Discussion: Train Station Renewal - Old Structures, New Requirements
Many of the train stations built in the nineteenth century played a decisive role in the development of towns and cities. How important they were is often legible in their exalted architecture and prominent locations. At a time when the horse carriage was still the dominant mode of transportation, for travellers, the stations - and the accompanying plazas and avenues - marked the gateway to the city. Parallel to the advent of the automobile and its rise to dominant mode of transportation, there has been a loss of significance for the railway. Certain routes are no longer in service, and train stations have fallen into disrepair, especially in rural areas. Although transport policy in Germany in the 1980s began to turn the trend around, many of the country's 10 000 train stations and stops are still in need of renovation. Moreover, since the nineteenth century, railway transportation - and correspondingly, the demands placed on train stations - has undergone a tremendous transformation. The original technical infrastructure was based on mechanical systems; now they are electronic. And the trains have become considerably faster and travel at shorter intervals. In Switzerland, for example, the network of suburban trains is comprehensive and offers high-quality service nationwide. A 15-minute interval is in planning for long-distance trains. This goes hand in hand with improved mobility for the society as a whole. While train travel was once considered an event in its own right, now daily train travel is not uncommon. Some commuters travel hundreds of kilometres by train each day. What was once a gate to the city has metamorphosed into a traffic hub and "place of transit".
