City of the Rising Sun

As usual, I tried to get away from standard sunrise pics by getting something else in the shot, yet again, it's the Cologne-Duisburg line crossing through Leverkusen.

What I liked about this one is that the sun is partially concealed behind the smoke from a chimney. It is actually a waste-to-energy plant, in case you're wondering. I think the partially concealed sun makes the gleaming railheads and of course the train much more prominent, and I also liked the colour and composition. Makes one feel good to be where civilisation is, where the trains go by, high voltage in the sky

Typical scene, a five car double decker is pushed towards Leverkusen through the snowy fields, with one small oddity: Instead of a class 146 (built starting 1997) the train is pushed by a class 111 (built between 1974 and 84). While it's a standard configuration on many lines with double deckers, the two lines that come by here always use the 146. I pass this spot twice every day in such a train, going to and coming from university, about 50 kilometers behind my back in Duisburg.