WorkPhotography

Underground Landscapes: Fascinating photographs of subway tunnels across the world

When German photographer Timo Stammberger was a kid, his grandfather often took him on trips to a nearby train station, which happened to be adjacent to a freight train yard.

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Via Creative Boom submission. All images courtesy of Timo Stammberger

Via Creative Boom submission. All images courtesy of Timo Stammberger

He immediately became fascinated by the atmosphere of the track landscape, the thunderous sound of trains passing by, followed by a complete calm. He's been a 'track romantic' ever since, and in 2003, through a former interest in graffiti writing, he started to explore and photograph the underground track landscapes of the cities he lived in: Barcelona, Berlin, Frankfurt and New York.

Thus launched his ongoing series Underground Landscapes. He explained: "Subway tunnels are part of a large, well-branched mass transit system that is used by many people on a daily basis. In Berlin, for example, carrying an average of 1.4 million passengers per day. Public transportation plays an immense role in the daily life of today's metropolises and has interwoven itself deep into the cityscapes. Rarely, however, do passengers get to see the real beauty of subway tunnels as they travel on their journey through the underground of cities. This quiet world lies below the surface of our daily life. Touched by many, but explored by very few."

Underground Landscapes depicts subway tunnels of cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, New York, Philadelphia, Lisbon, Barcelona, Stockholm, Dortmund, Prague, Budapest and Vienna. Discover more at www.timostammberger.com.

Long subway tunnel with railway tracks disappearing into darkness, concrete walls and overhead cables lit by distant light
Long straight subway tunnel with parallel railway tracks, overhead cables and recessed lighting stretching into the distance, taken by photographer Timo Stammberger
A straight subway tunnel lit by overhead lights, with curved concrete walls and railway tracks receding into the distance, photographed by Timo Stammberger
A subway train sits stationary in a dimly lit tunnel with concrete walls, railway tracks and overhead lighting stretching into the distance
Illuminated subway tunnel with railway tracks stretching into the distance, flanked by concrete pillars and golden-lit walls
Illuminated subway tunnel curving into the distance with warm yellow lighting, shot by photographer Timo Stammberger
Symmetrical subway tunnel with curved track stretching into the distance, lined with tiled walls and overhead fluorescent lighting
Underground railway tunnel with illuminated track infrastructure, metal railings and support beams stretching into darkness
Railway tracks stretch through a dimly lit subway tunnel with blue-green atmospheric lighting and a distant light source visible ahead
Curved subway tunnel with parallel train tracks stretching into the distance, lit by overhead fluorescent lights and flanked by concrete pillars and tiled walls
Illuminated subway tunnel with railway tracks, concrete pillars and metal infrastructure, photographed at night by Timo Stammberger
Brightly lit blue subway tunnel with curved ceiling and railway tracks stretching into darkness, concrete platform and stairs visible on the right side
Railway tracks curve through an illuminated underground tunnel with concrete walls and metal railings on either side
Overhead view of subway tracks with scattered gravel ballast, weathered concrete walls marked with chalk notes, and metal ventilation grilles, shot by photographer Timo Stammberger
Industrial subway tunnel with steel support columns, yellow and black striped wall panels, and overhead lighting stretching into the distance
Underground subway tunnel stretching into the distance with neon ceiling lights, railway tracks and brick walls
Illuminated underground subway tunnel with railway tracks running through the centre, flanked by brick walls and supporting columns, stretching into darkness ahead
Underground train tracks curve through an illuminated tunnel with blue lighting, concrete pillars and metal stairs visible along the platform
Symmetrical subway tunnel with railway tracks receding into distance, lit by overhead lights along arched brick walls
Abandoned underground train platform with yellow safety markings, railway tracks, industrial lighting and weathered concrete walls stretching into the distance
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