Belgian trains on left-hand-side tracks?

[Triddle]

Unsure whether this is International or Infrastructure - please shunt if necessary

On a recent trip from Germany to Brussels I managed to bag one of those seats in the ICE3 where you can look over the driver's shoulder and was surprised (actually a little shocked, tbh) to see that on leaving Aachen, we went along the left hand track rather than the right, and that all the way to Brussels.

Is this standard in Belgium?
What about other countries (other than UK and Ireland)?
I'm guessing it may have something to do with British involvement in railway development back in the 19th Century, but if so, why don't other countries where the Brits were influential (eg Germany) not 'drive' on the left?
And what about the Eurostar?
And what is the correct verb for going down the tracks - surely not drive?

Thanks in advance for satisfying my curiosity.

 

[AdamWW]

Is this standard in Belgium?

There will be people on here much more knowledgable than me, but I believe that it is indeed standard in Belgium with trains crossing over at the border with the Netherlands.

France also generally has left hand running. I'm not aware of any other European countries that do.

Ah I've just found the thread here which has plenty of information.

 

[duncanp]

France also generally has left hand running. I'm not aware of any other European countries that do.

It is generally true that there is left hand running in France, or to be more particular on the SNCF.

The Paris Metro has right hand running, as does the metro in Lille.

 

[Triddle]

Ah I've just found the thread here which has plenty of information.

Interesting thread thank you (don't know why I couldn't find it, but search-fu isn't my strong point). I now know it's called "running" (rather than driving or sailing) and some of my curiosity has been satisfied. Looking forward to reading any other contributions on the why's and where's

 

[dutchflyer]

Yes, both BE and FR have-in british views´ wrong side running´-and in fact this is a relic from the times of the STEAMlocomotive-so beloved by a few railfans, or is made so to let us believe that? In fact as I recall, in the Alsace-Lorraine region of FR-belonging to Germany for quite a while-it was not the case, but I do not know the actual situation-if they have made this in line or not.
Now that I think-SE=Sweden might also due to its long time sticking to left side running on the roads, also belong to this special club. And possible also LUXembourg?
For a bit its now superfluous as all modernised lines have the possibilty of 2-side running as circumstances allow/dictate.

 

[XAM2175]

Yes, both BE and FR have-in british views´ wrong side running´-and in fact this is a relic from the times of the STEAMlocomotive-so beloved by a few railfans, or is made so to let us believe that?

Switzerland and Italy also inherited left-hand running as a result of French influence.

Now that I think-SE=Sweden might also due to its long time sticking to left side running on the roads, also belong to this special club.

I can't say if that's the reason why, but yes Sweden is left-hand too.

There's a nice map here:

File:Handedness of rail traffic worldwide.png - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Triddle]

If Alsace-Lorraine are right-running because of having belonged to Germany at the key time, I wonder if those lines in Belgium which were German until 1918 also ran on the right - I'm thinking Venn Bahn (Aachen to Luxemburg, mostly within Belgium or Belgian sovereign territory after 194x), and the branches that went to Born/Malmedy and Waismes?

There's a nice map here:

File:Handedness of rail traffic worldwide.png - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Striking (at least to me who knows nowt about all this) how most places have exceptions, rather than being all-right or all-left running.

 

[duncanp]

If Alsace-Lorraine are right-running because of having belonged to Germany at the key time, I wonder if those lines in Belgium which were German until 1918 also ran on the right - I'm thinking Venn Bahn (Aachen to Luxemburg, mostly within Belgium or Belgian sovereign territory after 194x), and the branches that went to Born/Malmedy and Waismes?


Striking (at least to me who knows nowt about all this) how most places have exceptions, rather than being all-right or all-left running.

Isn't there a section of the Central Line on the tube with right hand running near White City, which arises from when the original line was extended?

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I think they do still drive on the other side in Alsace-Lorraine.

I am aware of the usual change over of side when travelling between Belgium and Germany.

 

[Gloster]

Alsace-Lorraine is right-hand running, although the the place where the lines change over has moved a little in places. The changeover at Aachen used to be, if I remember, just west of the Busch Tunnel.

 

[AdamWW]

For a bit its now superfluous as all modernised lines have the possibilty of 2-side running as circumstances allow/dictate.

I would have thought that even where lines are bidirectional there would still be a usual way round with "wrong way" running reserved for abnormal situations.

It's quite handy for passengers to know which platform to use at small stations without having to check.

I find it quite interesting that I tend not to notice countries abroad that had left hand running because it's normal for me, even though I think of right hand running as being the norm outside the UK.

 

[FormerBritInMe]

In the USA the Chicago and North Western was notable for left hand running. From what I have read this was due to the initial placement of stations on the left side of the track when it was initially single track. Then when double tracked they added the second track to the right side to avoid having to rebuild all of the stations. Since most traffic was inbound toward Chicago in the morning it made sense to have those trains running on the track closest to the stations. This practice still continues today under Union Pacific which runs commuter service on behalf of Metra, Chicago's suburban rail operator.

 

[adamedwards]

I think I am correct that the Festiniog Railway is right hand running, unique in the UK.

 

[AdamWW]

I think I am correct that the Festiniog Railway is right hand running, unique in the UK.

I'd say there's quite a difference between left/right hand running on double (or more) track, and which side is taken at passing loops on single track railways.

 

[Gloster]

I'd say there's quite a difference between left/right hand running on double (or more) track, and which side is taken at passing loops on single track railways.

Agreed: to my mind right- or left-hand running refers to sections of double-track outside station limits. And didn’t some of the RETB lines have right-handed loops?

 

[urbophile]

There will be people on here much more knowledgable than me, but I believe that it is indeed standard in Belgium with trains crossing over at the border with the Netherlands.

France also generally has left hand running. I'm not aware of any other European countries that do.

Italy. Having travelled from there to Switzerland I didn't notice we'd swapped sides, so probably there too.

 

[zwk500]

Agreed: to my mind right- or left-hand running refers to sections of double-track outside station limits. And didn’t some of the RETB lines have right-handed loops?

Yes, the West highland line is set up that way, IIRC. I have heard it's to do with making shunting easier but not sure how accurate that is.

 

[Austriantrain]

Switzerland and Italy also inherited left-hand running as a result of French influence.


I can't say if that's the reason why, but yes Sweden is left-hand too.

There's a nice map here:

File:Handedness of rail traffic worldwide.png - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Don’t forget that much of the continent had left-hand driving too at some point. In Austria, the West changed over to right-hand driving in the 1930s to make it easier for German motorists to drive over; the east of Austria changed over in 1938 under the Nazis.

Austrian railways used to be left-hand running as well in large parts, but there is very little left now.

And even though everything is bidirectional, there is still a regular side of running, precisely because of small stations.

 

[AdamWW]

Don’t forget that much of the continent had left-hand driving too at some point. In Austria, the West changed over to right-hand driving in the 1930s to make it easier for German motorists to drive over; the east of Austria changed over in 1938 under the Nazis.

Austrian railways used to be left-hand running as well in large parts, but there is very little left now.

And even though everything is bidirectional, there is still a regular side of running, precisely because of small stations.

I think the only place I've been where there didn't seem to be a presumption of left or right hand running despite bidirectional signalling was in the US on freight railroads, where which platform the odd Amtrak service ends up on isn't much of a consideration.

I'd never thought about this before but it's interesting that it's worked out that the three main countries served by Eurostar have left hand running. But not for the recent extension to the Netherlands.

 

[plugwash]

I would have thought that even where lines are bidirectional there would still be a usual way round with "wrong way" running reserved for abnormal situations.

It's quite handy for passengers to know which platform to use at small stations without having to check.

And from a signalling point of view, it's going to be much easier to avoid "deadlocks" if each track has a "normal" direction.

 

[Taunton]

You can go from Wick in Scotland all the way to Syracuse at the bottom of Sicily and be on left hand running all the way. There's no inherent reason why one or the other, and there a range of oddball exceptions and changes all around. In the USA, a few railroads were likewise (the Chicago & North Western the largest and best known, but there were others), they were known as "Southpaw" lines, after the US sports term for left-handed boxers. I believe both India and China run on the left, which along with the others must make right-hand running the exception, certainly by population.

Alsace-Lorraine has been mentioned, this was French until 1870, but pretty much simplistic single lines. From 1870 to 1918 it was German, there was considerable industrial development and railway re-engineering, which was all laid out on the right. After 1918 back to France, but it was a considerable, and to be honest somewhat pointless, task to change back, so it was left as it was. Rollover flyovers were however built on the main lines where the old border used to be between Alsace and mainstream France, to change sides. The TGV, recently extended into Alsace-Lorraine, runs on the left throughout France. The serious high speed accident a few years ago on this section happened just where there is a somewhat convoluted rollover flyover where the end of the left hand running TGV merges into the right hand running existing lines. It didn't help that the train was running wrong line, as far as TGV operations were concerned.

I'm surprised that Brunel, with his usual practical approach, didn't go for right hand running. The GWR signals were certainly normally placed on the right hand side of the line, with the driver also on the right and their steam locomotives laid out accordingly despite left hand running (a number of other former railways, particularly some LNER constituents, did the same). This allows the fireman to work on the left, and thus do right handed shovelling, which is more natural for most.

There's a world map here :

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Handedness_of_rail_traffic_worldwide.png

 

[Railsigns]

You can go from Wick in Scotland all the way to Syracuse at the bottom of Sicily and be on left hand running all the way.

I'm afraid you can't, because the crossing loop at Muir of Ord has right-hand running.

 

[MarcVD]

Belgium is entirely left handed, despite German occupation episodes. The only exception is between Montzen and the German border on line 24. Kind of compensation for the line between Liège and Aachen being entirely left-handed. Lines built by Germans in Belgium have been built single track or left-handed. Even if the whole network is bidirectional nowadays, with same speed on both directions, there is still a concept of "normal" or "wrong" directions. Signals for wrong direction are flashing.

I'm afraid you can't, because the crossing loop at Muir of Ord has right-hand running.

And you have also to take quite a détour, via Geneva, Lausanne, Modano, or even the French riviera, to avoid the French ex-AL region which is right hand running all the way from Luxembourg to Basel.

 

[Gareth]

South Korea is also left for rail, even though motor vehicle traffic keeps right.

 

[Beebman]

South Korea is also left for rail, even though motor vehicle traffic keeps right.

The South Korean mainine network has left-hand running, apparently because it was built by the Japanese. However when I visited Seoul in 2011 and 2019 I found it confusing that some of the metro lines are operated by the national railway operator Korail and have left hand running, while the other lines are operated by Seoul Metro and have right-hand running, so I needed to check and double-check platform signage. Even more confusing is that Seoul Metro Line 4 switches to Korail infrastructure south of Namtaeryeong station where there is a flying crossover to switch to left hand running.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Switzerland and Italy also inherited left-hand running as a result of French influence.

I was fascinated to find that the new Leman Express connecting line in Geneva between Cornavin and Eaux Vives, and on to Annemasse in France, has right hand running. Or at least my train last month ran right-handed on the route, between two left hand domains.

Austria was partially left hand (Nordbahn and Südbahn), and part of the Südbahn still is (from Semmering south through Graz and Ljubljana to Trieste).
The Nordbahn was converted to right hand during the recent rebuild of Vienna Hbf and its approach lines.
The first main line in Germany (Leipzig-Dresden) was initially a left hand line.

In Spain the Norte railway (CCHNE) was a left hand line, and still is if you travel on the old route from Madrid (Principe Pio) to Irun via Medina del Campo and Vitoria.
For reasons known to themselves, Spain built its new high speed lines in standard gauge with right hand running, so there are changes of running in places like Burgos where the HSL meets the old Norte route, as well as a run-through gauge-changer.
The HSL through the Pyrenees from Figueres to Perpignan has a fly-over at the French end to switch sides.

 

[MacCookie]

Yes, the West highland line is set up that way, IIRC. I have heard it's to do with making shunting easier but not sure how accurate that is.

Yes, there are loops on the WHL where trains cross to the right rather than the left and yes it was to minimise shunting when accessing freight sidings.

I'd never thought about this before but it's interesting that it's worked out that the three main countries served by Eurostar have left hand running. But not for the recent extension to the Netherlands.

HSL-Zuid is left hand running between the Belgian border and just before Rotterdam Centraal.

Cheers,
Ewan

 

[Beebman]

Returning to Belgium, The Tim Traveller has produced a video about the never-used crossover on the metro in Charleroi which was intended to allow LRVs to change from right-hand running on the part of the network owned by Walloon operator TEC to left-hand running on the infrastructure owned by the Charleroi city operator STIC. Probably best to watch the whole video to fully understand what's going on!

 

[Austriantrain]

Austria was partially left hand (Nordbahn and Südbahn),

The Westbahn used to be left hand as well (I am not sure if entirely, but the last section Wien - Amstetten only switched over in 1991).

and part of the Südbahn still is (from Semmering south through Graz and Ljubljana to Trieste).

It’s just Bruck an der Mur southwards left, right hand running was extended a couple of years ago. The remaining bit will switch when the Koralmbahn opens at the latest.

The Nordbahn was converted to right hand during the recent rebuild of Vienna Hbf and its approach lines.

That was also the reason to switch the Südbahn - as long as the Westbahn ran into Westbahnhof only, it didn’t matter that it ran on the right and the Süd and Nord on the left, but now these lines are much too integrated.

Once the remaining Süd is switched over, it will be just the Franz-Josefs-Bahn (only a small part of which is actually double track) that will run on the left.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The Westbahn used to be left hand as well (I am not sure if entirely, but the last section Wien - Amstetten only switched over in 1991).
...
Once the remaining Süd is switched over, it will be just the Franz-Josefs-Bahn (only a small part of which is actually double track) that will run on the left.

The historical web sites aren't clear about the running of some lines, eg the Staatsbahn (StEG).
My deduction is that they were originally left handed, and changed when new administrations took over after WW1 or WW2, but of course I may be wrong.

Italy's first lines in Lombardy-Venetia were also built under Austrian control and were left handed.
That includes the early Milan-Venice line (including the causeway over the Venice Lagoon) and the Brenner route.
The Victor Emmanuel Railway (Savoy/Piedmont - Culoz-Turin) was mostly built by our own Thomas Brassey to UK pattern.
Brassey built far and wide in Europe, including in today's Ukraine.