Long Bien Station next to Long Bien Bridge
I had about half a day in Hanoi, so I spent the day sightseeing by public transportation and on foot.
The main attraction of this half-day tour of Hanoi was the train.
After walking for about 15 minutes from Hoan Kiem Lake and climbing a slight hill, Long Bien station came into view.
Long Bien Bridge was built in the early 1900s during French rule, and at the time it was said to be the most beautiful and largest bridge in Indochina, with a silhouette resembling the Eiffel Tower on its side.
It is now in a state of disrepair, but there were many motorbikes passing by.
The sidewalk is only on top of the blocks laid in the gutter, and a large main road runs underneath the bridge, so it takes a lot of courage to cross the bridge on foot.
Right next to the bridge is Long Bien Station.
I was able to see a train just arriving at the station.
The conductor was just coming out to the platform.
During times when there were no trains running, people were allowed to cross or enter the tracks.
You can see Long Bien Bridge from the railway line.
You can get a good idea of the rugged feel of the Long Bien Bridge.
There is a stylish cafe next to the station, so I ordered a cold drink after my stroll.
There is a train timetable posted outside the shop.
You can sit on the terrace outside and watch the trains go by.
We ordered iced coffee and fruit tapioca juice.
Since I’ve come all this way, I decide to hop on the train and head back to Hanoi Station.
I bought a ticket for the train to Hanoi Station at the ticket counter.
I’m looking forward to it, as I don’t often get the chance to ride a train in a foreign country.
At the appointed time, a cool train arrived.
The train seemed to be unreserved, and although it was almost full, I was able to find an empty seat.
It took about 8 minutes to get to Hanoi Station.
Just before arriving at Hanoi Station, I passed a street with beautiful neon lights.
I think I passed Train Street.
I plan to go there later.
Arrived at Hanoi Station.
Hanoi Station is a large terminal station with many platforms.
I had never taken a train in Hanoi before, so it was a fresh and enjoyable experience.
At night, you can get excited watching the trains approaching at Train Street.
It was getting darker as evening approached.
From here, I headed to Train Street, which was one of the things I was looking forward to during my half-day trip to Hanoi, to see the trains running up close.
Train Street is about a 5-minute walk from Hanoi Station.
It’s easy to find, as there are cafes packed tightly together along the tracks.
Basically, you can’t enter the Train Street premises unless you go into a cafe.
I was approached by a cafe on the edge of the street, which was in an unlucky location, but I ignored them and went further in.
The lit-up cafes gradually emerged into the darkness of night.
We decided to wait for the train to pass by, setting up camp in a beautifully decorated cafe outside the store.
No one will notice you walking or sitting on the tracks until the train arrives, but once the train is due to arrive, staff will tell you to move quickly, so be careful.
I ordered a watermelon juice while waiting for the train.
Many tourists from overseas were waiting in front of various shops for the train to arrive.
At this time of day, trains seem to depart and arrive frequently at Hanoi Station, and trains pass in front of me from both left and right.
A real train passes by at a distance similar to that of an amusement park attraction.
You can even see the driver’s face.
After a while, a return train comes from the opposite direction.
The train passes so close that you could almost touch it if you reached out your hand.
The angle at which the woman across from us is looking up at the train shows how close it is.
The train passed by in the blink of an eye.
The old-fashioned carriages were also cool.
It’s something you could never experience in Japan, so I was thrilled to see the trains passing between the buildings at such close range.
If I had more time, I would have liked to stay a little longer and have dinner at the cafe, but since I was planning to head south on a sleeper train after this, I had a drink before leaving the shop.
I was very excited because I can’t experience walking on the tracks or watching trains go by up close in Japan.
The space filled with glittering neon lights was beautiful and I had a lot of fun.
Long Bien Railway Station ロンビエン駅
Address：Đ. Trần Nhật Duật, Phố cổ Hà Nội, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, ベトナム
Train Street トレインストリート
Address：1 P. Khâm Thiên, Khâm Thiên, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội, ベトナム
My comment：18:00くらいからカフェで席を取ってお茶をしながら列車を待っているとハノイ駅に入っていく列車とハノイ駅から出ていく列車の往来を立て続けにみることができました。
