At their advent in the 1830s and 1840s, train stations were places of awe and fearsome modernity, serving as gateways to new destinations. With soaring iron arches interspersed by glass panels, covered in soot and dust from the whistling and steaming trains, the stations were a new architecture. Mixed in with the cacophony of the machinery were the passengers, attracted to this new form of travel offering faster and standardised journeys at speeds they could only have imagined a few years prior. The railway revolutionised travel by connecting distant locations and reducing journey times. Due to the proximity and ease of travel introduced by trains, the concept of distance, and the relation between places was altered.

In the 21st century, the train station is treated as a catalyst for urban transformation and renewal, an opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and a hub of social and economic activity.