Tag Archives: commuters

Todmorden station, early (too goddamn early)

Wednesday 23rd September 2026, 7.30am (day 5,508)

At Tod, early, 23/9/26

I talked to a fellow commuter, someone I have been seeing at the station now and again for twenty years, on the journey home today. He observed that the one good thing to come out of lockdowns (2020, 2021, you were there too I’m sure) was that they made both employers and employees realise that working-from-home was feasible. Of course this doesn’t apply to every job but it does to many, like his: and mine too, though I was doing plenty of WFH even before this.

But on the other hand sometimes one just has to be there at 9am and lump it. Today was one of those days. And when that happens everyone on the train looks like this. At least it wasn’t standing room only.

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The horde arrives

Wednesday 22nd April 2026, 8.50am (day 5,354)

Victoria horde, 22/4/26

As will be made obvious by my photographs, I don’t go into Manchester every working day by any means. But when I do, if arriving on platforms 4 or 5 this will invariably be the first thing seen there. Up we all go, to then distribute ourselves through the city by some other means of locomotion.

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8am shift

Tuesday 17th June 2025, 8.05am (day 5,045)

Commuter crowd, 17/6/25

These days it’s 8:52 that is my more usual arrival time into Manchester Victoria, on days when I deign to show my face there. Today was early, for me. I had forgotten how much busier it is. Everyone is being sucked towards the ticket gates as if by a tractor beam.

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In our own worlds

Monday 3rd March 2025, 8.25am (day 4,939)

Commuter portraits, 3/3/25

Onto the 7:56 from Hebden Bridge we pack, a cattle truck most days. But the physical intimacy doesn’t mean social contact. Taking photos in these circumstances is some kind of transgression, isn’t it? But wrapped in their worlds, no one noticed.

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