The Beauty of Traveling by Train

A story about trains, train tracks, and train stations

This is my collection of trains, train tracks, and train stations. Aren’t they fascinating? Trains do exist all over the world. Yet they are nowhere the same. They drive different speeds, have different tracks, and obviously the most various looks. In every country a different one.

I love traveling by train.

It’s such a relaxed way to travel. You walk into the train, sit down and look out of the window. You see houses, farms, trees, and fields flying by. You see kids waving at you and animals running away from the dangerous sound of a train.

I’ve traveled to lots of different countries on three different continents by train. Doing that I’ve collected lots of memories on trains.

Train stations

In some places in the world trains are the only way of transport. Well, maybe not the only way of transport but the only way to cover long distances. People depend on the daily or weekly train passing by in order to get to a city, a hospital, or to school.

Train stations have attracted people ever since. They build shops and businesses at train stations. A train station is where lots of people get together. Therefore it is an opportunity. A business opportunity. Income.

In train stations, people meet. They meet after a long period of not seeing each other. Couples have the most romantic and sad moments in train stations. Saying goodbye to each other and finally falling into each other’s arms again.

But not only partners are happy when they see each other again. Other family members too. Waiting with signs, gifts, or a simple hug at the train station. Waiting for the right person to step out of the train.

And then you will see the smiles on their faces. When they finally spot the person they’ve been waiting for. Happy smiles all around. Lots of chatting.

Train tracks

In some places in the world, train tracks are hidden away. Underground or fenced up from the rest. In other places, train tracks are part of the city life. They run everywhere and anywhere. People walk across them forgetting about it being a train track.

Some tracks are overgrown. Taken over by nature. They are left behind. To become one with nature. I’ve seen train tracks disappearing in the sand of the Namib desert. They haven’t been used for one hundred years. Yet they are still there.

Train tracks are also a sign of danger. Everyone knows how dangerous it can be to walk over them. Or walk along with them. But there have been always people walking on train tracks. The tracks are being used as a direction indicator.

You think you will hear it when the train comes. But sometimes it’s too late. Some people can read train tracks. They can put an ear on the track and tell you how far away the train is.

Trains

There are lots of different trains. Old trains. Modern trains. High-speed trains and long-distance trains. There are city trains. And. And. And.

I’ve traveled in trains going as fast as 250 kph and I’ve been sitting in city trains going a few kilometers per hour. Depending on the quality of the train tracks and their location trains are allowed to go very different speeds.

I love traveling through mountainous areas seeing snow-covered peaks flying past my window. Or driving for hours past green landscapes in East Africa.

I love nature. And that is why I love traveling by train so much. It allows me to see all of it while not having a negative impact on it. Onto nature. Of course, trains do cut into nature. Building train stations and putting down thousands of kilometers of train tracks does take a lot away from nature.

But not as much as other means of transport. In my eyes at least.

Writing in trains

What I love about trains is that I get inspired to write. Sometimes it is the people on the train that inspire me to write about something. Or it’s the nature that is flying past the window. Or its something totally different I am writing about. But because I am sitting on the train I got the time to write it down now.

I get easily motion sick. Usually when I’m sitting for a longer period of time in a car and I’m not driving myself or when I’m traveling by bus. But never when I’m traveling by train.

Whilst I can’t even read a message on my phone sitting in a car without getting sick I can write for hours on a train. And that is great.

I love sitting on the window seat looking out. Letting my thoughts go. Letting them go with the pictures flying past the window. Just like flying on a plane, sitting on a train inspires me to write.

Taking in all the movements inside the train and also outside the train, I get lots of ideas on what to write about.

Trains are an amazing achievement of the human race. It’s an amazing achievement and a development that is still going on. There are constantly newer, better, safer, and faster trains being developed. For a better future. And for a more comfortable way of traveling.

I love it.

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