Café with a view. Expansive departure hall. Tianjin West Railway Station 2019[Photo by Bruce Connolly/chinadaily.com.cn]

For much of the first half of the 20th century China suffered from wars and civil strife. Railways developed little; indeed by 1978 the passenger network remained quite basic. People did not travel far, there were few holidays, and disposable income, if any, was relatively small. The stations reflected this, mostly serving a few trains daily. However 1978 was significant. China embarked on a period of 'reform and opening up', people started moving and in large numbers. Southern China, particularly Guangdong's Pearl River Delta, began experiencing 'double-digit' growth resulting in many migrating and moving south for work and business opportunities. Soon, the existing stations and rail services had difficulty coping, something by 1992 I was personally experiencing in Guangzhou.