Models of European metro stations

This Hacker News discussion revolves around a project that digitally maps and visualizes metro station layouts, often in 3D. The overarching sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, with many users expressing admiration for the author's dedication and the project's utility.

Author's Dedication and Scope of Work

A significant theme is the immense personal effort and time commitment involved in creating the project. Users are particularly impressed by the sheer volume of stations mapped and the manual nature of the work.

• "jamesblonde" notes, "The product of extreme focus and obsessive dedication."
• "bambax" exclaims, "This is insane. Never saw anything like it." and later, "Other than that, incredible work!! Amazing."
• "throw-qqqqq" is astonished by "the dedication" and quotes the author: "> For the last 10 years I have been able to draw around 2,547 stations" and "> A pen, a notebook, a bit of spatial vision and the willingness to navigate all the staircases, corridors, platforms and mezzanines are enough to draw a station".
• "rossant" summarizes this by stating, "This guy has spent the last 10 years drawing about 2,547 stations around the world and making 3D models available to everyone. This might be the most amazing thing I have ever seen on the internet. Kudos."

Usability and Resourcefulness for Navigation and Accessibility

Many users highlight the project's practical applications, particularly for navigating complex stations and understanding accessibility features.

• "jamesblonde" found it to be a "Great resource."
• "jdranczewski" finds it a "great resource for people with reduced mobility" and contrasts it with official accessibility maps: "I semi-regularly use Transport for London's station drawings (linked on this website) over the official accessibility map, which doesn't differentiate between stairs and escalators for example."
• "undebuggable" relates to the difficulty of mental modeling: "I was never able to build mental model of Alexanderplatz in Berlin. Most of the times was simply following the signs and yup, the layout is complicated."
• "neuronic" expresses a similar sentiment for a different city: "Finally going to get a mental model of Jungfernstieg, Hamburg after a decade of living here. Wow."

Specific Station Complexity and Mentions

Several specific stations are singled out for their notoriety, complexity, or interesting features, with "Châtelet-Les Halles" in Paris being a recurring example.

• "bambax" points out a perceived omission: "And the main station in Paris is missing: Châtelet-Les Halles."
• "benoitg" clarifies its presence: "Châtelet is there, you have to click on the 3D icon to experience the full majesty of its unending corridors in 3D."
• "tcumulus" also confirms its availability: "There even is a section on Chatelet Les Halles if you scroll down. Insane station."
• "wiether" refers to it with a vivid description: "I first looked at regular stations, but once I understood that it was done by a single guy, I had to look at Paris' Mordor: Châtelet. The 3D view looks like an ants nest, as expected."
• "prof-dr-ir" humorously quotes Tolkien to describe Châtelet: "> Paris' Mordor: Châtelet. 'Worst of all, the air was full of fumes; breathing was painful and difficult, and a dizziness came on them, so that they staggered and often fell. And yet their wills did not yield, and they struggled on.'"
• "StopDisinfo910" elaborates on Châtelet's complexity: "The issue with Châtelet - aside from how crowded it is - is that it’s two stations masquerading as one, same as Montparnasse-Bienvenüe."
• "ant6n" discusses the issue of long transfers in historical station design, referencing Barcelona and Berlin: "Many of the terrible stations over time are of course historically grown, evolved over time, and weren't the result of some maniac evil genius deciding to create miserable transfers." He further explains Berlin's approach to good transfer planning, including moving stations and building "ghost stations."
• "gield" mentions Barcelona's Collblanc station: "If you want to see a ridiculous amount of escalators, take a look at the Collblanc station in Barcelona. It takes 6 escalators to transfer between the L5 and L9S lines."
• "amo1111" commends Vienna's Längenfeldgasse for its cross-platform interchange.

Technical Aspects and Performance

Some users discussed the technical implementation of the project, particularly regarding map performance and potential improvements.

• "bambax" notes a performance issue: "One minor nitpick: zooming the map is very slow (maybe Leaflet is not the best choice?)."
• "diiiimaaaa" offers a technical suggestion: "Leaflet should easily handle stuff like this if configured correctly. OP just slaps 3000 markers in a single layer, and each of them is an image element in dom. Should probably use some marker clustering for that."
• Conversely, "guilamu" reported smooth performance: "Zooming working perfectly on my galaxy s23."
• "burnt-resistor" expressed a concern about the detail level: "Perhaps it doesn't work on my browser, but all I see are low fidelity, wireframe/stick 3D model projections rendered as 2D images without much detail that could be made in a few minutes."

Geographic Scope and Omissions

A notable discussion point was the geographic coverage of the project, with users questioning the absence of certain cities and regions.

• "ExpertAdvisor01" asks, "Is there a reason why moscow is missing?"
• "ahoka" and "paduc" suggest it might be due to the author not being able to visit.
• "d1sxeyes" and "a99c43f2d565504" debate the European definition (e.g., Istanbul, Moscow, Helsinki) and point out other omissions.
• "alkyon" also points out omissions: "Warsaw Metro has 36 station but only one is included. Metro systems of Kyiv, Minsk, Saint Petersburg and Moscow are not shown at all."
• "igravious" echoes this, stating the project is not strictly European and misses significant metros like St. Petersburg and Moscow.
• "doabell" notes the inclusion of North American stations, further complicating the "European" label.

Historical context of Station Design and Planning

The historical development of metro networks and its impact on station design were also discussed, particularly in relation to long transfer corridors and fragmented planning.

• "jddj" learned about long corridors in Barcelona: "The walking connection between lines at some stations in Barcelona seems so long as to not make sense, but it's explained here that at the time the different lines and stations were dug and extended independently by different companies."
• "FearNotDaniel" draws a parallel with London's King's Cross/St. Pancras, discussing how redevelopments can alter transfer routes, sometimes for perceived user-friendliness or congestion management.
• "ant6n" elaborates on this by discussing how systems evolve over time, with new stations added based on available space rather than master plans, but also highlights Berlin's approach to long-term planning and preparations for future transfers.

Similar Projects and Comparative Data

Users shared related projects and discussed metrics for comparing metro systems.

• "misterdata" and "decimalenough" shared a link to a similar 3D model of Shinjuku station in Tokyo, noting its immense scale (3.6 million passengers per day).
• "hbarka" introduced the metric of station density per square kilometer and analyzed several European and Asian cities, concluding Paris has the highest density. They also discussed the importance of the number of street-level entrances for accessibility.
• "lucianbr" questioned the city area boundaries used in the density comparison.
• "diggan" shared information about "ghost" metro stations opening for tours in Barcelona.
• "norris" points out the lack of Asian representation in general, despite massive systems like Shanghai's.

Discussion on Station Design Choices (Zurich Trams)

A side discussion emerged regarding Zurich's tram system, which uses infrastructure originally intended for a metro.

• "sschueller" explains that Zurich's stations aren't metro stations but were converted tram stations due to a public vote against a metro.
• "rwmj" pondered the reasons for voting against a metro.
• "sschueller" provided reasons: "Costs, existing infrastructure and alternatives (S-Bahn was extended) and fears that the local businesses above would loose foot traffic if people are no longer traveling above ground with the trams."
• "arccy" and "joshvm" debated the merits of trams versus metros in Zurich.
• "rsynnott" questioned the logic of trams switching sides for single-sided doors, and "fredoralive" and "nemetroid" discussed the practicalities and cost-benefit of such designs.

Exclusion of Ukrainian Stations

The omission of Ukrainian stations and the subsequent discussion on security implications was a significant, albeit brief, point.

• "walterlw" expressed sadness at the exclusion of Kyiv and Kharkiv stations, highlighting their importance as shelters during air raids.
• "rjsw" questioned the rationale, suggesting it might be to hinder enemy planning.
• This was met with skepticism by "moffkalast," "pessimizer," and "StopDisinfo910," who argued that Russia likely already possessed detailed information about these stations and that controlling information flow is a strategic imperative.
• "konart" added that many stations were built during Soviet times, implying Russia would have original maps.
• "baubino" explained why agencies typically safeguard detailed plans due to security concerns learned from experience with projects like the New York subway.