4 ms·

In the Netherlands, several years ago they changed the rule for closing the doors: the rule used to be that (if the train is on time, which is actually the case

by gpvos 9y ago

In the Netherlands, several years ago they changed the rule for closing the doors: the rule used to be that (if the train is on time, which is actually the case about 90% of the time here) the train doors didn't close before departure time, so what happened was that the whistle was blown just before the departure minute and the doors started to close at the top of the minute or a few seconds after it. Now the rule is that the train should depart at the top of the minute, so everything is shifted about 10 to 15 seconds earlier. A change that really has no benefit for anyone. But I wonder what the rule for this is in other countries?

nicoburns 9y ago
In the UK "Doors may close up to 30 seconds before the advertised departure time" is regularly announced at most train stations.
hanoz 9y ago
In my part of the UK the system is that the guard closes every door except the one he's leaning out of, typically around 5 to 10 minutes after the scheduled departure time. Someone then looms in to view at the other end of the platform upon whom the guard takes pity but inexplicably refuses to open the other doors and the passenger is compelled to run the entire length of the train to board at the guard's door.
- gpvos 9y ago
  Minutes or seconds? I'm talking about the case where the train is basically on time. Although from what I've heard, people in the UK don't have much experience with that... (j/k)
  - moogie 9y ago
    you joke, but the train I get everyday into London is only on time if I'm a minute late. Otherwise it's pretty much always 2-10 minutes behind schedule.
  - Symbiote 9y ago
    Seconds. Intercity trains might close the doors 30 seconds before departure, or 60 in some cases (like the starting station if it's a major one). Otherwise, 15 seconds is about normal, with one final door closed by the guard immediately before departure. > Although from what I've heard Don't believe everything you hear. After drinking tea, moaning is Britain's favourite pasttime. Railways in Britain are very similar to the Netherlands: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2017/transportation-travel-tourism-2017-european-railway-performance-index.aspx https://www.bcg.com/publications/2017/transportation-travel-...
athenot 9y ago
This is definitely a luxury in contrast to airplanes whose boarding often closes 15 minutes prior to departure time (giving extra exta time to fit in standby passenger, etc).
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
_nalply 9y ago
The local train operator RBS (Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn, a metre gauge line, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regionalverkehr_Bern-Solothurn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regionalverkehr_Bern-Solothurn) usually leaves exactly fifteen seconds after departure time. Doors close usually five seconds before. There's a local bus waiting at the platform of the Papiermühle stop. When the train arrives, people walk across the platform (five meters) and thirty seconds later the bus leaves. The bus has a tight schedule. Bus drivers usually sportily speed uphill to the end stop and downhill back, so people can transfer to a different train back to Bern already arriving.

by gpvos 9y ago

nicoburns 9y ago

In the UK "Doors may close up to 30 seconds before the advertised departure time" is regularly announced at most train stations.

hanoz 9y ago

In my part of the UK the system is that the guard closes every door except the one he's leaning out of, typically around 5 to 10 minutes after the scheduled departure time. Someone then looms in to view at the other end of the platform upon whom the guard takes pity but inexplicably refuses to open the other doors and the passenger is compelled to run the entire length of the train to board at the guard's door.

gpvos 9y ago
Minutes or seconds? I'm talking about the case where the train is basically on time. Although from what I've heard, people in the UK don't have much experience with that... (j/k)
- moogie 9y ago
  you joke, but the train I get everyday into London is only on time if I'm a minute late. Otherwise it's pretty much always 2-10 minutes behind schedule.
- Symbiote 9y ago
  Seconds. Intercity trains might close the doors 30 seconds before departure, or 60 in some cases (like the starting station if it's a major one). Otherwise, 15 seconds is about normal, with one final door closed by the guard immediately before departure. > Although from what I've heard Don't believe everything you hear. After drinking tea, moaning is Britain's favourite pasttime. Railways in Britain are very similar to the Netherlands: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2017/transportation-travel-tourism-2017-european-railway-performance-index.aspx https://www.bcg.com/publications/2017/transportation-travel-...

athenot 9y ago

This is definitely a luxury in contrast to airplanes whose boarding often closes 15 minutes prior to departure time (giving extra exta time to fit in standby passenger, etc).

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

_nalply 9y ago

The local train operator RBS (Regionalverkehr Bern-Solothurn, a metre gauge line, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regionalverkehr_Bern-Solothurn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regionalverkehr_Bern-Solothurn) usually leaves exactly fifteen seconds after departure time. Doors close usually five seconds before. There's a local bus waiting at the platform of the Papiermühle stop. When the train arrives, people walk across the platform (five meters) and thirty seconds later the bus leaves. The bus has a tight schedule. Bus drivers usually sportily speed uphill to the end stop and downhill back, so people can transfer to a different train back to Bern already arriving.