Home > Railways > Countries > Tech Info

Railway Technical Info - Index

This section of my website provides selected technical data for railway operators in a variety of countries, principally those in which I have travelled.

Information on this page is subject to the disclaimer.

The columns in the individual country lists are as follows:

System:

Name or description of the system; systems with different technical standards run by the same operator will if possible be identified separately

Type:

Brief comment on the nature of the operation. This is naturally a somewhat subjective decision; these are my thoughts on broad groupings:

Heavy rail: traditional national or regional operator, providing long distance and local passenger and freight services
Metro: high-frequency urban passenger service, typically underground or elevated
Tram: urban passenger service, usually at ground level, with lower frequencies and/or lighter vehicles than "metro"; covers traditional street tramways and modern LRT systems
Light rail: local passenger service in rural areas, with lighter vehicles and/or narrower gauge than "heavy rail"

Track:

This covers:
(1) the nominal track gauge: standard = 4' 8½" (1435mm), metre = 1000mm. Note that any Imperial (feet & inches) gauge stated may not exactly agree with the metric gauge stated.
(2) where necessary, any rack system in use.

Route:

This covers:
(1) the use of left- or right-hand running on double-track lines (known as "rule of the road"), shown as LH or RH; n/a implies the system is single throughout. Many heavy-rail systems now have some degree of bi-directional signalling, though usually still with a preference for a particular rule of the road; this is not indicated.
(2) where known, for tram systems and certain "light rail" systems, whether termini are constructed with turning circles or stub tracks (implying the use of vehicles designed for single- or double-ended driving respectively). Some systems use both terminus designs, indicated as "mixed".

Electrification:

Electrification system(s) used

Comment:

Any other info

Railway Technical Info - Index

Countries

Europe

Rest of the World

Other General Links