A stunning look at the world's most beautiful train stations

All aboard

A scenic train journey is on almost every traveller's wish list. And whether it's through verdant countryside or rugged mountains, in the lap of luxury or standard class, every railway trip has to start and stop somewhere. From classical masterpieces to modern marvels, step onboard our tour of beautiful train stations around the globe.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai, India

Formerly known as Victoria Station, this Victorian Gothic Revival masterpiece is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most famous buildings in Mumbai. Built over 10 years from 1878, it's an outstanding example of how two cultures – British and Indian – influenced each other. British architects worked alongside Indian craftsmen to include details specific to Indian architectural tradition, like the remarkable stone dome and pointed arches typical of Indian palaces.

Grand Central Terminal, New York City, USA

Opened in 1913, Grand Central was always intended to welcome the city's visitors with grandeur. Its lofty arches and marble façade hide practical design and innovative engineering that combine elegance with efficiency. The station invigorated Manhattan's Midtown and was a seen as a splendid monument to the nation's financial, commercial and cultural capital. Today it's become one of New York City's most well-known landmarks.

Liège-Guillemins, Liège, Belgium

An important hub for high-speed trains travelling between Paris, Frankfurt and Dortmund, the breathtaking Liège-Guillemins station in Belgium is a modern masterpiece designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Completed in 2009, it has a vaulted glass, steel and white concrete canopy that covers five platforms and extends more than 476 feet (145m).

Dunedin station, Dunedin, New Zealand

Often called the Gingerbread House, Dunedin station's white Oamaru limestone on black basalt rock gives it its characteristic appearance. Although no longer a working station, it remains one of Dunedin's most prominent landmarks and is open to public to marvel at the ornate interiors and exterior. A restaurant takes up much of the ground floor and the adjacent car park is transformed into the Otago Farmers Market every Saturday.

Antwerpen-Centraal, Antwerp, Belgium

Antwerpen-Centraal is an eclectic, ornate building from the outside and an engineering masterpiece from the inside. The stone-clad terminus building, finished in 1905, impresses with a vast dome above the waiting hall and modern tracks, built above each other on four levels. Considered one of the most beautiful stations in the world, it's a great example of how historic architecture and modern engineering can co-exist in harmony.

Milano Centrale, Milan, Italy

Opened more than 80 years ago, the station's imposing façade is just one of its impressive details. Modelled after Union Station in Washington DC, Milano Centrale opened in 1931. Adorned with a number of sculptures, it's a mix of many architectural styles, most prominently Art Deco and Art Nouveau.

Istanbul Sirkeci Terminal, Istanbul, Turkey

Located on the European side of Istanbul, this station was built in 1890 by the Oriental Railway as the eastern terminus of the Orient Express. Today the station offers services to Belgrade, Bucharest and Budapest, and houses a small museum with artefacts related to the Ottoman railways and the history of the station.

Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique, Maputo, Mozambique

It's easy to see why this station is always ranked among the world's most beautiful. Its pastel green Beaux-Arts exterior, combined with marble pillars and wrought iron latticework contribute to its ornate appearance. In addition to the train station, the building also has a museum and hosts regular music events.

Madrid Atocha, Madrid, Spain

Not all stations boast a tropical botanical garden and a turtle sanctuary. In fact, there's only one – Atocha station in Madrid. The original building dates back to 1851 and the garden occupies what was the old train landing area prior to the station's expansion. There are more than 7,000 plants from around 260 different species living under the arched skylight. You'll also find a large selection of shops, cafés and a nightclub around the perimeter.

Helsingin päärautatieasema, Helsinki, Finland

A stunning example of Helsinki's Art Nouveau buildings, the station was opened in 1919. Defined by its imposing central arch, high clock tower and two pairs of statues holding lamps on either side of the entrance, the station is Finland's most-visited building due to the large commuter and tourist numbers. It's also estimated that more than 400,000 people a day check the time in the clock tower when passing the station.

Amsterdam Centraal, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Designed by Pierre Cuypers, also the architect of Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, the station is a combination of Gothic and Renaissance Revival styles. Designed to celebrate and glorify the country's economic and colonial power at the time, the building first opened in 1889 and has been an unmissable attraction since.

Kuala Lumpur railway station, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Another stunning example of mixing a variety of styles, this Neo-Moorish building with an Islamic exterior and a typical Victorian-era English interior is among some of the city's most photographed landmarks. While the building was under construction there was a considerable delay because the rooftop design didn't meet the British standards. It had to be able to support three feet (1m) of snow – pretty unlikely, considering the city's year-round hot and humid weather.

Estação Ferroviária de São Bento, Porto, Portugal

Opened in 1916, the real beauty of this train station lies inside. The main hall's walls are covered in more than 20,000 blue and white tiles depicting Portugal's history. The azulejo ceramic tiles were painted by a famous artist Jorge Colaço and took 11 years to finish. Built on the site of a former Benedictine monastery, it's the gateway to the picturesque Douro Valley.

Gare de Lyon, Paris, France

The third busiest station in France, Paris' Gare de Lyon was built for the 1900 Paris Exposition and is a perfect example of the period's architecture. The building's 220-foot (67m) tall clock tower rises high above the Place Louis-Armand and resembles the style of the Elizabeth Tower, home of Big Ben, in London. The station is also home to the legendary restaurant Le Train Bleu that's been serving food and drink to travellers since 1901.

Kanazawa Station, Kanazawa, Japan

Kanazawa Station in Japan is a perfect blend of modern architecture with a nod to tradition – symbolism and connections to the city's history can be spotted in both the exterior and interior details. The most striking part of the station is its wooden gate, resembling the traditional torii gate which is usually found at the entrance to a Japanese shrine. From afar, the building takes on the shape of a traditional samurai helmet. Kanazawa is a city of culture and its heritage crafts of woodwork and ceramics are reflected throughout the station.

Kazansky railway terminal, Moscow, Russia

Even though Moscow's biggest train station is spectacular from the outside, it's the inside that hides a surprising secret. Once a high-end restaurant, now a business class lounge, its ceilings are covered in frescoes depicting economic development, new Soviet republics and workers' marches. The unique combination of styles is due to the fact that the interior work was started before the Russian Revolution, depicting the opulence of Imperial Russia.

Union Station, Chicago, USA

Best known for its grand main hall, Chicago's Union Station features a 219 feet (67m) long barrel-vaulted skylight that soars 115 feet (35m) above the floor. In 2015, Amtrak, who own the station, renovated it completely, including replacing the worn staircases with marble from the original quarry near Rome. The restoration was complete in 2018 and the station has been a popular stop on many guided tours around the city.

Flinders Street Station, Melbourne, Australia

The first railway station in Australia, Flinders Street has been at the heart of Melbourne since 1854. A cultural icon of the city, the building is defined by its Art Nouveau dome, clock tower and arched entrance, which, over time, has turned into a popular meeting spot in the city. The station also has a resident ghost called George. He appears on platform 10 holding fishing gear, seeming somewhat lost and then vanishes as he gazes out at the Yarra River.

Luz Station, São Paulo, Brazil

The station was first built in Glasgow, UK by Walter Macfarlane & Co Saracen Foundry, then disassembled and transported to Brazil where it was reassembled and opened in 1901. For decades, the station tower dominated the city's skyline and its clock was the reference to all the other clocks in São Paulo. Now, even though the cityscape has changed dramatically, the station is a reminder of the city's history when coffee import and export was a major source of income to the city.

Gare de Metz-Ville, Metz, France

A registered historic monument, this railway station serving the city of Metz, the capital of Lorraine in France, is often referred to as the Station Palace. When Metz was annexed into the German Empire, Kaiser William II decided the city needed to be "Germanified" so the station's design was adjusted to meet his Rhenish Romanesque Revival style requirements. When he came to visit Metz with his wife, they had private apartments within the station that today serve as the offices for the SNCF Railway Company.

Hua Hin station, Hua Hin, Thailand

Built during the reign of King Rama VI in 1910, Hua Hin became a royal seaside getaway thanks to its easy access from Bangkok. The town was gradually built around the station and European expatriates would travel from Penang and Singapore for a beach holiday. By 1926, Hua Hin had a luxury hotel, two royal palaces and a nine-hole golf course. Today, it's a popular tourist attraction and day trip destination.

Estação do Oriente, Lisbon, Portugal

One of Lisbon's main transport hubs, Estação do Oriente is an unusual looking structure with Gothic-inspired steel and glass lattice covering the platforms. It was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava in 1995 and the station opened in 1998 as part of the celebrations marking the Expo '98 world's fair.

Gare de Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco

The new, larger and improved Gare de Marrakech opened its doors to passengers in 2008 (the station was originally housed in an adjacent building from 1923). Located just opposite the Royal Theatre in the city's French Quarter, the station is easy on the eyes with a sophisticated mix of traditional Islamic architecture and modern materials. Offering connections to Casablanca and Fes, the station is just as beautiful on the inside with imposing columns lining the main hall.

Union Station, Los Angeles, USA

Widely regarded as the last of the great train stations, LA's Union Station was built in 1939. The station's signature Mission Revival style makes it one of the city's most distinct buildings. Inside, the spacious ticket hall was equipped with a wooden ticket counter crafted from American black walnut and massive Art Deco chandeliers still hang from the ceiling in the vast waiting room. Although most of the station has remained largely unchanged, the original ticket lobby is now closed to the public and rented out for private events or used as a filming location.

Rotterdam Centraal, Rotterdam, Netherlands

One of the Netherlands' most important transport hubs, the station serves just as many travellers as Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. An excellent example of how ultra-modern architecture can fit seamlessly into a cityscape, Rotterdam Centraal's stainless steel-clad roof points to the heart of the city and the main hall opens up to a large public space often used for various events.

Taipei Main Station, Taipei, Taiwan

One of the busiest stations in Asia and a major hub in Taiwan's rail network, Taipei Main Station impresses with its sheer size. Servicing more than 190 million passengers every year, the building hides a vast underground network with shopping streets, food courts and tunnels, connecting five different public transport options converging at the station.

Bahnhof Uelzen, Uelzen, Germany

An unusual building to see in northern Germany, Uelzen railway station dazzles with asymmetric colourful pillars covered in mosaics and ceramic tiles, golden balls adorning the roof and a disco ball-like dome at the back. One of the last works by Austrian modernist artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, it was thanks to him the station received a complete makeover in 2000 for the Expo 2000 world fair.

Penn Station, Pittsburgh, USA

Described as "one of the great pieces of Beaux-Arts architecture in America" by The New Yorker art critic Brendan Gill, this is Pittsburgh's only 20th-century station still in use. Officially called Union Station but referred to as Penn Station by locals, its most stunning feature is the street-level rotunda made from brown terracotta that resembles brownstone. The station's grand appearance is a monument to the glamorous days of rail travel in America.

Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, Anaheim, USA

Drawing inspiration from the imposing main halls of stations like Grand Central and the structural elegance of airship hangars, Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, better known as ARTIC, is a stunning example of modern engineering. The station's entrance is an impressive 120-foot (37m) glass wall that leads into a spacious lobby with ticketing counters and waiting areas. At night, both the interior and exterior are lit up with colourful lights.

Keleti pályaudvar, Budapest, Hungary

Severely damaged during both World Wars, Budapest's Keleti station has regained its former glory thanks to extensive repair and restoration work finished in 2014. Originally opened 130 years earlier (in 1884), the station impressed the public with its imposing dimensions – the central hall was 590 feet (180m) long and 103 feet (31.4m) tall. Statues of James Watt, who perfected the steam engine, and George Stephenson, who created the first steam locomotive, stand on either side of the façade.

Manarola station, Cinque Terre, Italy

Perched on a cliff in Italy's Cinque Terre, Manarola station is just a regular train station. However, it's the view from the platforms that makes it extra special. With beautiful cliffside vistas on either side and the blue expanse of the Ligurian Sea ahead, it's definitely one of the most picturesque settings for a train station.

Union Station, Washington DC, USA

The second busiest Amtrak station in the country, Union Station in Washington DC was originally a rundown building called an "embarrassment to the federal government" in the 1980s. Now it's been transformed into one of the most beautiful stations in the world. After undergoing an extensive restoration project, the station reopened in its present form in 1988.

St Pancras International, London, UK

After celebrating its 150th birthday in 2018, St Pancras International remains one of London's most important train stations, providing domestic services and international links to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and more. A wonder of Victorian engineering, the station suffered serious damage in 1942 when a bomb damaged the roof and platforms 3 and 4. However, it was back in operation after only a week of intensive repairs. The station's façade is most recognisable as the stand-in for King's Cross in the Harry Potter films.

Haydarpaşa Terminal, Istanbul, Turkey

No longer an operating station, Haydarpaşa is one of the city's most important landmarks and a symbolic gateway between the East and the West. Built in 1908, it allowed travellers from the Orient Express to take a boat across the Bosphorus from Sirecki Terminal and continue their journey to the rest of Turkey and towards Baghdad. Currently, the station houses a museum dedicated to its history, however, there are plans to renovate the building and integrate the station into the Marmaray railway network.

Now discover America's most beautiful train stations