John Crosley: Tunnels

Metro and Pedestrian Tunnels Wherever there is a 'Metropolitan' or 'metro' for short, there are tunnels to accommodate trains which speed from station to station. Pedestrians also rely on pedestrian tunnels for crossing under busy boulevards or entering underground retail areas, which can be huge central stores and malls in Kyiv. j In Great Britain such pedestrian tunnels are called 'subways'. In most European cities and elsewhere in the world underground train tunnels are most often called 'metros' after the original Parisian "metro,' short for Metropolitain, their official French name. Not all metro trains and stations are below ground, even in Kyiv, Ukraine, which dominates these images. Many cities such as Moscow, New York, and Kyiv, for instance have found 100% tunneling expensive, and a tunnelikng alternative often has been above ground . Where underground trains run above ground as in the New Hork subway system, the above-ground tracks and trains on themare often termed the 'El' for elevated. Chicago's famouss trains run above ground on such tracks and are known as the 'El' there. Building such tracks to run on above-ground construction can be cheaper in many instances than tunneling. However, tunneling often is the only solution for already built up major metropolitan areas. Tunnels in Kyiv, a city with harsh winters, sweltery summers, and much reliance on mass transit also has led to growth in its showcase downtown of vast underground shopping areas, including beneath its 'Maidan' central 'freedom' park and beneath its its main downtown boulevards where the tunnels also connect to vast underground shopping center. Tunnels that are necessary to enter these underground shopping centers almost always are connected to one or more metro stations and even to the underground pedestrian boulevard undercrossing tunnels. Kyiv's center is a vast hive of underground activity, from its ultradeep metro lines to nearer to the surface undergrouund shopping centers and retail areas and passageways that connect the two and also provide safe passage underneath busy, dangerous boulevards. The uniqueness of tunnels and the hoards who often depend on the metro or subway trains for mass transit often provide counltess interesting and unique photo opportunities. The overwhelming majority of these images are from the ultra fast, clean, efficient, low cost, safe, on-time, comfortable, well-mannered, and generally world class Kyiv, Ukraine metro system which for the main part is buried deep underground, especially in central Kyiv. Although its trains were not very new several years ago, it is continually modernizing, and comfortable new trains come on line regularly. In some outlying areas, the metro runs at ground level between a few stations. Passengers are generally courteous, orderly, and civil,. When an old person, a disaabled person, a pregnant woman, or a mother with children boards, often a more able seated rider will arise, giving up a seat - a courtesy unheard of in many city metros. Groping, pickpocketing and other crimes and insults so common to some metros, are virtually unheard of on the Kyiv Metro, though certainly they must happen. But Kyiv residents make poor pickpocket targets as so few have much money, and for the sexual predator, a possible, partial substitution may be available through prostitution, which, though not 'legal' is tolerated through 'escort' services at sometimes astonishingly low prices. Vandalism on the Kyiv metro is virtually unthinkable, even in trains with padded seat cushions. If coaches are vandalized even slightly, they are taken out of service until repaired. One will likely never see vandalism on the Kyiv metro, and if occurs, it is fixed immediately. Photo opportunities of the metro trains themselves are almost as unlimited as the number of riders, interesting faces and configurations of tunnels, trains, and riders. However most such images are left for another, different but interesting project. A metro ride from one end of the vast Kyiv metropolis to the other costs less than a third of a dollar -- an enormous but necessary value for the majority who make quite low salaries. Despite its focus on the Kyiv, Ukraine metro, one image here is from the Paris metro. Other Parisian metro photos may be added later. If photography is not allowed on the Metro, it is a policy not enforced; photos sometimes are taken well in sight of enforcement personnel. However to ensure no train or passenger disruption such photos are best taken discretely, but not necessarily stealthily. As seen here, tunnels and stations can be the basis of an entire body of urban photo art, so long as great care is taken to respect the rights of the great masses and not inconvenience them. With digital photography interested passengers may provide the photographer a willing audience and source of critique. All photos copyright 2005-2018, John Crosley,Crosley Trust. No reproduction or other use of text and/or photos allowed without express prior written permission of copyright holder. Please enjoy john (John Crosley)