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Trivia: Interesting or unusual railway stations in other countries.

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JonasB

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While I'm here though... I seem to remember taking a suburban train somewhere in central Europe - I believe it was Prague - and it went through a station on the way to the terminus, on an elevated line. Can't remember if there were platforms or not. Is there somewhere in Prague (or one of the other CE cities) like that?

Stations on elevated lines are not uncommon. Berlin maybe?
 
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stut

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Stations on elevated lines are not uncommon. Berlin maybe?

Wasn't Berlin (as much as I enjoy travelling through Berlin). What was notable was that the elevated line was through a (covered?) station where the bulk of lines weren't elevated. A bit like Paris-Austerlitz, but with heavy rail.
 

JonasB

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Wasn't Berlin (as much as I enjoy travelling through Berlin). What was notable was that the elevated line was through a (covered?) station where the bulk of lines weren't elevated. A bit like Paris-Austerlitz, but with heavy rail.
I see, that sounds a bit like it could have been Dresden Hbf.
 

stut

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I see, that sounds a bit like it could have been Dresden Hbf.

There's a whole thread in this! Wasn't Dresden (although again, I do remember the station there), and I'm pretty certain it wasn't Germany. It wasn't the city's main station (and I don't recall if we even stopped). Am racking my brains!
 

AlbertBeale

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And while we're on Prague, there's also the "Western Platform" at Holesovice - quite some distance from the main station, and serving trains heading from Dejvice into Hl. N. (although that line is currently closed for engineering at the moment). It's quite a forlorn little station, particularly considering Holesovice's former status as Eurocity hub:

ff40c9a5-067e-4aca-beee-a91a34af80bd_l.jpg


While I'm here though... I seem to remember taking a suburban train somewhere in central Europe - I believe it was Prague - and it went through a station on the way to the terminus, on an elevated line. Can't remember if there were platforms or not. Is there somewhere in Prague (or one of the other CE cities) like that?

I'm puzzled how any train from Dejvice station could get anywhere near Holesovice station...
 

AlbertBeale

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And if we like strange, isolated little platforms, what about Copenhagen H's platform 26? It was originally conceived as a rush hour relief platform for the busy station, with (IIRC) diesel trains heading off to Nykobing Sjaelland going from here. The idea was simple enough - create a platform just outside the station where the tracks have split and there's a bit more room. There's direct access from the road bridge on Tietensgade, but from the main station, you have to go along one of the main platforms, up to the road bridge, along a bit, and back down again.

It was disused for a bit, but then found new life serving the SJ X2000 services to Stockholm when Sweden decided to enforce immigration controls on people coming from Denmark.

Odd little platform:

Screenshot-2019-03-30-at-16.36.48.jpg


It's an interesting station, Copenhagen H. It's a stocky, castle-like building, with a lovely old train shed. It's next to a slightly dodgy area (for Denmark) so can have a bit of an atmosphere at times. Plus, it's got a great old Nixie Tube clock:

172195_Kbenhavns_Hovedbanegrd_Thomas_Hyrup_Christensen.jpg

Yes - a pleasant and interesting place, Copenhagen station; though (I find) frustrating in terms of being over-full of cafes etc in the middle of the concourse these days [I think it didn't used to be so bad], which exacerbates the difficulty of finding any main display with all the departures listed.
 

paddington

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Before entering the tunnel, the train slows down, and a message in 3 languages is broadcasted, instructing passengers not to use any electronic devices, and not to take any picture or video. At the same moment, train personnel goes down the whole train, closing all window blinds : forbidden to look outside ! The train the crosses the tunnel while all passengers respect a quasi religious silence...

Sorry but do you mean you can't look outside while you are in the tunnel? That is rather strange, I wouldn't have thought you could see anything anyway particularly if the lights are on bright enough.
 

MarcVD

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Sorry but do you mean you can't look outside while you are in the tunnel? That is rather strange, I wouldn't have thought you could see anything anyway particularly if the lights are on bright enough.

Yes exactly that. I'm as puzzled as you, but now this comes from the country that forbids taking pictures of the metro stations in its capital city. The only ecplanation I can come with is that the tunnel contains some strategic equipment that must remain concealed.
 

61653 HTAFC

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You're quite right, it was Podbaba.
One of the few NON-UK stations I've caught a train from. It's the closest station to the Stadion Juliska, home of Dukla Prague. Sadly unlike the tram stops of Sparta and Slavia, Podbaba and it's adjacent tram stop hasn't taken the name of the team.
 

dutchflyer

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Yes exactly that. I'm as puzzled as you, but now this comes from the country that forbids taking pictures of the metro stations in its capital city. The only ecplanation I can come with is that the tunnel contains some strategic equipment that must remain concealed.
No, is on force since it was opened-in communist days with all Russki things. Remember old hands-at that time you had real cameraś with flashlights and these were the cause-they could blind incoming trains driver´s eyes. Thus same rule still prevails in all Russiaś metropoliten.
 

AlbertBeale

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No, is on force since it was opened-in communist days with all Russki things. Remember old hands-at that time you had real cameraś with flashlights and these were the cause-they could blind incoming trains driver´s eyes. Thus same rule still prevails in all Russiaś metropoliten.

Similarly, I assume the rule on London Underground which forbids flash photography on stations still exists. Though of course it was instituted when most photos on underground Underground platforms might have used flash. Perhaps, on that account, it previously banned photos completely?
 

MarcVD

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No, is on force since it was opened-in communist days with all Russki things. Remember old hands-at that time you had real cameraś with flashlights and these were the cause-they could blind incoming trains driver´s eyes. Thus same rule still prevails in all Russiaś metropoliten.

No no, much more serious than that. Guides warn tourists that, if caught taking pictures in the Tashkent underground, they will go to prison and trialled for spying. And tge guide will lose his license. There are police officers guarding every station. It's not just a survivance of soviet times. Besides, it's not a problem at all to take pictures in th Moscow metro, I gave raken dozens of them myself.
 

36270k

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Toronto Union Station. magnificent stonework, recently refurbished.
Served by VIA Rail, GO Transit and UP Express
Starting point for the 2800 mile run to Vancouver
 

43096

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Toronto Union Station. magnificent stonework, recently refurbished.
Served by VIA Rail, GO Transit and UP Express
Starting point for the 2800 mile run to Vancouver
It’s a strange sort of place with VIA and GO seeming to almost want to deny the existence of the other! Nice refurb of the building (though still ongoing when I was there in late summer), but the platforms are not fit for purpose, being far too narrow and can get dangerously overcrowded in the peak, especially with GO running 12 car double-deck sets.
 

stut

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One of the few NON-UK stations I've caught a train from. It's the closest station to the Stadion Juliska, home of Dukla Prague. Sadly unlike the tram stops of Sparta and Slavia, Podbaba and it's adjacent tram stop hasn't taken the name of the team.

How are the electrical supplies to the tram and railway lines around there? You wouldn't want a dodgy transformer, again and again...
 

TeaLovingDave

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Antwerpen Centraal : the only station in the world with tracks on 3 levels

...and also one of the most beautiful station exteriors and entrances, almost cathedral-like in design and feel, not to mention possibly the only major train station which forms the border wall for one side of a zoo!

If you ever visit Innsbruck, it's possible to visit Liechtenstein on a day trip which is what I did. It was certainly a bizarre experience (in a good way!)

Given the fact I intend to revisit Innsbruck sometime soon, I shall have to bear this in mind :)

Prague Hlavni: The historic station building is cut off from the city by a dual carriageway, and you enter through a modern building on the city side of the road; if you look up when on the way to the platforms, you find that you have passed under the road and are in the bottom of the old building, but if I remember rightly it's not obvious unless you look up.

I revisited Prague a few months ago, and hence have very recent and vivid memories of this area of the main train station; it's remarkable what a contrast there is between the historic station building and the modern majority of the station.
 

Panceltic

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There is a railway station in Lendava (Slovenia), at the end of a short line leading directly into Croatia (3km away). It is not otherwise connected to Slovenian railway network.

In the past, the line continued north to Hungary (about 2km away) but this was lifted in 1945.

After the dissolution of Yugoslavia, this short branch was abandoned but in 2014 the train service resumed, and now there are 2 trains a day to Čakovec (Croatia) and back where connections are available towards other lines to Slovenia.
 

Spoorslag '70

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How about Hergenrath? A Belgian halt only served by international trains.
Eijsden, Enschede De Eschmarke, Glanerbrug, Audun-le-Tiche, Volmerange-les-Mines and Weener (and loads more) fall in the same category. The latter three are special in the sense that they are only connected (in the case of Weener not quite permanent) to a foreign railway network.
 

alex397

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I was so impressed by those international trains, I started to mock up a travel poster from one of my photos. Still needs a bit of work I think:
View attachment 71801

Travelled on this international train on Wednesday into Aachen, with the train I was travelling on dating from 1970! I can't imagine a steep step entrance train covered in graffiti encourages many out of their cars... (no complaints from me though, I was thrilled to travel on such an old train, which I can imagine wont be around much longer).

Is Hergenrath really a 'halt' station? We did stop there, but didn't notice anyone getting on or off there, suggesting it stops there anyway. Can't say I was being completely observant on my trip though.
 

Calthrop

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Latour De Carol and Montreux, each with three different track gauges

Latour is particularly peculiar: three different gauges with three different electrification systems all terminate there.
(Out of sequence)

181 writes: Also Jenbach.


I would think that the absolute ultimate worldwide as regards the station-with-many-gauges phenomenon -- at least post-19th-century -- has to have been Liepaja in Latvia: which for two or three years around 1930 (until a line closure intervened) boasted FIVE different gauges -- "Russian" 1520mm ("five feet"); European standard 1435mm ("four feet eight and a half"); metre; 750mm; and 600mm.
 

Spoorslag '70

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I was so impressed by those international trains, I started to mock up a travel poster from one of my photos. Still needs a bit of work I think:
View attachment 71801
This inspired me to do the following (yes, I've noticed the missing s in Verviers):

ZLS_5010.png

They are still using the (rather run-down) MS66 units on there, as the slightly newer EMU (MS70 etc) have issues with the German track detection equipment, the Desiros are not cleared and running HLE18s with M6 or I11 coaches would be quite extreme for this local service
 

70014IronDuke

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There is a railway station in Lendava (Slovenia), at the end of a short line leading directly into Croatia (3km away). It is not otherwise connected to Slovenian railway network.

In the past, the line continued north to Hungary (about 2km away) but this was lifted in 1945.

After the dissolution of Yugoslavia, this short branch was abandoned but in 2014 the train service resumed, and now there are 2 trains a day to Čakovec (Croatia) and back where connections are available towards other lines to Slovenia.

That really is bizarre. I thought at first you had mixed up this line with that from Murska through Hodos (which was also lifted c 1950, AIUI, then relayed and reopened c 1999). I thought the land was quite hilly north of Lendava, and there is nothing there anyway. But I presume the line went to Redics, which is still open on the MAV network.

Since Prekmurje - this slice of present day Slovenia - and Croatia were controlled by Hungary until 1920, this would make sense (to a point).

I thought I'd noticed somewhere that passenger services had resumed, but I never checked it out. And what a service!
https://www.slo-zeleznice.si/images...-17-8-2019/811_maribor_pragersko_cakovec4.pdf

34 minutes for 23 km - ok, there is a Schengen border crossing, but that must take all of 5 minutes to clear.

As you say, two trains each way per day, only one of which appears to connect to anything at Cakovec. I mean, who on earth would catch these trains? Despite Prekmurje being the poorest area of Slovenia, every Janez and his Jelena has a car, probably two, and Cakovec isn't exactly poverty stricken these days. I wonder if the service is run to obtain EU funds? If so, it's a disgrace. I wouldn't mind betting these trains carry a grand nought passengers most days.
 

AlbertBeale

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That really is bizarre. I thought at first you had mixed up this line with that from Murska through Hodos (which was also lifted c 1950, AIUI, then relayed and reopened c 1999). I thought the land was quite hilly north of Lendava, and there is nothing there anyway. But I presume the line went to Redics, which is still open on the MAV network.

Since Prekmurje - this slice of present day Slovenia - and Croatia were controlled by Hungary until 1920, this would make sense (to a point).

I thought I'd noticed somewhere that passenger services had resumed, but I never checked it out. And what a service!
https://www.slo-zeleznice.si/images...-17-8-2019/811_maribor_pragersko_cakovec4.pdf

34 minutes for 23 km - ok, there is a Schengen border crossing, but that must take all of 5 minutes to clear.

As you say, two trains each way per day, only one of which appears to connect to anything at Cakovec. I mean, who on earth would catch these trains? Despite Prekmurje being the poorest area of Slovenia, every Janez and his Jelena has a car, probably two, and Cakovec isn't exactly poverty stricken these days. I wonder if the service is run to obtain EU funds? If so, it's a disgrace. I wouldn't mind betting these trains carry a grand nought passengers most days.

The "strange overseas stations" and "strange overseas journeys" trivia threads seem to be getting mixed up again!
 

70014IronDuke

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The "strange overseas stations" and "strange overseas journeys" trivia threads seem to be getting mixed up again!

Well, it depends on you definition of 'strange'. I'd argue that Lendava is most definitely a 'strange' station, and on topic.
 

Calthrop

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(I would seem to be at a loose end at the moment...) Concerning multi-gauge stations -- there were at one time (until circa half a century ago, I believe) public lines on three gauges at Girona / Gerona, in Spain (region Catalonia), not a million miles from La Tour de Carol: RENFE main line on 1674mm gauge, and local lines on narrower gauges: one such concern metre-gauge, and two (one abandoned in 1950s, the other lasting till 1969) on 750mm. I suspect, though, that the different undertakings here, may have had separate passenger stations.
 
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