Belgian trains on left-hand-side tracks?

[gysev]

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.


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.

That is not correct. The former Vennbahn and its branches had right hand running until the line was singled in 1931. That's why German signalling remained in place until the end. Montzen - Aachen always had right hand running while Montzen - Tongeren was converted to left hand running between both wars.

 

[duesselmartin]

Austria is interesting as it was a mixed bag before 1990 and gradually changed to right hand as standard but with bi-directional technology.
All the former communist Eastern European states seem to be right hand.

Anyone on the Iberian peninsular?

 

[XAM2175]

Anyone on the Iberian peninsular?

Portugal is predominantly left-hand running.

 

[JonasB]

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.

I guess it depends on how you define exceptions. In Sweden, the norm is that trains run on the left. Except south of Malmö, trains change side just north of Malmö central station. But all double tracks are bidirectional and trains can run on the right if needed.

 

[Gostav]

All railways in China follow the left-hand running and all signals and signs are set on the left, just like British railways. An interesting story I heard was that some crocodile locomotives imported from East Germany have right-side driver's seat, which made it difficult for the driver to look out for the signal, and they had to send an additional assistant on the locomotive to help the driver to confirm the signals.

All metro systems in China all follow right-hand running except for the system in Hong Kong, a former British colony where follow left-hand running.

 

[DanielB]

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

Switchover is at Rotterdam Lombardijen, wouldn't call that just before Centraal. Mostly for practical reasons as far I'm aware: it saves a fly-over for the Amsterdam - Breda services near Breda.

Maastricht - Visé is also left hand running, therefore the third terminating track at Maastricht Randwijck is also on the opposite side of the station compared to similar stations elsewhere in the Netherlands.

 

[miklcct]

All railways in China follow the left-hand running and all signals and signs are set on the left, just like British railways. An interesting story I heard was that some crocodile locomotives imported from East Germany have right-side driver's seat, which made it difficult for the driver to look out for the signal, and they had to send an additional assistant on the locomotive to help the driver to confirm the signals.

All metro systems in China all follow right-hand running except for the system in Hong Kong, a former British colony where follow left-hand running.

It's only the mainline railways in China which do left-hand running - city railways (like metros, trams, etc) do right-hand running.

In Hong Kong, most lines do left-hand running but the former Ma On Shan Line (now part of Tuen Ma Line) is an exception, due to a design decision to provide a cross-platform interchange at Tai Wai. The lines reverse their arrangement at To Kwa Wan to connect to the former West Rail Line, which does left-hand running. Also, Kwun Tong Line does right-hand running south of Mong Kok, between Yau Ma Tei and Ho Man Tin, the reason being the arrangement to provide cross-platform interchange at Prince Edward and Mong Kok.

 

[MarcVD]

That is not correct. The former Vennbahn and its branches had right hand running until the line was singled in 1931. That's why German signalling remained in place until the end. Montzen - Aachen always had right hand running while Montzen - Tongeren was converted to left hand running between both wars.

First time I hear that. Would you have any sources ? Would sure be an interesting reading...

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Austria is interesting as it was a mixed bag before 1990 and gradually changed to right hand as standard but with bi-directional technology.
All the former communist Eastern European states seem to be right hand.
Anyone on the Iberian peninsular?

Galicia (south-eastern Poland/south-western Ukraine) was left hand as built by the Austrians, and was converted after WW1 (and to broad gauge in the Soviet Union).
Slovenia was also left hand (Austrian-built), and remained so in Yugoslavia and since.
Parts of Hungary must also have been left hand when built (prior to the formation of MAV).
Of course most lines in Eastern Europe were single track anyway.

 

[gysev]

First time I hear that. Would you have any sources ? Would sure be an interesting reading...

Old signalling plans of the stations along these lines that clearly show the signals on the right of the track. Plenty of pictures available that show the German signals in Raeren, Malmedy and Sourbrodt on the right hand side without the "arrow" that normally would indicate the signal is on the "wrong" side (https://home.kpn.nl/f2hrajhamoen482/v_b702max.JPG as an example).

As for books: the book about the military railways in Belgium published by PFT in 2016. On a picture of Visé-Haut during construction you can see a signal on the right hand side.