor｜The Only Way to Legally Visit Hanoi Train Street in 2026
