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But why?

A platform conductor once (maybe 15 years ago) explained to me that taking photos of the train entering the station was forbidden because the flash could distract the train operator at the crucial moment where a person falls into the trench. There was a sign posted, that's why I asked.

Back then I thought this to be a very rare edge-case and it seems to be. But since then I personally witnessed persons falling into the trench twice. Furthermore I learned that railway and train operators take security pretty seriously, because anything that could go wrong probably kills you.

It's interesting how many anti-photography that are actually just anti-flash rules, and they're becoming close to obsolete. Today's cell phone cameras handle low light conditions so well that the flash is hardly ever used.

True! But there are also a lot of people who let their flash settings on auto all the time. I guess a LED flash is just as distracting as an old-school flash, even if it is not as bright.

Somewhat similarly, you can take a bicycle onto a UK train platform (and onto the train), but the lights have to be off, so a driver doesn't see your red light and slam on the brakes.

I don't know.

One hypothesis is he didn't like my skin color. Maybe it was too soon after 2001.

And after the 2004 train bombings in Madrid

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