Thread by @lewis_goodall

Another day another station. This time Rzeszów, filled with refugees to take them to Krakow, Warsaw and beyond,

Every carriage packed to the rafters

Train to Krakow. At this time on a Monday guard says this train would normally be almost empty. Instead it’s taking refugees to the rest of Poland and beyond.

A quietly moving display on the carriage. This little boy hasn’t left his Father’s embrace for a moment. Has clearly been crying.

Polish government has provided free train travel for refugees to take them to wherever they need to go in the country.

The scale of the many acts of generosity in Poland is remarkable. We just pulled into a station. Seconds later a volunteer appears at the train door, asks “Ukrainian?” and starts handing out bags of fresh bread, baby formula and supplies. It’s needed-minutes later it’s all gone.

Even busier just before Krakow.

We pull into Krakow. Yet more desperate to get on.

Astonishing scenes at Krakow station. Almost every inch taken up with refugees, trying to work out their next move.

The scale of the exodus taking place is difficult to compute.

Just spoke to Galia. She’s 17, been travelling from Odessa for a week with her mum. Just 2 weeks ago she was at school, preparing for her exams. Now she has no idea when she’ll return, whether can she can finish her education, or when she’ll see her Dad again. Total upheaval.

Another family- a great grandmother, a mother and a child. They’ve been travelling for a week. When I asked what the journey had been like, the Mum (Irina), took a deep breath looked up at the sky, and said, almost to herself, “hell.”

Spoke to two young women from Kharkiv. They said their home buildings have been shelled. They told us comms are intermittent so they can never be sure if their families are alive. When I asked what they thought of Putin one replied, instantly: “Global terrorist number one.”

Always try and take the phone numbers of those we speak to so we can keep track. This humble (and humbling) response is really common. We’ve been struck by just how many are so keen to share their stories, for the world to know what turmoil has been brought to their lives.

You’ll notice how the pictures are dominated by women and children. Normally they’re the ones left behind in war- this time they’re the ones leaving. It’s transforming Ukraine and Central Europe too.

Same thing happened at Krakow.

The thing about this, as with so much happening in Poland, is how organic it is. Yes the Polish govt is doing a huge amount, especially in terms of co-ordinating arrivals. But so much of what is sustaining arrivals are small, spontaneous acts of charity from millions of Poles.