Gisele WoonWith train tracks and a rustic town as a backdrop, Hanoi’s Train Street has everything travellers look for.
To the dismay of many tourists around the world, Hanoi authorities have decided to shut down cafes that flank the tracks of a centuries-old railway in the Old Quarter.
Image credit: (L) @virginiavarinelli (R) @buscandoalsol
Why you may ask? Overtourism is why.
Once a rough part of town dwelled by drug dealers and squatters, Train Street has since over the years become a top tourist hotspot in Hanoi – with thousands of tourists flocking over just to take pictures on its tracks.
Seeking the perfect holiday shot, tourists find themselves dodging trains passing through daily. With too many tourists bustling along the tracks, this has put them and passing trains at risk.
Image credit: @bethhodgkinson97
October 6th was the final breaking point after a train travelling through was forced to reroute in order to avoid hitting tourists. As a result, Hanoi authorities have ordered the shutdown of cafes along the tracks by October 12 and barricades were erected to keep travellers off the tracks.
Image credit: @dattaynhaukhapthegian
Tourists are not the only ones railing against the shutdown of the street. Cafe owners are concerned about the new regulations affecting business, reasoning that tourists in the area are typically sensible enough to make way for oncoming trains.
Needless to say, Hanoi’s Train Street is yet another locale affected by overtourism – it’s admittedly quite a shame to see such an attraction transform from a cool novelty into a safety concern.
