12 November 2025 · Utrecht
Utrecht before the first trains
Stations have a second life before their timetables take over: cleaners, early coffee, illuminated platforms and long stretches of polished floor.
Outside, the station district was all reflections. Office windows answered the lights below, while the older streets beyond were still mostly dark. A handful of cyclists passed in silence.
I returned as the departure boards began changing more quickly. The quiet interval had ended; the city was becoming a network again.