Houses along "railway street" in Hanoi should be relocated: Ministry

It is an urgent requirement to relocate businesses and homes along the Old Quarter stretch of the train track for safety reasons, Vietnam News Agency reported, citing the Ministry of Transport.

The section of the railway running through Hanoi's Old Quarter was once a touristic destination for foreign visitors.

The Ministry of Transport has replied the petition of people living along the “railway street” in Hoan Kiem district, and requested the authorities to find solutions so as for them to resume businesses, turning the street an attraction of Hanoi again while still ensuring the safety of railway traffic in the city.

In its response, the Ministry of Transport said prior to the closure of the “railway street”, the number of transgressions of railway safety corridor, the section running through Hanoi’s Old Quarter, was on the upward trend and almost uncontrollable.

Notably, many households sold coffee and food right on the safety corridor of the train track. The situation became more complicated with an increasing number of visitors flocking to the location to snap photos, drink and eat on the tracks, affecting railway traffic order, leading to risks of accidents. 

The ministry stressed that the government always supports people to do business, as long as though the businesses must meet the standards of safety for both visitors and the train traffic.

The Hanoi People’s Committee was required to handle all the transgressions and relocate the households living within the train track safety corridor according to the regulation as well as collaborate with other relevant agencies to study some proper solutions for people doing business in the area adjacent to the safety corridor.

The city was also requested to make public the safety corridor markers to ensure the safety of the “railway street”.