Countries where rail traffic drives on a different side to road traffic

[Gag Halfrunt]

And then there is this infamous line on the Charleroi metro which switches from the right to the left somewhere in the middle...

There's a Tim Traveller video about that.

 

[CarltonA]

And as a side note, I do think that water traffic is always on the right side when navigating rivers.

Not always, I noticed river traffic on the Rhine in Cologne passing on the left for some reason. That was over forty years ago, so I may not be recalling things correctly.

 

[Falcon1200]

And the Welsh Highland Railway has right hand running through at least some of the station loops.

As does the West Highland Line, due to the orientation of sidings.

 

[Ken X]

Not always, I noticed river traffic on the Rhine in Cologne passing on the left for some reason. That was over forty years ago, so I may not be recalling things correctly.

Bit of thread drift (sorry) it's a bit more fluid (and again) on the water. If you wish to pass on the left on the Rhine you display a blue board and, I think, a white flashing light. It's often due to depth, size and prevailing winds.

I've had the same on the Thames where we gave the water to a hotel boat as she was drawing more than us entering a lock cut and passed on her left. If you both indicate intentions and agree it works well.

 

[norbitonflyer]

There is a short stretch of the Munich S Bahn which has left hand running. Trains reverse at the Ostbahnhof, and to avoid having to cross each other close to the station trains run left handed for a short distance on one limb. There is grade separation between the two branches.

 

[edwin_m]

The flying junction at the east end of LGV-Est near Eckwersheim (site of a TGV derailment in 2015) includes a switch from left hand running on the LGV to right hand running on the classic rail network in that part of France.

Shared Places - Bing Maps

Map multiple locations, get transit/walking/driving directions, view live traffic conditions, plan trips, view satellite, aerial and street side imagery. Do more with Bing Maps.

www.bing.com

 

[MarkyT]

The flying junction at the east end of LGV-Est near Eckwersheim (site of a TGV derailment in 2015) includes a switch from left hand running on the LGV to right hand running on the classic rail network in that part of France.

Right-hand running in Alsace is because the territory was part of Germany between the 1870s and WW1, when many railways were built. Germany is right hand while the rest of France is left hand.

 

[Tester]

Currently on the Leman Express in Geneva, which is right hand running.

As both France and Switzerland are left hand running, does anyone know why this is?

 

[Austriantrain]

Currently on the Leman Express in Geneva, which is right hand running.

As both France and Switzerland are left hand running, does anyone know why this is?

I believe it is because of the track arrangements exciting Genève Cornavin, so that one track of the mainline (away from Geneva), where left-hand running is in operation, can be shared by trains to Annemasse.

And since a large share of Léman Express trains change direction in Annemasse anyway, it probably doesn’t make a difference there operationally.

 

[robvulpes]

Zürich (Switzerland) trams are generally right-hand running as you would expect for a historically street-running tramway network. But routes 7 and 9 between Milchbuck and Schwamendingerplatz (exclusive) use a tunnel which was built in anticipation of construction of a Metro which never happened (Construction was contemporaneous with an adjacent motorway tunnel for economies of scale AIUI). The tunnel section has 3 intermediate stops with island platforms. As most Zürich trams are single-ended with doors only on the right, the trams have to swap to left-hand running at the entrance and exit of the tunnel so that the doors are adjacent to the island platform. LINK to a YouTube driver's eye view video on line 7 (there are others available for lines 7 and 9).

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

And the Welsh Highland Railway has right hand running through at least some of the station loops.

In stations, German regulations don't say you have to go on the right, so there are many station loops where trains cross each other on the left. One example close to where I live is several stations on the Murgtalbahn, for example Forbach (Schwarzwald), almost all of them left-hand running. Mainly because of how the pedestrian crossings over the tracks are orientated: the train departing, not the train arriving should travel over the crossing.

 

[Tester]

I believe it is because of the track arrangements exciting Genève Cornavin, so that one track of the mainline (away from Geneva), where left-hand running is in operation, can be shared by trains to Annemasse.

And since a large share of Léman Express trains change direction in Annemasse anyway, it probably doesn’t make a difference there operationally.

Thanks for that.

Another example is the Ma On Shan line of the Hong Kong MTR, where the whole line is right hand running to enable cross platform interchange, in one direction, at Tai Wai.

 

[MarcVD]

In stations, German regulations don't say you have to go on the right, so there are many station loops where trains cross each other on the left. One example close to where I live is several stations on the Murgtalbahn, for example Forbach (Schwarzwald), almost all of them left-hand running. Mainly because of how the pedestrian crossings over the tracks are orientated: the train departing, not the train arriving should travel over the crossing.

In Belgium, crossing loops are signalled in both directions. One of the tracks will be accessible with diverging switches at both ends (and thus require to slow down) and the other one will be straight (and so will allow full track speed). So if no crossing is expected, the straight track will be used in both directions. If a crossing is expected, then the first train to arrive will be directed to the diverging track (he will have to wait anyway) and the second one will use the straight track. This arrangment also exists in France, is called "voie directe" in their rulebook, and exists mainly on renovated lines with color light signals. Older french installations use the "voie de gauche" system where the leftmost track is systematically used, and is most often still equipped with mechanical signals.

 

[Babybirdrobin]

Doesn’t technically count but the right hand running section on the central line would be opposite, right?

 

[DanielB]

So if no crossing is expected, the straight track will be used in both directions. If a crossing is expected, then the first train to arrive will be directed to the diverging track (he will have to wait anyway) and the second one will use the straight track.

Fairly common in the Netherlands as well, though there are exceptions. For example in Soest the first arriving train (from Utrecht) uses the straight track and the other direction the diverging track as otherwise the train to Utrecht would block the level crossing which is the only way to leave the platform.
And on some regional lines there are "spring switches" (hope that's a correct translation) which direct the trains in both directions to the preferred track and automatically move back to their standard position when the train has arrived. Those stations can't be used for reversing trains however, without manually setting the points.

 

[ac6000cw]

In terms of right versus left, equally interesting is lines where in steam days the locos were driven from the opposite side of the cab to the 'running side' e.g. a significant number of the pre-grouping railways in the UK were left-hand running but used right-hand drive steam locos. The GWR system stayed that way right up to nationalisation in 1948 (and beyond). This is an old thread discussing it - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/steam-loco-driver-side.219033/

Any other countries that did that?

 

[JonasB]

In Belgium, crossing loops are signalled in both directions. One of the tracks will be accessible with diverging switches at both ends (and thus require to slow down) and the other one will be straight (and so will allow full track speed). So if no crossing is expected, the straight track will be used in both directions. If a crossing is expected, then the first train to arrive will be directed to the diverging track (he will have to wait anyway) and the second one will use the straight track.

That's the norm in Sweden as well. No need to slow down a train for a diverging track if it doesn't have to wait for another train.

All double tracks are also fully signalled in both directions, so trains can and do run on the right if needed.

 

[Austriantrain]

That's the norm in Sweden as well. No need to slow down a train for a diverging track if it doesn't have to wait for another train.

All double tracks are also fully signalled in both directions, so trains can and do run on the right if needed.

Same in Austria - everything fully set up for bi-directional operation on all double-track lines.

 

[FormerBritInMe]

Zürich (Switzerland) trams are generally right-hand running as you would expect for a historically street-running tramway network. But routes 7 and 9 between Milchbuck and Schwamendingerplatz (exclusive) use a tunnel which was built in anticipation of construction of a Metro which never happened (Construction was contemporaneous with an adjacent motorway tunnel for economies of scale AIUI). The tunnel section has 3 intermediate stops with island platforms. As most Zürich trams are single-ended with doors only on the right, the trams have to swap to left-hand running at the entrance and exit of the tunnel so that the doors are adjacent to the island platform. LINK to a YouTube driver's eye view video on line 7 (there are others available for lines 7 and 9).

Similarly in Cleveland Ohio USA, the RTA Green and Blue Light Rail lines have a section where they share trackage with the heavy rail Red line which has island platforms, so this portion of the line uses left hand running, but normal right hand running for the rest of the lines, the cars only having doors on the right.

Edit: This used to be the case, but apparently the acquisition of newer equipment with left hand doors has allowed them to switch to right hand running throughout the system and the elimination of the flyovers needed to change from one to the other.

 

[Bemined]

And on some regional lines there are "spring switches" (hope that's a correct translation) which direct the trains in both directions to the preferred track and automatically move back to their standard position when the train has arrived.

They are often still referred to as spring switches, but there aren't actual springs involved in them anymore. The interlocking system simply orders the switch back to the original position after the departing train has cleared it.