OBSERVATIONS

St. Pancras International Station, London

24th November 2014

Time spent in a train station can reveal a lot about the behaviour of the passenger and the purpose of the building. Comparisons between busy city and quiet rural stations reveal a social and geographical pattern. Time of day, week and year also play a key role in the popularity of train travel and the experience of stations.

Primarily a train station is a meeting place and an time to say hello and goodbye. A variety of emotions can be observed within a station from the joy of greeting a loved one to the stress of missing a train.

Video 17 - Music: Dog Days are Over by Florence and the Machine

Waterloo Station, London

27th December 2014

OBSERVATIONS:

Being an international station, St. Pancras is an iconic meeting place that has been renovated and fitted out with well-known shops and restaurants to attract tourists and create a good first impression for passengers arriving from Europe.
The original architecture can still be seen and appreciated alongside the complimentary and functional station interior.
The design of the station allows visitors to walk up and down the concourse undisturbed by passengers waiting for trains, as the platforms are located on an upper level. This formation is different to other London stations that feature a large waiting area with shops surrounding.
The video shows visitors walking up and down the shopping concourse and passengers taking the escalator and passing through the barriers to board the train. The clip does not represent rush hour but shows the constant flow of people within a city station - there is never a still moment.

OBSERVATIONS:

Waterloo is one of the busiest stations in London acting as a gateway to the South of England.
The station has been recently renovated adding a second level to the large concourse and introducing additional platforms to ease commuter traffic.
During rush hour, the station becomes congested and many passengers can be seen running to catch their train. This atmosphere affects the mood and experience of the other passengers.
The video shows the congestion of hundreds of people waiting and watching the information boards, passengers passing through the barriers to board trains and leaving and arriving from the underground network.

Video 18