I think this is Capitol Hill station. Looks awesome. Nice station art touch! #NonstopTrains

It *is* very Swiss indeed… you can get a day pass and there are no ticket barriers to pass. Plus this is “kid-safe”; wife and son stayed at hotel when I “test-drove” the New York Subway but this system was safe enough for three journeys across four stations so yes defo not an issue. #NonstopTrains

As a Zürcher this looks actually like the underground Zürich tram/metro “dual-use” (de facto) stations that have been used in full. There appears to be four tram sets connected… almost Metro capacity. #NonstopTrains

The tram or rather light rail system here is known as Link. The bit I travelled on today appears to be the most established part, opened in 2003. #NonstopTrains

I have descended upon Washington… but it’s Washington State, not so much the District of Columbia…
Specifically, the city of Seattle. And in particular, its tram system… #NonstopTrains

So yes — that’s it so far.
Oh yes — Safeguard Your Stuff!…
#NonstopTrains

Seattle then Vancouver next…

A London-ish element I loved though — the station art.
Got myself a MetroCard for USD 10. It’s a product of a dying era and I don’t want to miss out when it’s gone…
Everyone can tap in and tap out these days… #NonstopTrains

Alas, accessibility is also not a given…
But one plus on the New York Subway? Repetitive signs telling you where you are. For someone with Long Covid like me this is a blessing. #NonstopTrains

The Subway can be a bit of a labyrinth. It’s also text-intensive and I can’t seem to find a simple route map like across much of Greater China. #NonstopTrains

The New York Subway is next… at 125th Street station. I m had to ensure my train was a 4 or 5 Train… in green… headed back to Grand Central… route numbers proved to be quite a learning curve for me… #NonstopTrains

Harlem - 125th Street station dates back from 1874. The current facilities date from twenty years after. I used the direct access point — alas forgot the concourse. #NonstopTrains

Fair bit of train movements. Here they appear like cars — travelling on the right-hand side instead of the left. #NonstopTrains

Harlem - 125th Street. We have arrived. Here it looks a bit like an East Rail line stop on the East Rail line in Hong Kong. Above-ground. Some in Hong Kong have two island platforms as well (such as Sha Tin I believe). #NonstopTrains

New York is ginormous but this bit is the one where you don’t have all those super-tall towers one next to the other all the time. #NonstopTrains

Shortly before arriving at 125th Street station the train emerges above-ground… now having a Shanghai Metro Line 3 moment… 😂 #NonstopTrains

Tick — as part of my digital logbook… #NonstopTrains

There appears just one class of travel, I would call it Standard Class in the UK, and seating is like that in at least China — 3+2 — I faintly remember some UK trains *might* be that as well… M8 rolling stock from 2011. #NonstopTrains

My 13:04 Metro-North Railroad New Haven line service. Red belt. Not too bad. #NonstopTrains

Yes, Trains in America!
To find out which stops this train served I had to ask for the Train Manager, in Americanese 😂 the Conductor, and I had to go to the far front — nope didn’t find him — turned back — pic snap — finally found him — asked — yes right train — boarded. #NonstopTrains

Headed to the Trains now. Grand Central, platform level.
Full Euston cum maybe New York Subway experience, actually…
Super different than taking a train in China from say Zhengzhou East, or Beijing South… #NonstopTrains

My train is timetabled to depart from Platform 15, or Track 15 in USA Trains Parlance.
Just a member of staff there. Tickets are checked onboard. Don’t think I have seen turnstiles.
BTW: if you buy a paper ticket make sure to ask it back after onboard crew check it — or they keep it! #NonstopTrains

And now, to the Trains.
Was in Euston last time 2016-ish and I heard they redid the Departures board in a really ad-spammy way.
Whilst not optimal here at Grand Central either, at least they’re not next to enormous LEDs advertising mic foam covers. 😂 So yes. Useability considered. #NonstopTrains

How can you NOT love Grand Central’s ginormous hall?
This station should be on the bucket list of every Trains person!… #NonstopTrains

Welcome to the Macintosh Express.
There’s no Starbucks in the hall here, unlike Boston South, but as a Mac user since 1991, back in the days when our sworn enemy were the MS (Microsoft) imperialists, it was a delight seeing our “digital revolutionary fortress” here at Grand Central. #NonstopTrains

America is a weird place. If you pay cash at some establishments you get a better deal. But then your wallet itself becomes enormous with a billion trillion coins. So THAT didn’t work too well… had to offload these at the ticket machines. #NonstopTrains

So first off I needed tickets. For at least one station so I can say, in future, onstage holding a microphone with my trademark enormous thick soft squishy foam cover 😂 that I’ve taken Trains to/from Grand Central. Machines also speak Chinese but some bits still appear untranslated. #NonstopTrains

Finally there… in the heart of the action at Grand Central.
La Madame & Jr supposedly took a lunch break so was set free, on a Rail Vacation. 😂 So there is plenty more time to check out the station for real. #NonstopTrains

This bit reminds me a little to the interchange passageway at Yongdingmenwai interchange in Beijing. Using support columns for station art. Like! #NonstopTrains

This in fact reminds me to the “down” stairs at Beijing South railway station when they redid the security access system. Before you could go from the HSR hall to the Transfer hall by escalator. Now it’s all stairs. The stairs at Grand Central maintained a bit better. #NonstopTrains

…and the New York Subway…

Some are thinking I must be mad for trying. If you’re not robbed, aren’t you going to be eaten by Dracula? Dangerous system!…

Hold it, it’s not as horrific as some would make you think it is… #NonstopTrains