THEN AND NOW: Photos that show what train travel used to be like

Paul OswellJul 30, 2024, 03:10 IST

The rail passenger experience has changed over the years.Photo by Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler/Corbis via Getty Images

Trains have changed a lot, from the first steam-powered engines to the high-tech ones we ride today.
Dining and entertainment have always been a part of the journey, but they've seen much evolution.

The rail passenger experience has changed greatly over the years.

In modern times, trains tend to be functional with the benefits of modern technology.Photo by Rail Photo/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images)

As soon as locomotive technology was invented, it was adapted to carry passengers.

An image of Locomotion No. 1SSPL/Getty Images

This pioneering engine has since been preserved, and rail enthusiasts can still see a full-scale, replica model of the first train.

A full-scale replica of Locomotion No. 1 at the Beamish Museum in North-East England.Photo by Mirrorpix/Getty Images

The first passenger train services started in the United Kingdom.

Cruise passengers from the Cunard liner Mauretania, docked at Fishguard in Pembroke, wait with their luggage to board a train service to London.Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

Steam trains began to operate worldwide in the 'Golden Age' of train travel.

This steam train in Piedmont, Italy is typical of the trains that were seen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.Beppeverge / Getty Images

From the 1950s onwards, the diesel trains that we recognize today became the norm.

This is a typical diesel engine that you would see today.shaunl/Getty Images

Steam trains required drivers to master a complicated engineering setup.

The firebox, pressure gauges, boiler, and dials of the Mallard from 1938.SSPL/Getty Images

Driving trains today is much less complex.

A modern-day driver’s cabin.Monty Rakusen/Getty Images

Those post-war designs seem clunky by today's standards, and passenger trains have since become more streamlined and efficient.

An Amtrak conductor waves from a carriage in Wilmington, Delaware.VisionsofAmerica/Joe Sohm/Getty Images

As train travel took off, mass transit stations became an essential part of the infrastructure.

This impression of a station in London is from the 19th century.duncan1890/Getty Images

Many historic stations are architectural wonders that are still appreciated and used today.

Central Antwerp Station in The Netherlands, which originally opened in 1905.Jakraphan Inchukul/Getty Images

Many European stations retain charming original features in ticket offices and departure lounges.

The ticket hall of a train station in Cartagena, Spain, dating back to 1903.Eve Livesey/Getty Images

Now, modern stations reflect contemporary architectural trends and tend to be built from steel and glass.

This contemporary terminal is in Tianjin, China.DuKai photographer/Getty Images

Some contemporary stations are built with future aesthetics in mind.

You can see this futuristic design in Liege, Belgium.Bim/Getty Images

Train departure times and passenger information have always been an essential part of any train station.

A departure board at St Pancras Station in London, England, in 1939.SSPL/Getty Images

These days, information is displayed electronically, updated in real-time.

A digital timetable at a modern station.DaniloAndjus/Getty Images

The early control rooms that kept rail networks moving looked very analog.

A railway control room in London in 1928.Fox Photos/Getty Images

Everything is highly computerized in modern times.

The control room of a modern-day network in China.EschCollection/Getty Images

Train travel was once considered an occasion worth commemorating.

Employees of the ‘Black Cat’ cigarette company celebrate their journey in 1935.E. Dean/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

Now, train travel has become routine.

Commuters at King’s Cross Station in London, England in 2014.Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Train ticket prices have changed considerably over the years.

A customer buys a ticket for the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1950.Bettmann / Contributor/Getty Images

Train conductors were once formally dressed.

A railroad conductor in 1940.Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Modern uniforms are more casual.

A conductor’s uniform in 2019.Robert Alexander/Getty Images

Luxurious first-class seating has been an element of train travel from the beginning.

An impression of the interior of a British Pullman service from 1884.duncan1890/Getty Images

Even carriages below the upper echelons once had a strong element of style.

Art Deco lamps and upholstered chairs on a German rail service from 1935.Imagno / Contributor/Getty Images

Modern, long-distance train travel can still offer added space and privacy.

Amtrak's Superliner roomette.Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Amtrak

Special seats are available on some train routes with outstanding views.

Amtrak’s Superliner Sightseeing Lounge.Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Dining cars have been a part of rail travel from the earliest days.

The Pullman dining carriage as it looked in 1879.SSPL/Getty Images

This civilized approach to dining endured in First Class services.

This photo is from a Great Western Railway dining car in the UK in 1938.SSPL/Getty Images

These days, mealtimes on Amtrak trains are less formal.

An Amtrak dining car in 2017.Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Some modern European train services have retained a semblance of the old luxury.

A uniformed waiter serves a guest on a French rail service.Owen Franken/Getty Images

Of course, if you have the means, you can still dine surrounded by finery.

A beautiful dining car on the Trans-Siberian Express service.Vostok/Getty Images

On-board entertainment was limited in the early days.

An on-train gramophone in England in 1930.Fox Photos/Getty Images

Many trains now come with Wi-Fi.

A woman on a train, listening to music on her phone.Riska/Getty Images

The future of train travel is exciting, and fast.

A Bullet Train in Okayama Station, West Japan, in 2016.Bettmann / Contributor/Getty Images

Future train travel will likely continue to change.

A modern-day impression of a future train engine.Michael Dunning/Getty Images

Vintage photos show what cross-country road trips looked like in the 1960s

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