Differences between UK and mainland European railways

[AdamWW]

Well, the Netherlands has both fencing and ticket gates. Though the fencing is maybe a little less than in the UK.

Indeed - wooden fencing on high speed lines. Looked like wood anyway, and certainly not like the aesthetically pleasing security fencing used in the UK.

Spain has security barriers before boarding which involve baggage scanning, similar to airports.
I think this is only on long-distance services, but at main stations (eg Chamartin, Atocha) it can be a pest.

From what I saw the distinguishing feature actually seemed to be gauge (i.e. whether on a high speed line or not) rather than distance per se.

I boarded a long distance intercity service on broad gauge with no security, but got off on standard gauge at a platform behind a security check.

 

[rg177]

I've certainly had them.
In this case it's extensiveness was useless as two stops short of end of the line. No information on where to get a bus or even how to get there on foot. Very poor.

I had similar in Mallorca in around 2015. We went into the station in Manacor and were told "no trains, go outside and find a bus". When we took a moment to process said information, it was "get out!"

 

[AdamWW]

In most European countries I have travelled to, long distance and local trains are separate networks with different ticketing rules. Nothing like National Rail where you can buy a through ticket from a single long distance station and a random suburban station far away in another city.

Maybe it reflects the countries I've happened to travel to, but I think of such a scheme as the exception rather than the rule across Europe, though perhaps becoming more common as countries contract out local services.

 

[rg177]

Maybe it reflects the countries I've happened to travel to, but I think of such a scheme as the exception rather than the rule across Europe, though perhaps becoming more common as countries contract out local services.

It does depends on how they deal with such a thing though. The Czech Republic addressed a rapidly fragmenting rail network with the OneTicket scheme - which was a welcome development.

 

[AdamWW]

It does depends on how they deal with such a thing though. The Czech Republic addressed a rapidly fragmenting rail network with the OneTicket scheme - which was a welcome development.

Indeed.

And Germany just retained a unified ticketing system in the first place.

 

[Struner]

Think Britain’s network of public footpaths (with “right of way” protected in law even though the actual purpose of the path may have been lost centuries before) is “one of a kind”. The bureaucracy required to divert / close a right of way is not inconsiderable.

As in the crossing at Dalwhinnie?

 

[miklcct]

Maybe it reflects the countries I've happened to travel to, but I think of such a scheme as the exception rather than the rule across Europe, though perhaps becoming more common as countries contract out local services.

The places I have been to with complete segregation between long distance and local trains include:

Finland (Long distance VR and HSL suburban trains are completely separate, although there is a small overlap where both VR and HSL tickets can be used on the outer ends of suburban lines)

Sweden (Long distance and Stockholm suburban are completely separate, however it is possible to buy a through ticket, which is actually two tickets stuck together on one piece of paper, between long distance high speed trains and regional trains)

Poland (PKP Intercity and Polregio are completely separate)

In the Netherlands, changing between train operators requires tapping out and in again, unlike changing between NS Intercity and Sprinter.

In France, it is possible to buy tickets of TGV and regional trains from the same place but the tickets are separate, and TGV is compulsory reservation.

At least I don't see the level of fare integration in the UK elsewhere, i.e. to the extent of different "franchised" and open access operators participate in inter-available through ticketing with the same rules used on all of intercity, regional and suburban trains (with the Elizabeth line core the only exception).

 

[AdamWW]

At least I don't see the level of fare integration in the UK elsewhere, i.e. to the extent of different "franchised" and open access operators participate in inter-available through ticketing with the same rules used on all of intercity, regional and suburban trains (with the Elizabeth line core the only exception).

The way the UK has interavailable ticketing between open access and franchised operators does seem to be unusual.

I think (and am happy to be corrected if wrong) that the "Onetickets" available in Czechia do include some commercial long distance services that run in competition with CD.

 

[StephenHunter]

I may be totally incorrect, but when the railways were built Slovenia, Croatia, etc. didn't exist as independent countries and were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As it happens, Zidani Most is roughly on the border between the Austrian and Hungarian parts of the Empire.
It may well be that the Austrian half built for left-hand running and the Hungarian part for right-hand running. When the railways were originally built, they would have been built as single track, so the issue of "changing sides" at a frontier would not have been a problem.

France has right-hand running in the old Alsace-Lorraine region except for LGV Est; the lines were built when that region was under German rule between 1871 and 1918.

 

[Re 4/4]

Im Switzerland, everything is integrated except Glacier Express and a few other special trains. At least if you're not on interrail which is more complicated.

In Germany, I think the Bahncard is valid everywhere, but other tickets (including the 49 Euro for a month one) are separate for local and long distance. That said, with a local ticket if your train is delayed or cancelled you can take any available train, so in practice local tickets work on ICs more often than you might think.

 

[AY1975]

Nothing to do with fare evasion.

It's up to regions to decide to install them with their own funds, SNCF is only the operator. So far, apart from Ile-de-France and Normandy, nobody cared to install barriers for TER/Transillien services. So SNCF has installed them for TGV as it is an independant service.

I would guess that this means that at gated stations other than the main Paris terminals, SNCF has had to physically segregate the TGV platforms from those used by TER services where there was previously no such segregation, and maybe in some cases each platform has had to be designated for either TGV or TER services where previously every platform could be used for either, thereby reducing operational flexibility.

And what about the few remaining non-TGV Intercités services, including Intercités de Nuit night trains (and Nightjet night trains serving Paris)? Do any of these use gated platforms? I believe that at Paris Austerlitz they normally set up a kind of staffed barrier for Intercités de Nuit trains where passengers' tickets are checked before boarding.

 

[signed]

SNCF has had to physically segregate the TGV platforms from those used by TER services

They don't, it's not a permanent barrier, they default to all the time open, and only when a TGV service is boarding then the gates will close and operate.

It helps that TER services are pretty much already seggregated in the service patterns at most stations. So gates are installed mindfully.

At Rennes, it's extremely rare for a Paris-bound/arriving TGV not to use P3/P4, Réseau TGV not bound to/arriving from Paris are usually sent on P5/P6. The rest is basically only TER/OUIGO Train Classique. Though some TER to Brest and Quimper may use P3/P4.

Gates are installed on 3/4 and, I'm pretty sure on 5/6 but I don't recall.

Do any of these use gated platforms?

They don't, the ticket checks at Austerlitz for the night services are manually done at platform head, I can't remember of the top of my head if Austerlitz has any gates at all.

 

[duesselmartin]

You find some segregation in Germany too with many S-Bahn platforms higher than the normal ones.
Nö barrier though.

 

[WessexEclectic]

They don't, the ticket checks at Austerlitz for the night services are manually done at platform head, I can't remember of the top of my head if Austerlitz has any gates at all.

Certainly no gates as of an April 2024 visit - renovation works didn't indicate any likely immediate future installation.

 

[AdamWW]

Im Switzerland, everything is integrated except Glacier Express

Isn't it just the case that the Glacier Express takes regular tickets but in addition there's (considerable) compulsory reservation fee?

 

[The exile]

You find some segregation in Germany too with many S-Bahn platforms higher than the normal ones.
Nö barrier though.

Indeed wasn’t the segregation from other traffic one of the defining features for a service to gain the “S” label? Long dropped, of course.

 

[rvdborgt]

Isn't it just the case that the Glacier Express takes regular tickets but in addition there's (considerable) compulsory reservation fee?

AFAIK that's correct.

 

[Flying Snail]

Footbridges as the default platform access rather than pedestrian underpasses seem to be a British thing.

Obviously there are plenty of exceptions and many places where crossing tracks at level is normal at lesser stations but footbridges are relatively rare in most continental countries.

 

[DanielB]

Footbridges as the default platform access rather than pedestrian underpasses seem to be a British thing.

Might be geography related as well, there certainly are multiple (also relatively new) stations with footbridges here in the Netherlands.
Though with many railways on embankments an underpass often makes more sense and often doubles as connection between both sides of the railway.

At many stations the underpass is also combined with existing or newly built road or bicycle tunnels.

 

[urbophile]

Whereas when I am back in the UK I have to be really vigilant as to which platform the train may leave from even if it is the same train on different days (though my experience is mainly from major stations in London such as Euston, Victoria, East Croydon... it wouldn't be a problem at normal through stations)

That is a problem in Italy too. Last-minute platform changes often involve passengers having to hump luggage up and down stairs into subways.

 

[Re 4/4]

Yes, technically the Glacier Express is a regular train with a supplement, and highly recommended booking in advance.

As to platform changes: Zurich has this system for the S-Bahn where trains on the lower level are shown as 51/52, which is an island platform. Only a minute or two before arrival do they decide which side your train is arriving on. It works surprisingly well.

Speaking of which: Switzerland is mostly island platforms on the main network, except for small halts. There's also usually full bidirectional signalling and a double crossover inside station limits, so it's much easier to take a train over to the other side if needed, and people don't need to walk far.

 

[Bemined]

At Schiphol Airport platforms 1/2 and 5/6 are also dynamically assigned to trains.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Footbridges as the default platform access rather than pedestrian underpasses seem to be a British thing.

Obviously there are plenty of exceptions and many places where crossing tracks at level is normal at lesser stations but footbridges are relatively rare in most continental countries.

Loading gauge is likely a factor. European footbridges, especially over OHLE, have to be rather high.

 

[DanielB]

As to platform changes: Zurich has this system for the S-Bahn where trains on the lower level are shown as 51/52, which is an island platform.

It's 41/42 and 43/44, but okay, that doesn't change anything to how well this works. Also impressive how shortly after eachother trains can arrive there, last summer my train arrived only one minute after the previous one left (the other side of the platform was still occupied)

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

In Germany, (...) tickets (including the 49 Euro for a month one) are separate for local and long distance. That said, with a local ticket if your train is delayed or cancelled you can take any available train, so in practice local tickets work on ICs more often than you might think.

You do have to buy a ticket for those long-distance trains and get it reimbursed afterwards. Also this specifically does *not* work with 49€ ticket (and some other cheap tickets), rendering the rule for most people useless.

 

[Bemined]

Loading gauge is likely a factor. European footbridges, especially over OHLE, have to be rather high.

In the Netherlands there is a footbridge where the part of the overhead lines go over the bridge: Google Maps - Station Hillegom

Of course the contact wire is below the bridge, it's only the catenary and feeder wires that go over, and they are insulated at this point for obvious reasons.

 

[AdamWW]

You do have to buy a ticket for those long-distance trains and get it reimbursed afterwards. Also this specifically does *not* work with 49€ ticket (and some other cheap tickets), rendering the rule for most people useless.

It does work in reverse, though, doesn't it?

 

[Richard Scott]

You do have to buy a ticket for those long-distance trains and get it reimbursed afterwards. Also this specifically does *not* work with 49€ ticket (and some other cheap tickets), rendering the rule for most people useless.

Not always, sometimes they announce that local tickets are accepted on this train,had it happen a few times (admittedly a few years ago, managed to pick up some 234s between Ulm and Friedrichshafen many years ago due to engineering works and local tickets were being accepted on those IC services).

 

[railfan99]

A major difference is that on some high speed routes - Paris to Barcelona is one - train conductors may speak up to four languages.

In October 2022, "my" conductor was able to converse in French, English, Spanish or Italian. I thought that was excellent.

While I've no way to test it, my perception in England is that it'd be fairly rare for a guard/conductor to speak more than two languages, and many would be monolingual.

 

[Re 4/4]

Also impressive how shortly after eachother trains can arrive there, last summer my train arrived only one minute after the previous one left (the other side of the platform was still occupied)

The Zurich main station to Stafelhofen part has a special form of permissive working. There's an aspect that lets the next train enter the platform on sight once the front of the previous train has passed the starter signal.