Railways

"Trains contain the essential paraphernalia of a culture" - Paul Theroux, The Great Railway Bazaar. I would rather travel by train than by any other form of transport. Railway journeys are relatively straightforward, requiring none of the time-consuming security checks and immigration queues we must suffer to travel by air. Train journeys are reassuringly predictable. Point A to Point B, described with to-the-minute accuracy by timetables which often look like a code-breaker's crib sheet. For a photographer, railway stations often supply photogenic light in slowly changing patterns and the typical railway passenger is, in my experience, more relaxed than those who travel by air. Perhaps it is because, when we travel any significant distance by train, we know that our journey will offer an opportunity to relax, to read, to nap, to eat, to chat or simply to gaze out of the window, watching the landscape change whilst the hypnotic rhythm of the wheels upon the track lull us into a state of meditative daydreaming. I've always enjoyed photographing aspects of train travel. Especially in Asia, where rail travel remains the most popular form of transport and where unsealed carriage windows can be pulled down to invite a cooling breeze and where passengers often view a travelling photographer as an amusing diversion. Given the choice, I'd always rather travel by train.