One marker of the modernization of rail is the evolution of station design. Although most stations have existed since the 19th century, their layout and functionality have evolved through discrete improvements. This diagram shows an idealized evolution of a minor Italian station along a trunk line. - ThreadSky

chittimarco.bsky.social • 11 days ago

One marker of the modernization of rail is the evolution of station design. Although most stations have existed since the 19th century, their layout and functionality have evolved through discrete improvements.

This diagram shows an idealized evolution of a minor Italian station along a trunk line.

Comments

chittimarco.bsky.social•11 days ago

The 19th-century station along a single-track mainline has an unfenced precinct, very low platforms with a stone edge, compressed ground, and no canopy, and a small main building. People cross the tracks at grade, and the second platform is narrow, a configuration still visible on secondary lines

chittimarco.bsky.social•11 days ago

With the modernization of the trunk network, notably its double-tracking, many secondary stations got a revamp: a larger building, a larger second platform and a canopy attached to the main building. They often got a better freight shed with 1m high platforms, many still visible today.

chittimarco.bsky.social•11 days ago

Between the 1920s and the 1970s, most stations on the trunk network got grade-separated crossings with the construction of underpasses, sometimes longer canopy and a second one on the other platform. All platforms were brought to 30 cm.
Freight sheds were progressively abandoned from the 1970s

chittimarco.bsky.social•11 days ago

Finally, the fourth wave of station modernization brings full accessibility with 55 cm high platforms, elevators, and often a second access from the opposite side. OTOH, many stations became "impresenziate": they lost on-site personnel and were replaced with vending machines and remote train control

chittimarco.bsky.social•11 days ago

This evolution reflects the changes in technology, labor structure and costs, traveling habits (from rail travel as a rare event to modern daily commuting), and societal values (.e. universal accessibility and sustainable mobility).
Broadly, it reflects how railways have evolved in pair with society

nilo.bsky.social•11 days ago

Still a lot of real estate used as parking it looks like!

christofspieler.bsky.social•11 days ago

In this example, there are still 3 platform tracks. It is common in Italy for the number of tracks to be reduced over time, eliminating sidings? (I ask because that seems like a really common part of modernization in a lot of countries.)

macsquirelera.bsky.social•11 days ago

Will Italy go the way of Sweden and fully ditch ticket offices and almost all station staff?

chittimarco.bsky.social•11 days ago

No, I don't think so. The current equilibrium is having low-traffic stations with no personnel but having it in medium and major stations with intercity traffic, notably because it's the only way to ensure assisted accessibility to IC-HS trains with higher floors

djasa.bsky.social•10 days ago

The Czechoslovak network of 1950s to 1990s had a distinct "poloperonizace" stage with a single underpass-accessible island platform for the far tracks and low platforms for the between the building and the closer of the main tracks pair.

crzwdjk.bsky.social•11 days ago

The "middle platform is narrow and people cross tracks at grade" arrangement was common in the US too, what's crazy is that Caltrain continued to operate that way into the early 2010s at some stations (and still does at 2 minor stations).

slucy.bsky.social•11 days ago

All of the "do not cross the tracks" signs make more sense when you realize you used to have to cross the tracks.

slucy.bsky.social•11 days ago

The "level crossing to skinny platform" setup reminds me of some Metra stations (Franklin Park pictured)

christosilvia.bsky.social•11 days ago

This reminds me of a lot of French interior small town railway stations, but it's missing "a massive but completely empty former freight depot"

Seriously there were so many of those and they were so empty. Any idea why???

torstenkammer.bsky.social•11 days ago

Most of the area in those were for less-than-car-load freight, and that is completely dead. Even single car load freight is fairly close to gone in most places.

corleonelennon.bsky.social•11 days ago

In Victoria we had the 19th century standard design where the main line would not pass the platform but the passenger trains would have to diverge onto the platform track. Somewhat similar, oddly, to the less used Shinkansen stations!

zmapper.bsky.social•11 days ago

If you get a chance, download Railroader from Steam. The team tracks and extra sidings near yards for stashing caboose cars make sense.

chfanguw.bsky.social•11 days ago

So many stations in US are stil configured in stage 1… See an example in Santa Barbara, CA

klaashofstra.bsky.social•11 days ago

Too bad that the simplification stopped around 75 years ago, when we still had steam trains. Does this station really need nine switches?

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