The Ekiben Podcast is a cute, compact, lovingly curated lunchbox of nerdy train goodness. Hosts Cara Gerard and Jared Peterson love everything to do with trains and rail travel, and in each episode they regale one another with enthusiastic, shakily-sourced stories about trains, stations, routes, journeys and connections that have sparked their interest.
Jared talks about his favourite line of his favourite urban rail system in his favourite country. Cara talks about the old junk that makes subways very expensive.
Cara's sources:
https://www.grunge.com/103340/artifacts-found-building-subway-systems/?utm_campaign=clip
https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/underground-transit-projects-reveal-secrets-buried-beneath-cities
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36311156
https://www.dailysabah.com/history/2018/03/02/second-century-luxurious-commanders-house-found-in-rome-metro-dig
https://www.grunge.com/103340/artifacts-found-building-subway-systems/?utm_campaign=clip
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/construction-romes-newest-subway-line-revealing-trove-ancient-treasures-180969729/
https://www.afar.com/places/the-templo-mayor-ciudad-de-mexico
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pyramid-of-ehecatl
https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1146293.shtml
https://www.mic-ro.com/metro/archaeology.html
https://news.gtp.gr/2019/12/20/greek-decision-to-remove-thessaloniki-metro-station-finds-triggers-uproar/
https://blogs.worldbank.org/latinamerica/trains-future-and-past-history-and-archaeology-underground-transport-systems
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/amsterdam-museum-archaeologists-artefacts-river-amstel
https://www.inrap.fr/en/going-back-origins-algiers-archaeological-evaluation-place-des-martyrs-12148
https://blogs.worldbank.org/latinamerica/trains-future-and-past-history-and-archaeology-underground-transport-systems
https://globalvoices.org/2020/01/06/byzantine-pompeii-archaeological-discovery-in-greece-will-be-moved-to-make-way-for-the-thessaloniki-subway/
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/society/2017/3/13/algiers-commutes-back-in-time-with-metro-station-museum
https://www.francetraveltips.com/remains-of-the-bastille/
https://www.inkstonenews.com/china/how-history-blocks-xian-subway-progress/article/3004133
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prague_metro_Mustek_A_station_medieval_bridge_135.jpg
25 Oct 2020
Like a Matrioshka Doll, but with Rabbit Holes
#onafuturepodcast Episode 1 — our first mini MINI train snack! While fact checking some of the more dubious claims made in Episode 5, Cara goes down several rolling stock rabbit holes (the best kind). We only want the best, most up-to-date information on rolling stock that was retired decades ago for our dear listener!!
18 Oct 2020
The Chassis of a Great Dane
Cara introduces us to some four-legged and feathered train riders and stationmasters. Jared takes us for a ride on Toronto's Red Rocket. Cara's cats act like jerks.
Cara's sources:
https://hatchingcatnyc.com/category/dog-mascots/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachiko (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachiko)
http://travel.cnn.com/cat-saves-japanese-train-station-586471/
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/moscows-metro-dogs
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/cute-world-mascots/index.html
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/4/130424-animals-weird-cats-science-world-trains-buses/
https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/05/nyregion/tunnel-vision-waiting-for-the-a-train-the-sophisticated-pigeon.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/world/asia/fed-by-indians-monkeys-overwhelm-delhi.html?_r=0
Jared's sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_streetcar_system
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_streetcar_system_rolling_stock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birney_(Toronto_streetcar)
https://transittoronto.ca/streetcar/4509.shtml
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/now-40-years-old-the-clrv-streetcar-is-a-piece-of-toronto-history-that-almost-never-came-to-be-1.4460552
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ttc-bendy-streetcars-articulated-light-rail-vehicles-end-of-line-labour-day-1.5267535
https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/commuters-to-endure-botched-pronunciation-of-avenue-on-toronto-transit
11 Oct 2020
Anarchic Sporing
Jared talks about spores (and other flora and fungi of our underground networks). Cara geeks out on the complicated transportation options in Cold War Berlin. And we both talk about the food at Ikea WAY more than one would expect for a podcast about trains.
Cara's sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Berlin_S-Bahn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Berlin_U-Bahn
https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2012-05-21/friedrichstrasse-railway-station-berlin-maphead-ken-jennings
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-18044695
https://www.quora.com/How-did-West-Berliners-travel-to-West-Germany
Jared's sources:
https://interestingengineering.com/11-of-the-most-beautiful-metro-stations-across-the-world
http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Society/view?articleId=180632
https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2017/06/05/theres-a-garden-inside-a-tube-station-ticket-office/
https://ny.curbed.com/2020/2/19/21143608/lowline-underground-park-lower-east-side-is-dead
http://thelowline.org/about/project/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowline_(park)
https://wamu.org/story/15/10/09/in_damp_metro_tunnels_prehistoric_plants_thrive/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/please-dont-kill-the-sunflowers-the-phantom-planter-says-metro-destroyed-more-than-100-sunflowers-at-the-dupont-circle-station/2019/06/19/1cf3e5de-929e-11e9-aadb-74e6b2b46f6a_story.html
4 Oct 2020
Fish-flavoured Cheese
Even though YOU have known what our podcast is named for some weeks now, we just figured it out! Also, Cara talks a LOT about airports, considering that this is a train podcast. And Jared tells us about 大回り乗車 (that's oomawari jousha), AKA Around Japan for 140 Yen.
Cara's sources:
https://www.wired.com/2007/12/four-best-airpo/
https://www.wired.com/2007/11/four-worst-airp/
https://www.finavia.fi/en/newsroom/2016/pimp-my-ride-4-facts-about-new-escalators-helsinki-airport-train-station
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q82CyVlosCg (no longer the longest escalator in Finland, that's now Koivusaari Metro in Helsinki. If only there were a way that I could research these things ahead of time...)
Jared's sources:
https://tokyocheapo.com/travel/tokyo-train-140-yen/
https://tripnote.jp/kanto/train-travel-with-omawari-ticket (in Japanese)
https://skaoverlander.wordpress.com/2018/02/13/大回り乗車-oomawari-jousha-another-way-to-look-and-explore-tokyo-as-cheap-as-140-yen/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koLfWU5SUjw
27 Sept 2020
fyoo·ni·kyuh·lr v. fuh·ni·kyuh·luh
Cara actually lets Jared tell a story this time! In our second episode, Jared gushes about a veritable buffet of transit experiences in Hakone, Japan. Cara lovingly recounts the ups and downs (and backs and forths) of the world's oldest suspension railway, Germany's Wuppertaler Schwebebahn.
Jared's sources:
Wikis - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakone
/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakone_Tozan_Line
A look back - https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/article/857
The "neato" train stuff - https://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/fun/railway.php
The ropeway - https://web.archive.org/web/20070208133216/http://www.odakyu.jp/english/sightsee/hakone/transpor/Erope.html
If you wanna go - https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5202.html
Cara's sources:
Website and photos - https://www.schwebebahn.de/en/
Wiki - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuppertal_Schwebebahn
Swag swag swag - https://www.wuppertalshop.de/
High praise - https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/places-to-visit-2020/index.html
Cool video - https://observer.com/2020/09/flying-german-railway-movie-moma/
20 Sept 2020
History of the London Underground
Cara and Jared stumble their way through their first (unnamed) podcast about trains.
13 Sept 2020
Ekiben Podcast Intro
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Contact Ekiben Podcast
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Ekiben Podcast?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
