This Japanese train station in the middle of nowhere has no entrance or exit
Sometimes we’re in such a hurry to get to a destination that we forget to take in our surroundings. But that’s not the case when passengers step onto the platform of the Seiryu Miharashi train station in Japan. In fact, they have no choice but to take in the view. Opened in March 2019 on the Nishikigawa Seiryu Line in the southern part of the country is an unusual platform that has no exit and no entrance. The intention of this design is to encourage travelers to take some time to admire the nature around them before they resume their journey. [mymodernmet.com]
Railroad bridges in Muskegon, Michigan, are ready for art
Sometimes railroad bridges just need a little paint. However, what is going on in Muskegon is more than your standard paint job. Back in December, the Muskegon City Public Art Initiative (MCPAI) started a fundraiser for murals to be painted on a pair of railroad overpasses. The overpasses are owned by CSX. The fundraiser has successfully met a $50,000 goal, and several civic grants will cover the rest of the cost. One of the bridges has been cleaned and primed for painting, and the second span will be ready later in the spring. Artists are expected to work on the bridges in May, with completion set for Memorial Day. [rtands.com]
Working underground with a special fire brigade In NYC’s biggest station
If you’ve ever walked through New York City’s iconic Grand Central Terminal, you’re familiar with the high green ceilings, the crowds of people and the massive network of smelly underground train platforms that shuttle thousands in and out of the city. Now imagine the nightmare if a fire broke out. Fortunately, the Grand Central Terminal Fire Brigade is at the ready — a specialized firefighting unit off Track 14 with its own unique fleet of electric response vehicles. [jalopnik.com]
Postcard from Bangkok: goodbye to a grand old station
That most venerable matriarch of south-east Asian rail travel, Bangkok’s much-loved Hua Lamphong station, is about to be shunted into the sidings. Next month the grande dame will in effect be handed her redundancy notice by the opening of upstart Bang Sue, a spanking new airport-lookalike rail hub, 8 km (5 mi) to the north. The anodyne Bang Sue Grand Station represents a sad day for lovers of great railway cathedrals. For the past 105 years, the airy neo-Renaissance Hua Lamphong has suffused the Thai rail travel experience with something approaching the sacred. [ft.com]
