Differences in rolling stock safety regulations in mainland Europe compared to UK

[rvdborgt]

European countries seem to tolerate graffiti much more, with windows often being completely covered in tags in Belgium, Germany and Italy. I'm glad that these are generally removed from service in the UK

You can't generally speak about "European countries" here. It varies a lot between operators. In Switzerland or the Netherlands for example, you won't see a lot of graffiti.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You can't generally speak about "European countries" here. It varies a lot between operators. In Switzerland or the Netherlands for example, you won't see a lot of graffiti.

And in Germany it's regional to an extent - far more in northern and mid Germany than southern Germany.

 

[Richard Scott]

With regard to doors, it's worth noting that if the UK had adopted the RIC style folding door with its twofold safety features, blocking of the inside handle above 5km/h and autocloser, many "falling out of doors" deaths would have been avoided (and droplights would have gone away much sooner too, so quite a few people would still have had their heads attached). So it's not the UK that's always ahead on safety.

If Europe had adopted buckeye couplings instead of screw there would likely be many more Europeans still alive that wouldn't have been killed by concertina coaches in accidents. I can't believe that some Italian high speed trains are screw coupled and TGV power car are screwcoupled to coaches.
This is a much bigger issue than droplights; how many people have been killed through droplights? Remember still plenty of stock with droplights in Europe.

 

[DanielB]

In Switzerland or the Netherlands for example, you won't see a lot of graffiti.

In the Netherlands it is often already hard to see the actual livery of a train through all the dirt on the outside, so that obscures any graffity as well
Especially the case for NS, where even transparent windows are getting rare, the regional operators have much cleaner trains.

Any revised stock in the Netherlands is now being liveried using coloured foils, so graffity is easier removed as it involves replacing a bit of foil in the worst case (avoiding the need to use agressive cleaners which may permanently damage the paint)

 

[Bletchleyite]

If Europe had adopted buckeye couplings instead of screw there would likely be many more Europeans still alive that wouldn't have been killed by concertina coaches in accidents. I can't believe that some Italian high speed trains are screw coupled and TGV power car are screwcoupled to coaches.

68s are screw coupled to coaches here, too, as were most locos in the Mk2/3 days. Screw coupling between coaches has been abandoned in the UK, though.

This is a much bigger issue than droplights; how many people have been killed through droplights? Remember still plenty of stock with droplights in Europe.

They have a larger loading gauge - you would have to lean a LONG way out to whack your head.

 

[43096]

68s are screw coupled to coaches here, too, as were most locos in the Mk2/3 days. Screw coupling between coaches has been abandoned in the UK, though.

It's a question: what was the last screw-coupled (between passenger carrying vehicles) service train to run? First thought was the last first generation DMUs. For loco-hauled coaching stock it would be much longer ago, as all Mark 1/2/3 mainline stock has drophead buckeyes.

 

[Richard Scott]

68s are screw coupled to coaches here, too, as were most locos in the Mk2/3 days. Screw coupling between coaches has been abandoned in the UK, though

Locos are but not entire rakes as they are in Europe.

 

[paul_munich]

Show me just one single Dutch VIRM that hasn't been tagged over the windscreen...

 

[DanielB]

Show me just one single Dutch VIRM that hasn't been tagged over the windscreen...

That doesn't necessarily show it happens often: it just takes a long time to be removed.
When I'm not mistaken this is due to the location of these tags. They cannot be removed at sidings as cleaners would need to work too close to the live OHLE to do that.

 

[Planesandtrain]

Spent a week travelling around Romania, all I can say is take care around the doors, trains depart with them open, some close (due to TB0) but others don't. One instance on an iR from Galtai towards Bucharest a door flew open at 120kmh and train crew were trying to shut it, eventually it was bound shut with a bit of curtain. In Germany we are certainly stricter in this regard.

 

[JonasB]

Show me just one single Dutch VIRM that hasn't been tagged over the windscreen...

 

[Bikeman78]

In the Netherlands it is often already hard to see the actual livery of a train through all the dirt on the outside, so that obscures any graffity as well
Especially the case for NS, where even transparent windows are getting rare, the regional operators have much cleaner trains.

Any revised stock in the Netherlands is now being liveried using coloured foils, so graffity is easier removed as it involves replacing a bit of foil in the worst case (avoiding the need to use agressive cleaners which may permanently damage the paint)

This is true. I remember the plan V units were filthy in their last few years. They used to be bright yellow 20 years ago.