Millions
of commuters all around the world use some form of transportation to
get around. When we're going through our daily commutes, we don't
think of what amenities we'd like if we had designed the station.
Most stations are designed with a decent food court, a handful of
shopping boutiques and hopefully, sanitary restrooms. Little do we
think about how well designed a station is as well. Some train
stations go that extra mile and really get travelers to stop in their
steps.

Atocha
Station: Madrid,
Spain

This
historical station was the first railway station of the city of
Madrid in 1851. Unfortunately, it is also in the history books for
one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Europe in 2004. Luckily,
travelers remember the beauty of the station by its aboriginal
greenhouse. Stop and take a breath of fresh air in the station and
observe the gorgeous tropical lush forest. Look out for "The
Traveler's Tree"; a huge banana tree with the myth that anyone
who makes a wish in front of it will have their wish come true.

Court
Street Station: Brooklyn, NY

In reality, Court Street station
is not a functional subway station for New York commuters. What a
great way to preserve an old station by turning it into a museum. To
commemorate the United States Bicentennial in 1976, the New York City
Transit museum opened in this former subway station. Located on the
corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, the creative museum
is home to subway memorabilia, vintage subway cars and a trip down
history lane. There is no greater place than to learn about one of
the most important parts of New York City history than through its
massive mass transit system.

Ushuaia Station, Tierra del Fuego,
Argentina

Have you ever told anyone you love them
so much you'd go to the end of the world for them? Prove them right
by visiting the Ushuaia Railway station in Argentina. It literally is
known as the train station at the end of the world. There is even an
End of the World Train (Tren del Fin del Mundo) to make your unusual
visit even more spectacular.

Otherwise known as the “Railway Cathedral”, it is probably the most breath taking railway station in the world. The original station was constructed in 1895 and a more than a century later is known to be the finest example of railway architecture. What really put this station on the map was a flash mob event in 2009 when 200 dancers from a Belgian reality show took over the station for a massive performance. (To perform Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music.) What else could passengers do but join in?

Shibuya Station: Tokyo, Japan

In an average weekday, about 2.4 million passengers pass through this
station. The main building is occupied by a huge department store.
This is convenient for those 2.4 million people. If you've ever seen
a movie placed in Tokyo, you probably recognize the scramble
crossings. Nearby the station lies a statue of a dog named Hachiko
where it is known to be a popular meeting place after passing through
the scramble. Also, little do commuters know that there is an
underground river running under the station. This is why the
department store does not have a basement floor. Usually, it is
illegal to build over public space (A River is public space in
Japan), which makes this subway station so unique, and politically
incorrect.

Have you traveled through these stations? What are some other stations that stand out in your mind?