4 ms·

Trains do NOT everywhere in continental Europe drive on the left (not in NL, DE, PL at least), but indeed they do in France (and Belgium). Always struck as funn

by brnt 2y ago

Trains do NOT everywhere in continental Europe drive on the left (not in NL, DE, PL at least), but indeed they do in France (and Belgium). Always struck as funny, because if driving on the RHS was about being different, you'd think trains would also. Maybe someone French has an insight. Another thing I consider funny: all former Dutch colonies drive LHS. Napoleonic influence never got there it seems.

mytailorisrich 2y ago
Actually, in the French Eastern areas that used to be part of Germany trains drive on the right and so I believe that regular trains between, say, Paris and Strasbourg change side on the way, but TGVs stay on the left. Now, as to why French train drive on the left, it seems that this is simply because French railways started in the early 19th century by copying what the British were doing (although according to Google the SNCF's official position is "absolutely not!" ;) )
soco 2y ago
What does for a train mean "driving on the left"? Trains don't overtake, they don't give priority, they don't drive through roundabouts, for all what matters they could drive on top of another and the experience would be exactly the same.
- robjwells 2y ago
  Imagine you’re standing on a double-track section. From your perspective, the track on the left leads away from you, the track on the right leads towards you. As to why: having this uniformity is useful in placing, eg, signals (which face in one direction). Much more confusing in railways is which track is the “up” line and which is the “down” line.
twic 2y ago
I once read that the Paris metro drives on the right, specifically so that it can't interoperate with the mainline railways. I wonder how true that is, though. The metro is sort of a glorified tramway, and trams have to operate the same way round as street traffic.
- grishka 2y ago
  How would that make them not interoperable? A metro system is just an underground electric railway. The only serious difference is how the power is delivered to the trains, it's usually some sort of third rail instead of an overhead wire. The whole "which side it drives on" is moot for trains. There exist regular railways with single-track sections that trains use in different directions. I've seen terminal metro stations with two platforms where only one is used, the train arrives and then goes back into the tunnel the way it came. Many metro systems have separate tunnels for each of the two tracks connecting two stations so this notion of driving on a particular side isn't applicable to them at all.

by brnt 2y ago

mytailorisrich 2y ago

Actually, in the French Eastern areas that used to be part of Germany trains drive on the right and so I believe that regular trains between, say, Paris and Strasbourg change side on the way, but TGVs stay on the left. Now, as to why French train drive on the left, it seems that this is simply because French railways started in the early 19th century by copying what the British were doing (although according to Google the SNCF's official position is "absolutely not!" ;) )

soco 2y ago

What does for a train mean "driving on the left"? Trains don't overtake, they don't give priority, they don't drive through roundabouts, for all what matters they could drive on top of another and the experience would be exactly the same.

robjwells 2y ago
Imagine you’re standing on a double-track section. From your perspective, the track on the left leads away from you, the track on the right leads towards you. As to why: having this uniformity is useful in placing, eg, signals (which face in one direction). Much more confusing in railways is which track is the “up” line and which is the “down” line.

twic 2y ago

I once read that the Paris metro drives on the right, specifically so that it can't interoperate with the mainline railways. I wonder how true that is, though. The metro is sort of a glorified tramway, and trams have to operate the same way round as street traffic.

grishka 2y ago
How would that make them not interoperable? A metro system is just an underground electric railway. The only serious difference is how the power is delivered to the trains, it's usually some sort of third rail instead of an overhead wire. The whole "which side it drives on" is moot for trains. There exist regular railways with single-track sections that trains use in different directions. I've seen terminal metro stations with two platforms where only one is used, the train arrives and then goes back into the tunnel the way it came. Many metro systems have separate tunnels for each of the two tracks connecting two stations so this notion of driving on a particular side isn't applicable to them at all.