A darling of the TikTok generation, and its latest casualty, Hanoi’s infamous train street is no more after local authorities recently put the kibosh on trackside cafés and street food hawkers, citing safety concerns.

It was only in the last few years that the narrow avenue gained traction among an international crowd, but for us residents, the danger and excitement of locomotives hurtling past were always blended with the day-to-day busyness of our bustling homes.

‘Train street’ was a perfect encapsulation of the Vietnamese capital’s chaos and commerce, and there are mixed feelings from both tourists and traders as the many businesses along the tracks pull down their shutters and local authorities bar entry.

Pre-pandemic, thanks to the wide reach of online platforms and clickbait content, the simple train track through the city centre took on somewhat of a cult status. A hidden gem in plain sight that many of us took for granted.

The scholarly calm of Van Mieu (Temple of Literature), the tranquillity of Hoan Kiem Lake, or the respectful silence of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum were quickly overshadowed by the opportunity of a selfie stood astride a railway track.

But alas, the thrill of sipping a ca phe sua da while tonnes of metal whiz past just inches from your table is no longer an imperative—nor a possible—part of the Hanoi tourist trail.

According to authorities of central Hoan Kiem district, thirty businesses along the track had violated safety regulations and were deemed high-risk areas for accidents. There was certainly a lack of oversight, and the responsibility for safety fell on the owners of the establishments themselves.

When I first came to Vietnam seven years ago, train street was not a popular stop on a stroll around Hanoi, but an integral part of a lively city where people lived, worked and enjoyed the atmosphere. The danger was present, of course, but no more so than during a late-night xe om (motorbike taxi) ride home from the Old Quarter.

The blackboards perched outside the cafés would display not prices but times, the 7 p.m. train to another part of the country, or the 9 a.m. freight carriages carrying building materials. And as the hour approached, a hush came over the narrow sidewalks on either side. Poorly paid guards lowered barriers to stop traffic, the incessant whine of horns ceased and an eerie calm descended as a path was cleared through traders and tourists alike.

For a moment, the frenetic activity subsided, conversations paused and lenses were raised to capture a brief slice of Hanoi life.

While thrill-seekers will now have to seek their thrills elsewhere, it’s the business owners who will feel most put out by the decision. Visitors will mourn the end of the line, but the shophouses and proprietors will suffer the most after enjoying a short-lived spike in popularity. For many—from the selfie-stick-wielding vlogger to the roaming banh mi seller—the closure made for a sad day, but the risk of an accident was just too high. In the end it’s no surprise, for all it takes is one tragedy to stain the reputation of the area for generations.

In fact, just a few days after the decision was announced and the barriers came down, local media reported a close call involving a Korean tourist who escaped with scratches after an ill-advised photo attempt. While Vietnam isn’t best known for its health and safety culture, train street did seem like an accident waiting to happen.

For once, and possibly for all, the iron gates have come down on a significant blip in Hanoi’s thousand-year history. And despite the danger, train street offered an unvarnished glimpse into Hanoi life, one that we residents see every day but may be overlooked by the average backpacker. Forget the fake French façade of Ba Na Hills near Da Nang, in central Vietnam, and the ersatz Amalfi Coast in Phu Quoc, an island off the southern coast, the devil-may-care quotidian details of Hanoi were on full display just yards from your hostel or hotel.

It’s hard not to agree with the reasoning of the authorities, especially with an uncontrolled influx of visitors to a sector that has been starved by two years of border closures, travel restrictions and vaccine passports. Train street has already been splashed across the pages and social media sites of international outlets; heaven forbid the next viral video is one with darker consequences.

It’s uncontrolled, risky and exhilarating. But isn’t that the beating heart of Hanoi? The city where you see something eye-opening every day, where so much of life is on the street, that the thought of death is but a passing concern? There are no guardrails here, and that’s part and parcel of this city’s charm.

Hanoi has an incredibly rich source of culture and history to draw upon, with enough museums and galleries to fill up any globetrotter’s schedule, but my advice to any family member or friend visiting for the first time is to find a small plastic stool, order your beverage of choice, and watch this crazy city go by.

• Tags: Free to read, Hanoi, Notebook, Ollie Arci, Vietnam