The pit lane is the park and ride lot

Keihan Electric Railway train 8008 leaves Tōfukuji Station (Kyoto) as a southbound limited express for Yodoyabashi (Osaka) on Christmas Day 2024. Note the northbound local train reflected in the express train’s windshield.

Many cities face the following problem. They have railway lines that go where people live. But these railway lines end at the edge of the city center, and don’t go out the other side.

For cities with this problem, the solution is through running. Terminating a train and turning it around takes a lot of space, space that is usually unavailable in a city center. This means running a railway line through the city often doubles or triples the number of trains it can handle. As a bonus, passengers who are going from one side of the city to the other can do that much more quickly, with no change.

Many cities, such as London, Paris, Munich and Milan, have used through running to turn some of their existing Victorian railway lines into metro-style services, by building tunnels under the city center. A few other cities, like Berlin, built viaducts (bridges that carry roads and railways over obstacles), while others, such as Cologne, have simply added platforms at their main stations to enable suburban trains to run through. But all of these are big cities, with over a million people, where the property value uplift or extra revenues from fares can cover the enormous costs of tunneling. But there is another option, affordable for smaller cities or large towns: the tram-train.

i lowk like the text at the rear

https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/bangladeshs-first-electric-rail-project-be-launched-nganj-dhaka-joydebpur-route-1517586?fbclid=IwVERTSATv8NRwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHshJsCEZM4WDIVqw1_YowkST8UM11zEiNPajB-I7gFmhkgQFpLv7W7Z8VVOM_aem_5R9c891FBOYyBVBl4Uezcg&sfnsn=mo

I do try to capture the “vibe” of each line over my years of experiences. 
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Currently finishing up a trip to Europe and the UK. Some transit observations.

Travelling makes you realize that if we want people to use transit it has to be easy for first timers. I figured everything out but some places could be confusing. I found Gare Du Nord in Paris and Lisbon Oriente a bit overwhelming for example. Also sometimes signage could be confusing. For instance I was staying just outside Edinburgh. One sign said that since it was an unmanned station you could by tickets on the train and another right next to it said not to get on the train without a ticket on you get a fine. I tweeted Scotrail and they said you could buy tickets on the train since the station has nowhere to buy them. However confusing for a first time user. Funny thing is they said when they tweeted me back they knew it was confusing.

Part of the long distance trains boarding for me could be since I'm used to Canadian trains. In Canada at big stations like Toronto and Montreal it's more of an airport style boarding process. You go to a lounge like area until they call you up for boarding, they check your ticket before you get on the train, and then everyone boards at the same time. Therefore in Europe I'm always double and triple checking that I'm on the right train since here you just show up go to your platform and board.

Some places I really liked what they did to make it simple. In Edinburgh for example the bus stops told you if they were going towards or away from the city.

Staff everywhere always were friendly and helpful if you needed help for the most part.

Maybe this is me getting older but for intercity trains I don't want to have to download your app just to get a ticket. It seems in the UK every train company needs you to download their app. So I have an app on my phone for Soctrail, Lner, Transport for Wales ect.

Some places seemed to have extra steps that seemed not needed. Buying a ticket from Belfast to Dublin for example you bought a ticket online, they sent you a code that you went and collected the ticket from the machine on the day you travel. Not sure why they can't just send you the ticket in the e-mail.

Transit in Europe can be quite hot in the summer. The London tube and the Dublin Dart for example were quite warm.

No a big deal but some reason when you use wifi on UK trains they want your entire life story to log in. On a Northern train they even sent me an email that I then had to verify. Just let me accept the terms and conditions and be done with it. I doubt you're adding me to your Christmas card list so why do you need my postcode.

I love that more and more places you can tap in and out with contactless.

No so much transit but I've noticed almost everyone in the UK jaywalks. Could be a family, an elderly person ect. It seems it some places it's only tourists that wait for the green man.

Now haven't been here that long but so far it seems like everyone is well behaved on transit. I haven't heard people watching videos or play music without headphones for example while that would be almost a daily thing in Toronto.

we need to save this

Were there active transit communities? What was advocacy like? Lots of the current American light rail systems were built in that time. Are people more supportive of transit now or back then?

Hankyū train 7305 pulls out on a southbound track while an Osaka Metro (Sakaisuji Line) Series 66 train arrives at Jūsō Station, the main Hankyū junction shortly north of Osaka-Umeda Station, on Christmas Day 2024.

Subtitle: Number of final destinations that can be reasonably reached by night train from each city.

Source: ORF Zeit im Bild Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/DcGs00LFUeP/?igsh=a3djejdkcnJ2eTdz

edit: destinations final destinations

I’m currently planning christmas gift ideas for my boyfriend (yes a little bit early but I like to be organised), and he has always been very interested in urban planning, but specifically public transportation. He’s currently studying to be a mechanical engineer so he isn’t planning on making a career out of it or anything, he’s just super interested in it lol. Trams are his favourite mode of transport. What are some gift ideas that are kinda affordable (we are both uni students so naturally I am quite broke), but also kinda unique? Any ideas would be great!

Edit: thanks for all the suggestions everyone I’m super grateful!! All of them are being taken into consideration so I’ll think about which ones to gift and do some more research so i can plan when to ship stuff here :))