Most languages used on a railway service?

[tasky]

What railway services have their announcements and information in the most languages?

The obvious one to me is the Brussels to Aachen DB ICE, where everything is repeated over the tannoy in German, French, Dutch, and English - so four.

Are there any other trains that equal or beat that?

 

[tasky]

Does anyone knows if the Prague to Budapest Eurocity via Bratislava does everything in Czech, German, English, Slovak and Hungarian? Or do they not bother with German/English

 

[TRAX]

If metro networks count for you, the Paris metro is fully multi-lingual (in announcements and signage). The lines which have announcements have French and English systematically, and then, depending on the lines, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, or Chinese (one or several of those).

 

[tasky]

If metro networks count for you, the Paris metro is fully multi-lingual (in announcements and signage). The lines which have announcements have French and English systematically, and then, depending on the lines, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, or Chinese (one or several of those).

Ah yes, I thought that was very impressive when I was there

 

[CC 72100]

Does anyone knows if the Prague to Budapest Eurocity via Bratislava does everything in Czech, German, English, Slovak and Hungarian? Or do they not bother with German/English

When I used it (Brno -> Budapest) it seemed to be Czech, German and English.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Seven languages on the menus on a Railjet in Austria this summer:

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Does anyone knows if the Prague to Budapest Eurocity via Bratislava does everything in Czech, German, English, Slovak and Hungarian? Or do they not bother with German/English

When I last went (2014), they certainly did English (or American: it's an American voice which seems to do the voiceover).
I think they used the term "track" when we would use "platform".

 

[70014IronDuke]

Does anyone knows if the Prague to Budapest Eurocity via Bratislava does everything in Czech, German, English, Slovak and Hungarian? Or do they not bother with German/English

The Czechs have a standard US male voice on their domestic and international services. They have German on international services too. I forget the Slovak norm, but pretty sure they have English + German. The conductors usually speak decent English (ie better than the average UK graduate) and often German. The Hungarians have, er . ... Magyar. If you are lucky.
EDIT. Sorry, I shouldn't be quite so cynical. The MAV internationals sometimes have attempts at English and/or German - but it is typically quite poor. Certainly inferior to the Czechs and Slovaks.

 

[deltic]

Singapore metro automatic announcements are in the four official languages of English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil

 

[tasky]

What's the deal on Indian railways? Hindi and English?

 

[tasky]

When I last went (2014), they certainly did English (or American: it's an American voice which seems to do the voiceover).
I think they used the term "track" when we would use "platform".

I've noticed that in Belgium a bit - in Dutch sometimes SNCB will refer to Spoor (track) or Perron (platform)

 

[Aictos]

Not a International service as such but last time I travelled on the Gatwick Express in 2016 they had auto announcements in English, German, French and Italian/Spanish IIRC no idea if they still do tho

 

[TRAX]

They still did in July 2018.

 

[eastwestdivide]

What's the deal on Indian railways? Hindi and English?

Looking at photos/TV programmes, the station signs are Hindi and English plus whichever relevant local language. I'd guess that also applies to announcements.

 

[Aictos]

Looking at photos/TV programmes, the station signs are Hindi and English plus whichever relevant local language. I'd guess that also applies to announcements.

Also because India used to be part of the British Empire and is still a member of the Commonwealth.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Hindi and English are the two "languages of bureaucracy/government" for India.
For example, banknotes have the denomination written large in those two languages, with a smaller panel containing 15 (!) others.

 

[rf_ioliver]

The Allegro services between Helsinki and St.Petersburg use Finnish, Swedish, Russian and England regularly and I think it is possible that German might have been included too at some point...but certainly the first four.

Otherwise intercity services in Finland use 3 languages (Finnish, Swedish, English) and the local services around Helsinki just two: Finnish and Swedish - though they might use English too at times - will check next time I catch the train - but probably 3 languages on the P and I airport trains.

Never heard any of the Sami languages being used, but there's potential for another four or five depending upon which Sami

t.

Ian

 

[AndrewE]

I have a feeling that when I was last there Swiss railways used their 4 official languages (French, German, Italian and Romansch) and English too.

 

[nicholaswood]

though they might use English too at times - ... - but probably 3 languages on the P and I airport trains.

The I and P trains use English approaching the airport, the Central station, and also Tikkurila to inform passengers to change there for connections from what I can remember.

 

[axlecounter]

I have a feeling that when I was last there Swiss railways used their 4 official languages (French, German, Italian and Romansch) and English too.

Might be, but it’ll be difficult to hear all of the 4 official languages on the same train. Usually two, maybe three.
Or the “unofficial four”, IT-DE-FR-ENG...

 

[paddington]

Does anyone knows if the Prague to Budapest Eurocity via Bratislava does everything in Czech, German, English, Slovak and Hungarian? Or do they not bother with German/English

The Czechs have a standard US male voice on their domestic and international services. They have German on international services too. I forget the Slovak norm, but pretty sure they have English + German. The conductors usually speak decent English (ie better than the average UK graduate) and often German. The Hungarians have, er . ... Magyar. If you are lucky.
EDIT. Sorry, I shouldn't be quite so cynical. The MAV internationals sometimes have attempts at English and/or German - but it is typically quite poor. Certainly inferior to the Czechs and Slovaks.

Every time language comes up someone has to have a go at British people.

Anyway I took this train in 2016 and it was Czech and English until the border, then Slovak and (??)English, then Hungarian and English. The (??) refers to the fact that the Slovak conductor's English was incomprehensible, as evidenced by his announcements and when a passenger tried to ask him something in English.

I have a feeling that when I was last there Swiss railways used their 4 official languages (French, German, Italian and Romansch) and English too.

Having only been to Zurich, Geneva and Schaffhausen, I have not even heard Italian spoken on a Swiss train.

Singapore metro automatic announcements are in the four official languages of English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil

The second official language is Mandarin, not "Chinese" which is a group of languages; saying "Chinese" makes as much sense as calling the other three languages "Germanic, Austronesian and Indian".

Of course, it's a political thing, but I bring it up because of another example: trains in Taiwan have announcements in 4 languages: Mandarin, English, Taiwanese and Hakka. Some trains have announcements in a fifth language - one of the aboriginal languages of Taiwan, which are Austronesian languages related to Malay and the languages of other Pacific islands.

Some people would say three of those are all the same language, but they are more different from than, for example, Czech and Slovak whose speakers can generally understand each other without any prior exposure.

 

[gysev]

In Belgium, all international trains and trains serving Brussels Airport are announced in 4 languages (Dutch, French, German and English). Years ago, when there were night trains to Italy, I heard an announcement in Italian in Liège-Guillemins. No prerecorded tapes then, it was all "live".

 

[stut]

Hindi and English are the two "languages of bureaucracy/government" for India.
For example, banknotes have the denomination written large in those two languages, with a smaller panel containing 15 (!) others.

And also the linguae francae. People travel all over India for work in the Tier 1 cities these days, so you'll find dozens of languages spoken in any given place. If a Malayalam speaker is in Hyderabad, with announcements in Telugu, Hindi and English, they'll generally have some degree of fluency in one of the latter two (bearing in mind the high education levels in Kerala).

 

[tasky]

The Allegro services between Helsinki and St.Petersburg use Finnish, Swedish, Russian and England regularly and I think it is possible that German might have been included too at some point...but certainly the first four.

Otherwise intercity services in Finland use 3 languages (Finnish, Swedish, English) and the local services around Helsinki just two: Finnish and Swedish - though they might use English too at times - will check next time I catch the train - but probably 3 languages on the P and I airport trains.

Never heard any of the Sami languages being used, but there's potential for another four or five depending upon which Sami

t.

Ian

That first one is interesting!

 

[tasky]

I have a feeling that when I was last there Swiss railways used their 4 official languages (French, German, Italian and Romansch) and English too.

I can't remember what SBB do which is annoying because I was on one of their EuroCity trains this summer - I know they are only named in the first three languages. Would be interesting to know if their announcements vary by canton like Belgium or if they just do them all for the whole country.

If they do do Romansh for the benefit of the 36,000 native speakers in one canton that is amazing!

 

[Fireless]

The belgish railways (NMBS/SNCB/NGBE) use all the three official languages (Dutch, French and German) for other purposes than passenger information as well.

Customer facing staff is required to speak both Dutch and French (the two big languages) and should use the language the customer uses.
Station staff at Eupen (capital of the german speaking part of Belgium) must also speak German.

Internal communication is officially in the language of the region (Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia) and both languages are used in Brussel.

 

[eastwestdivide]

I can't remember what SBB do which is annoying because I was on one of their EuroCity trains this summer - I know they are only named in the first three languages. Would be interesting to know if their announcements vary by canton like Belgium or if they just do them all for the whole country.

If they do do Romansh for the benefit of the 36,000 native speakers in one canton that is amazing!

I only ever heard (or saw) Romansch on the RhB network in Switzerland.

 

[axlecounter]

The SBB works with linguistic regions. When the train stays within the “borders” of these regions it’s one language only, when it crosses them it’s in both languages. I’m not sure if there are specific rules on adding the third language and then eventually english or if it’s just up to the guard.
Rumantsch is not used on the SBB.

Of course then to all this there are more-or-less allowed exceptions..

 

[swt class 450]

What about the Paris to Moscow service operated by RZD? I imagine they repeat everything in French / German / Polish / Belarussian / Russian and possibly English as well?

Or even better perhaps the Nice to Moscow service also operated by RZD? I imagine they repeat everything in French / Italian / German / Czech / Polish / Belarussian / Russian and possibly English as well?

 

[SHD]

The belgish railways (NMBS/SNCB/NGBE) use all the three official languages (Dutch, French and German) for other purposes than passenger information as well.

Customer facing staff is required to speak both Dutch and French (the two big languages) and should use the language the customer uses.
Station staff at Eupen (capital of the german speaking part of Belgium) must also speak German.

Internal communication is officially in the language of the region (Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia) and both languages are used in Brussel.

This is true in Brussels.
Otherwise...
Try buying a ticket or asking a question in French in Antwerp and you will, at the very least, get a very annoyed look. (And most of the time you will not get an answer in French).
Try buying a ticket in Dutch in Liège... and you will stay in Liège for a very long time