New York Subway Drivers: An Exploration In Portraiture

Any contemporary urbanite knows the frustration of waiting for a late subway, or sprinting downstairs to catch the doors before they close, but have you ever considered the people who keep track of it all?

For the 4.3 million people who utilize the New York City subway every day, subway operators appear simultaneously invisible and essential. Dutch photographer Janus van den Eijnden pays homage to those that keep the system running as smoothly and efficiently as possible in his photo series entitled ‘New York Subway Drivers’. The images highlight the expressions of subway drivers of the MTA, adding a human element to the workers that often remain faceless to the average rider.

New York Subway Drivers

New York Subway Drivers

‘New York Subway Drivers’ encourages people to see a human component within the vast machinery that makes up the metropolitan subway. The candid photographs often catch the drivers in moments of peace or lost in a train of thought, contrasting the chaotic reputation of the New York subway. Perhaps the portraits will make you think twice about the person behind the wheel on your morning commute.