[yaohua2000]

Beijing South, the biggest white spot in Beijing

 

[yaohua2000]

More Photos about Beijing South at:

http://tinyurl.com/bsryls

 

[foxmulder_ms]

Well, actually i liked the list. "extraordinary or awe-inspiring architecture " is the main factor that has been used to create the list, I guess. And mentioned stations are really beautiful.

My list wont be like this but still the list is not terrible.

by the way, @ yaohua2000

I like the link you send, south stations is a very modern and large airport not a train station

 

[binhai]

^^south station is a train station, though right now it only serves one rail line (350 km/h HSR to Tianjin). I wish they put some modern stations on the list, it doesn't seem complete without them.

 

[Republica]

Wow, antwerp is the best ever.

 

[benchjade]

japan not included in the list?

 

[foxmulder_ms]

^^south station is a train station, though right now it only serves one rail line (350 km/h HSR to Tianjin). I wish they put some modern stations on the list, it doesn't seem complete without them.

dude! sarcasm.......

 

[GTR22]

Clearly Tokyo Station should be included!

 

[city_thing]

St. Pancras totally deserves the top spot. It's beautiful.

The domestic trains part is good, but not as fantastic as the international part though.

Domestic

I much prefer stations like St. Pancras to ones like Beijing South.

 

[iampuking]

Clearly Tokyo Station should be included!

Are you kidding?

That could be any provincial town in any European country.

 

[davsot]

great compilation. Let's see if we can at least decide on criteria for rating trains...

 

[sweek]

I think the modern part of Antwerp-Central isn't that great, really. Beijing South deserved to be up there.

 

[GENIUS LOCI]

This thread quickly became a 'post your main station' thread

 

[Grunnen]

I think the modern part of Antwerp-Central isn't that great, really. Beijing South deserved to be up there.

Why?
What makes that station more special than any other station? Only its enormous size, or something else as well? Because that is what the article was about.

Now if we do indeed make this a "show your main station" thread, I would like to introduce: Groningen station.

After the city defense walls were torn down, a presentable station could be built. It was designed by Isaac Gosschalk and finished in 1895.

The main feature of the station is the beautifully decorated inside of the concourse.

The ceiling construction is very interesting, because even though it looks like being made out of stone, it is entirely made of papier mâché. That was necessary to make the ceiling construction light enough.

In front of the station, you'll find the Horse of Uncle Loeks (Peerd van Ome Loeks). The song about this horse is characteristical for the city of Groningen. It tells about someone not giving the horse enough food, so that it dies.

The Horse is standing right upon Stadsbalkon. That is a large underground bicycle shed right in front of the main entrance.

All in all, according to a thourough investigation of DAG newspaper, the station of Groningen is the very best railway station in the Netherlands.

 

[asystem32]

Great pics of great stations!


I personally love St. Pancras, Chhatrapati Shivaji and Gare des Bénédictins.

 

[sweek]

Why?
What makes that station more special than any other station? Only its enormous size, or something else as well? Because that is what the article was about.

Now if we do indeed make this a "show your main station" thread, I would like to introduce: Groningen station.

Groningen is alright in the Netherlands, but I prefer Haarlem myself. It looks great on the inside and it's quite a convenient station.

I mostly like the outside shape of Beijing South station. Not sure if it's completely done yet?

 

[hans280]

Clearly Tokyo Station should be included!

Isn't part of the problem that the Newsweek article isn't clear about whether they look at external or internal architecture? I mean, some of the Asian railway stations on that list look beautifully from the outside but, well, they are not very luxurious, or even efficient, on the inside. Railway stations such as Central Union and Antwerp have magnificient internal halls but are not that imposing from afar. In the latter category one could have added Milan which also looks like a proper cathedral... once you're inside.

Without insulting anybody, I wouldn't vote for Tokyo Station - and this is because of the second consideration. I have been there a few times (I don't travel to Japan all that often...) and I always feel claustrophopic. Inside a railway station I expect at least 8-10 metres of air above my head - and I most definitely do not want to "tunnel" my way past shops and eateries in low corridors like some sort of mole.

 

[foxmulder_ms]

Why?
What makes that station more special than any other station? Only its enormous size, or something else as well? Because that is what the article was about.

Why??!!! Because we like it! This is very subjective. I cannot comment on you likes at all and you cannot on ours. Jeez!

I am bored with that Victorian styles. We had enough of it for last couple of centuries. Moreover, I like modern architecture and everybody know size does matter for most of the cases That's WHY.

 

[Grunnen]

^^ In my opinion, for a station to be one of the "top stations of the world" it should take a little bit more than just "because I like it".

 

[Khanrak]

Lets not forget the criteria for the list. Its not about awe-inspiring beauty, its more about interesting facts and special roles in history, etc.

Antwerps station looks beautiful, but what is really so special about it? It looks like it could be in Germany or Austria too. Groningen's station is pretty, but again, i dont see what's so special about it besides the sculpture outside. The ceiling is interesting, but is it the only example of such a ceiling? If it is, then I think it should be on the list. Beijings is big, but not historic.

St. Pancras and Mumbai's Victoria Terminus are the nicest stations on the list, although the latter could really use a powerwashing and renovation. Victoria Terminus was renamed by Hindu nationalists as "Shiva-ji", since chattrapati shiva resisted the Muslim Mughals. hence, he's a hero to hindu nationalists.

Lahore's station has an interesting story, but it is pretty ugly. I guess thats the result of it being a british fort as well as a station? I suppose it does have a unique style.

my pick for the list would be Sirkeci Station in Istanbul. Its beautiful, was built during the Ottoman times, and was the terminal station for the Orient Express.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirkeci_Station Haydarpasha is nice too, and looks like a palace. Not to mention, it was the starting point of the historic Hejaz railway, which featured prominently in Lawrence of Arabia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul_Haydarpaşa_railway_station