Amazing train stations from around the world – Part five

The romance and adventure of travelling by train can be a wonderful experience and some train stations are the highlight of a destination. In this bumper finale collaboration we’ve put together a massive 21 amazing train stations from around the world with the help of some travel bloggers. How much attention have you paid to the features that make these train stations just so amazing? Which stations do you think they’ll include and will it be because of their design, the history or a unique feature that makes them so amazing?

Madrid Atocha by Ursula of myVideoMedia

Madrid Atocha, official name Madrid Puerta de Atocha, is in the center of the city, at Plaza Emperador Carlos V, near the Museo del Prado. It is the largest of the two railways stations in Madrid.

The huge hall, with a roof structure made of cast iron and glass, was built by the architect Alberto de Palacio y Elissague, in 1892.

In 1992, the new station south of it was put in operation. Designed by the architect José Rafael Moneo, Atocha is now split into two parts, a new and an old one. The new part is used for train traffic.

One converted the old part into a tropical garden, with a total of over 7,000 plants, of 400 different species. In the midst of the palm trees is a pond with a myriad of turtles. Several bars and restaurants with outside tables, invite to make a break.

This jungle in the city is the perfect place to wait for your next train or to cool down in the summer heat.

Osaka by Mikkel of Sometimes Home

The train stations I encountered in Japan were another level of awesomeness in every true sense of the word. They’re architectural, logistical and engineering wonders. I have been to incredible stations in my life, from New York City’s Penn and Grand Central Stations, to Madrid’s Atocha, London’s Kings Cross and more. But the stations in Japan blow my mind! Why? Because, so to speak, they’re on steroids! No other stations have so many options and so much to do. They’re cities unto themselves. Osaka Station was one of my absolute favorites in the country. You can spend an entire day there. The station is jam-packed with incredible shopping, food of all types of cuisines, amazing architecture and, of course, great people watching. Osaka Station’s geometric glass structure and metal beams with a picturesque, iconic clock in one area of the massive train station was such a memorable site for me as I awaited my train one evening. I love looking at the Japanese letters on all the signs informing many commuters where to go and when to be there…yet I assure you it’s easy to understand things if you’re an English speaking or reading visitor as well! If you’re near Osaka and don’t have plans to see the station please make it a destination. Its truly worth a visit!

Dunedin by Suzy of Suzy Stories

As New Zealand is a country famed for its outstanding natural scenery and dramatic landscapes, visiting beautiful buildings (particularly historical ones) can be a notable experience. One such place is Dunedin’s railway station, situated in the heart of the city overlooking Anzac square. The station and imposing clock tower is even visible from The Octagon of the city centre, making it quite the icon for Dunedin.

What really makes this railway station stand out is the architecture. It was given the nickname “gingerbread George” thanks to designer George Troup and its styled appearance, marking it as one of the city’s most prominent buildings. The striking contrast between the dark and light stone facings makes the building stand out even more against other buildings throughout the city. Once inside, the grandeur continues with mosaic tiled floors, delicate interiors, and tall ceilings of this surprisingly compact building.

Needless to say, Dunedin’s railways station is a great place to visit. The beautiful building has plenty to offer, as it truly ticks a lot of boxes for being historical, aesthetic, and significant for the city and New Zealand.

Maeklong Bangkok by Wendy of WorldWideWendy

Maeklong is about 2 hours drive from Bangkok.  You don’t visit this train station because of the building itself, but because of the famous Maeklong railway market.  On and along the railway you will find an extremely busy market where locals sell their fruit and vegetables.

At 11.10am the train arrives.  A few minutes before the railway official blows his whistle to warn everybody the train is approaching.  The vendors start closing the awning above their shop but they keep selling (that’s why the market is nicknames ‘umbrelle pulldown market).  Market visitors keep walking on the railway.  The railway official is getting angry and he drives everybody off the track.  In the meanwhile the vendors pull their stuff a little closer and finally the train passes.  The second the train is gone, awnings are opening again, the goods are moved on to the tracks and life goes on.

Buenos Aires by Erin of Sol Salute

When you walk into Retiro Station in downtown Buenos Aires, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d actually stepped into Europe. This imposing structure was built at the height of Argentina’s prominence on the world stage. It was a wealthy country at the time and at the peak of its influx of immigrants. Europeans poured through its borders and had an enormous impact on Argentina’s culture. Retiro Station was designed and built by Englishmen and was one of the largest stations in the world at the time. The building is of the Edwardian Baroque architectural style that can be found in many public buildings across England.

Retiro was actually meant to be larger than it is, but World War I halted those plans. It’s impressive all the same, especially after its recent remodelling. When I first moved to Buenos Aires nearly 9 years ago, Retiro was quite run down. The city recently conducted a complete rehaul of the station and it shines like new. If you’re in Buenos Aires, don’t miss the chance to explore this European-like gem, perhaps hop a train to one of the northern neighborhoods!

Milan by Kate of Our Escape Clause

As the largest train station in Europe by some measurements, you know that Milan’s central train station, Milano Centrale, has to be gorgeous–but even having seen it before, the station still manages to take my breath away every time I step foot into it.

Built in a mix of architectural styles, Milano Centrale’s soaring ceilings, bustling crowds, and detailed carvings most remind me of a Grand Central Station in New York City.

On any trip to Milan, you’re likely to have the opportunity to marvel at the grand beauty of Milano Centrale: most trains arriving and leaving the city to jet off to farflung destinations in Italy and beyond pass through it, and you can pick up shuttle buses to Milan’s two airports on site as well!

Berlin by Lee and Stacey of One Trip at a Time

Grunewald Station, east of Berlin, Germany is a non-descript station you could travel through without a second thought. However, its no longer used Platform 17 was one of three departure stations in Berlin that the Nazis used to deport holocaust victims to concentration and extermination camps during World War II.

Today the platform is kept as a memorial to the victims. There are metal plates lining the platform edge that detail each of the deportations, the destination, and number of people deported.

This now quiet and peaceful memorial to a tragic event in human history is another fine example of Germany’s approach to not hiding its past. The trees that line the platform were left to grow to indicate that no train will ever again depart from Platform 17 and they help make the platform a peaceful and thought-provoking memorial to the over 50,000 victims of the holocaust who left Berlin from this station.

Vietnam by Maire of Temples and Treehouses

Da Lat, a mountain resort town in Vietnam, has a buttercup-yellow art deco train station, originally built by the French in the 1930s. These days, the station is an attraction in its own right, complete with vintage wooden trains. (There’s also a restaurant in an out-of-service retro train).

You can’t actually travel into Da Lat by train from most other cities — you can only arrive in the city by bus or plane. BUT you can take a vintage train to the nearby town of Trai Mat. It’s a short 30-minute ride through pretty mountainous countryside. When you get there, you can visit the surreal Linh Phuok Pagoda, which I thought was worth the trip even without the retro train ride!

Germany by Stuart Forster of Go Eat Do

Leipzig’s Bayerische Bahnhof (meaning ‘Bavarian Station’) was opened in 1842 and lays claims to being the world’s oldest surviving railway terminus. The station building features four grand arches and stands close to centre of Leipzig. It was designed by the architect Christian August Eduard Poetzsch.

The station — like so many buildings in Leipzig — suffered heavy damage from Allied bombs during World War Two. It was restored in the late 1990s and the building now hosts a brewery and restaurant with a compact beer garden. The Gasthaus and Gosebrauerei Bayerische Bahnhof attracts craft beer aficionados to taste its gose beer, a tangy brew whose origins can be traced to Goslar during the Middle Ages.

The historic station stands above the modern, underground Bayerische Bahnhof. The state-of-the-art station forms part of the S-Bahn-Mitteldeutschland, a network that connects Leipzig with neighbouring cities and outlying towns and villages. The station is located just three stops from the Leipzig’s central station.

New York City by Talek of Travels with Talek

Can a train station be called spiritually uplifting? That’s how I feel whenever I visit Grand Central Terminal in New York City.  This iconic station was opened to the public in 1913. Its original opulence and sheer size was representative of the industrial might of the age and the man behind it, Cornelius Vanderbilt. The soaring celestial ceiling displays the constellations. The chandeliers are gold plated and the massive columns give the impression of a colossal palace. All this for a train station?! The builders wanted to send a message to all who passed through the station, “you are someplace very special.”

Throughout the decades Grand Central has had its highs and lows just like the city it serves. In the 1970s it fell into disrepair and was slated for demolition. However, concerned citizens fought to secure the terminal landmark status and ensure it would continue to serve travelers for many years.  In the early 1990s Grand Central underwent an extensive renovation which returned it to its original glory.

Today the Terminal remains an iconic architectural marvel and a beautiful place to see.

Philadelphia by Suzanne of Phila Travel Girl 

Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station is not only a train station listed in the National Historic Register of Historic Places but it is also an airport (ZFV) for United passengers.  A train station that’s also an airport?  ZFV is the airport code if you are flying with United via Newark (the plane ticket includes the train journey from Philly).  30th Street Station, opened in 1933, and has kept its history alive while it continues to evolve to serve the more than four million yearly passengers using SEPTA and AMTRAK trains daily. For me, it’s the details in the building – the soaring columns and ceiling, the art deco details, the tiles, the WWII memorial and the nearly 90 years of stories that have passed through the building – stories all sharing a common form of transit.

Sri Lanka by Allan of Live Less Ordinary

The railways of Sri Lanka date back to 1864, when the British built them primarily for the transport of Ceylon tea, from the hills to the capital city of Colombo. And one of the quainter hill stations would definitely be in the tea plantations of Ella, a railway terminal which opened originally in July 1918, yet still shares a timeless feel of the old British colonial period. As it sits quiet and peaceful next to the local cricket pitch. The station itself has just the one platform, serving two passenger trains each morning, and a cargo train around midday. As they begin a seven-hour journey to the mainline connection at Kandy. It really is just one of those train stations that you don’t want to leave. At the same time, it marks the start/finish of what is often dubbed as the ‘most beautiful train journey in the world’, where rickety old carriages rattle through hills of rippled tea fields, and past far-flung villages, as children chase behind the train waving, or occasionally saluting with a raised cricket bat.

Armenia by Lisa of TheHotFlashPacker

The train station in Yerevan, Armenia is the epitome of fine Soviet architecture.  The neo-classical building located in south Yerevan is topped by a Soviet spire.  From here you can catch one of the electric trains or the train to Tbilisi, Georgia.  The station has wi-fi and a small train museum along with the ticket booth.  You can also buy the tastiest donuts in the capital city in the tunnel from the station to the metro train.

Netherlands by Rachel of Rachel’s Ruminations

Groningen’s neo-Renaissance-style train station, completed in 1896, makes a stately and elegant first impression. The central main hall is flanked by two long wings, all in red brick with white stone accents. What really impresses, though, isn’t visible until you step inside the main entrance. Beautifully restored in 2000, the central hall, with its high ceiling, graceful arched windows, and art-nouveau-style murals, offers a “wow moment” to those who see it for the first time. Don’t rush through; stay a while to take in the details. Even the old signage has been restored.

What’s more, the former first-class waiting room in one of the wings, now home to a Starbucks, has been restored as well. As in all Starbucks branches, you’ll find comfortable chairs or workspaces to settle into with your latte grande. While you’re there, though, you can admire the same arched leaded-glass windows, the original fireplace and the well-restored woodwork that first-class passengers a hundred years ago enjoyed.

Bangkok by Ben of The Sabbatical Guide

Hua Lamphong is the main railway station in the most visited city in the world, Bangkok, and sees around 60,000 people a day use its services. The first time you set foot in a Thai train station, your senses will flicker. Unlike the sterilised pristine conditions of stations in Europe, you will be clobbered by the smell of simmering street food, the saffron colour of monk’s robes and the shouts of over-exuberant tuk-tuk drivers. It looks like a big chaotic mess unfurling in front of you, but it actually turns out to be incredibly efficient. Queues are orderly, prices clearly advertised and trains leave on time. Even if you’re not planning a journey, it’s worth popping in to get some snaps of the Italian renaissance style architecture, and beautifully coloured trains.

Darjeeling by Somnath of Travel Crusade

Ghoom is a hill station and a toy train destination on the way to Darjeeling.The toy rides operate from Siliguri to Darjeeling,the most useful and coveted means of communication between the two destinations in India. The place is wonderful as we can see the rail lines whirling like a circle and is a treasure for the nation.

It takes about an hour to reach Darjeeling from Ghoom and is a treat to watch as people come from all over the world to witness its magnificence and brilliance.Toy rides operate daily and much awaited travelers chose this as their preferred means of communication across the region.It is a colossal endearment across the Eastern Himalayas.There are means of accommodation for travelers peregrinating across the region.

Ukraine by Roshni of The Wanderlust Within

One of Kyiv’s most well-known stations, Zoloti Vorota (Golden Gate) metro station is the product of a series of contributions from a number of artists. It was originally designed to be a restrained, utilitarian creation, however this was later scrapped for being “too weak” a design for one of the city’s central stations.

The new design resembled the temple architecture of the Kyivan Rus, opened at the end of 1989, the detailed interior embodies the history of the era, with 80 distinct mosaic pieces dotted around the station walls depicting the leaders of the ancient Kyivan state. This unique and elegant space hosts countless chandeliers, intricate archways, candle shaped lighting and beautiful marble covered pillars.

 

Tip: Even if you don’t need to use the metro, buy a token for 5UAH ($0.19) just so you can explore the station, and visit during off peak times so you can have as much of the space to yourself.

Far North Queensland by Melissa of Thrifty Family Travels

Kuranda Station is situated in the picturesque mountain village of Kuranda, an hour from Cairns in far north Queensland.

Opening in 1915, Kuranda Station is one of the oldest railway stations in Australia and arguably the most aesthetically appealing.  The station block itself is described as being in the “swiss chalet” style, complete with red Marseilles tiled roof and surrounded by lush green foliage.

Once a war zone during the Second World War, tourists from across the globe have now been visiting Kuranda Station for over 100 years tourists to either embark or disembark from the stunning journey through the lush tropical mountainous rainforest which includes spectacular views across the Barron Gorge.

Tourists have the option of arriving at Kuranda Station via the Kuranda Scenic Railway which departs twice daily from both Cairns or Freshwater stations or alternatively take the Kuranda Cable Car from Cairns and return via the railway.

Perpignan, France by Steve & Jenny of Tales From the Lens

The railway station of Perpignan, a little city in the south of France situated at the feet of the Pyrenees and lulled by the warm breeze of the Mediterranean sea, has entered History in 1963 when the master of surrealism Salvador Dali declared it as “the centre of the world”. Caught up in one of his famous hallucinatory inspiration, the Catalan artist travelling through Perpignan, described the special energy felt to be a pivot of the Cosmo where all his greatest ideas and spectacular universe originate.

The train station of Perpignan is now an important hub for those travelling between France and Spain. Besides the colourful and brand new buildings erected in 2012 with the arrival of the high-speed train, the railway kept some Daliesque references around the train stations such as a representation of Dali’s gigantic painting called “Perpignan’s train station” hang up on the ceiling of the historic hall.

Munich by Vrushali of Couple of Journeys

Munich Hauptbahnof is the central station of Munich that is always bustling with activity and is so vast that it feels like a world in itself.  The station has as many as thirty six platforms perfect for what works as the capital of the popular state of Bavaria. Despite the fact that it has so many platforms, I found this station to be one of the most passenger-friendly stations in Bavaria. The sign boards are clear and finding the right platform is never a problem even for the many foreign tourists who flood this station every day. The station particularly impresses foodies with its vast food court. Even if you miss your train, you will have a great time people watching while you hang out at one of the food stalls with a coffee in one hand and a pretzel in another. Another highlight of this vibrant station is its huge in-house supermarket that also stays open on Sundays unlike most stores in Germany!

Myanmar by Bianca of The Altruistic Traveller 

Kalaw station in Myanmar’s Shan State was by far one of the most incredible train stations I have ever visited. Think 1920’s railway, British colonial era. Carriages with open windows and doors, conductors jumping off the slow moving train as it reaches the platform. Men dressed in traditional longyis cook local Burmese sweets for commuters as they wait to board. It is a true glimpse of the laid-back Burmese lifestyle, and for a mere 1500 kyatt ($1 USD) you can take the scenic 4 hour journey to Myanmar’s famous Inle Lake.

Belgium

And we’ve saved the pièce de résistance for last. This iconic and prestigious train station can be found in Antwerp, Belgium. Antwerp Central train station, also known as Middenstatie (Middle station) is undeniably one of the finest examples of architecture and considered by many, the most beautiful and grandiose railway station in the world. The eclectic styling of the 4 level, stone clad terminus is extremely grand for a train station. An eclectic mix of architectural styles of Neo-renaissance and Art Nouveau are blended seamlessly, and the iron and glass trainshed, the dome above the marble waiting room hall, the stunning entrance hall, and the clock on the upper level, uniquely blend a mixture of materials like they were always meant to be used together. The beauty of this station makes waiting for train an extremely memorable experience.

Do you agree? Is Antwerp Station the world’s most beautiful train station? Or you do you have another favourite?

Check out all the previous Amazing train stations from around the world in Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4. How many of them have you been to?

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