Jointly operated train services in other countries.

[eldomtom2]

RER B is operated by RATP in the central Paris section and by SNCF on the outer branches with a driver change at each operator boundary

Of course the homeland of that style of operations is Japan, where with very few exceptions through operations between railways (which are extremely common in urban areas) are operated with both railways providing rolling stock and crews being changed at company borders. Routes can span up to five different railways, with each providing rolling stock, all built to separate designs and in their operator's own livery.

 

[The exile]

Was it Děčín - Bad Schandau - Rumburk? When I used it some years ago it seemed to be mostly DB units with Czech crews, though the trains are all advertised as ČD, so unsure if this counts as "joint". Can someone clarify the arrangement here?

Just come off it - exactly that and one is thanked in Czech and German on behalf of DB Regio and Ceske Drahy. Interestingly, when the service was split over the weekend for the Tag der Sachsen - with the middle section being Bad Schandau - Dolni Poustevna there was still a crew change at Sebnitz for the 500-odd metre Czech section.

Wasn’t /Isn’t there a service somewhere in Austria /Hungary where alternate trains are OeBB and the Raaberbahn?

 

[superalbs]

How about the Wien-Praha RJ service? It follows the traditional cross-border operation procedures that you mentioned you weren't interested in, but the stock is provided by either ÖBB and ČD depending on the departure. Sometimes even a mix-and-match on the same train.

 

[FormerBritInMe]

USA certainly used to have quite extensive long distance passenger services which were jointly run by two or even three companies end to end. The classic streamliners from Chicago to San Francisco for example had two different, competing routes, each of which needed three companies involved. The rolling stock was typically all in a common livery and build, but look closely and you would see different ownership plates, even within the same train. Some crew, and the locomotives, worked right through, others changed at the railway boundaries. One of the companies was generally in the lead for organising it all. On the C&NW-Union Pacific-Southern Pacific "City of San Francisco" the Union Pacific did overall organisation, while on the Burlington-Rio Grande-Western Pacific "California Zephyr" the Burlington called the shots. All this went when Amtrak came along.

Nowadays in the USA on freight it is common for locomotives to "run through", to a considerable extent, and it is normal to see locos from different companies in the same train. Careful note is taken of how many miles each runs, and from time to time locos will just be loaned from one company to another, to "work off mileage", to keep the accounting in balance.

That actually continued for a while in the early years of Amtrak. For example in 1981 my wife and I took the Montrealer from Philadelphia to Montreal. The Amtrak crew took the train as far as Springfield MA where around midnight a Boston and Maine crew took over (and proceeded to walk through the darkened train with a flashlight to check everyone's tickets). They were with the train until White River Jct. VT where a Central Vermont crew took over. At St. Albans a smartly dressed Canadian National conductor came on and they stayed on the train through until Montreal. I'm not sure when Amtrak took over completely.

 

[Beebman]

Wasn’t /Isn’t there a service somewhere in Austria /Hungary where alternate trains are OeBB and the Raaberbahn?

When I was visiting eastern Austria in 2022 I noticed that there was a regular service between Bratislava-Petržalka and Sopron via Wien Hbf which had alternate trains operated by ÖBB and GySEV (Raaberbahn). Looking at online timetables there's still a service along that route (REX6) but it's unclear as to who now operates it.

 

[Austriantrain]

When I was visiting eastern Austria in 2022 I noticed that there was a regular service between Bratislava-Petržalka and Sopron via Wien Hbf which had alternate trains operated by ÖBB and GySEV (Raaberbahn). Looking at online timetables there's still a service along that route (REX6) but it's unclear as to who now operates it.

ÖBB is the operator from Bratislava to Vienna; GySEV from Vienna onwards. Obviously trains (and I believe staff too) run through.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Sometimes a GySEV Desiro will be coupled to an ÖBB Desiro.

 

[Taunton]

That actually continued for a while in the early years of Amtrak. For example in 1981 my wife and I took the Montrealer from Philadelphia to Montreal. The Amtrak crew took the train as far as Springfield MA where around midnight a Boston and Maine crew took over (and proceeded to walk through the darkened train with a flashlight to check everyone's tickets). They were with the train until White River Jct. VT where a Central Vermont crew took over. At St. Albans a smartly dressed Canadian National conductor came on and they stayed on the train through until Montreal. I'm not sure when Amtrak took over completely.

At the start of Amtrak they only had management, the operating side continued to be provided by the previous constituent railroads in varying proportions. This included the locomotives and the crews, and ran on for quite some time, and to a small extent still does. Some crew districts changed over quite quickly, but others took years. The USA concept of "Seniority" for promotions was a considerable part of not wanting to change employer, and there was considerable uncertainty for a long time over whether Amtrak would continue and they would be back at the bottom of railway seniority. The Montrealer in particular came and went more than once; I think the Central Vermont were still providing crews when it had the big derailment accident in the mid-1980s.

 

[FormerBritInMe]

At the start of Amtrak they only had management, the operating side continued to be provided by the previous constituent railroads in varying proportions. This included the locomotives and the crews, and ran on for quite some time, and to a small extent still does. Some crew districts changed over quite quickly, but others took years. The USA concept of "Seniority" for promotions was a considerable part of not wanting to change employer, and there was considerable uncertainty for a long time over whether Amtrak would continue and they would be back at the bottom of railway seniority. The Montrealer in particular came and went more than once; I think the Central Vermont were still providing crews when it had the big derailment accident in the mid-1980s.

I don't think there are any cases where this still happens today, except maybe in the rare instance where an Amtrak train has to divert to a different line due to a blockage and the Amtrak crew isn't qualified (signed in British railway-ese) for the route and they have to provide a pilot. This rarely happens nowadays, if that happens they just cancel the train

 

[SeanG]

How about the Wien-Praha RJ service? It follows the traditional cross-border operation procedures that you mentioned you weren't interested in, but the stock is provided by either ÖBB and ČD depending on the departure. Sometimes even a mix-and-match on the same train.

Aren't the CD branded 1216s and Railjet sets actually OBB owned and leased to CD?

 

[Taunton]

I don't think there are any cases where this still happens today, except maybe in the rare instance where an Amtrak train has to divert to a different line due to a blockage and the Amtrak crew isn't qualified (signed in British railway-ese) for the route and they have to provide a pilot. This rarely happens nowadays, if that happens they just cancel the train

I was on the Southwest Chief some years ago, Chicago to LA, BNSF put a big loco on the front at Barstow early in the final morning down to San Bernardino, to "Help" descending The Cajon. Don't know why, maybe one of the Amtrak units had defective dynamic brakes or whatever. But the nearest Amtrak spare unit would have been many hours away.

 

[FormerBritInMe]

I was on the Southwest Chief some years ago, Chicago to LA, BNSF put a big loco on the front at Barstow early in the final morning down to San Bernardino, to "Help" descending The Cajon. Don't know why, maybe one of the Amtrak units had defective dynamic brakes or whatever. But the nearest Amtrak spare unit would have been many hours away.

That unfortunately has been happening more often lately as the P42 locomotives are showing their age and the new Siemens locomotives have had teething issues. However I believe when this happens the Amtrak crews usually run the freight locomotive.

 

[doc7austin]

On the ICE high-speed train services between Paris and Germany (esp. Stuttgart) you often find SNCF Voyageurs AND DB Fernverkehr conductors on the train at the same time.

In addition the ÖBB Nightjet Vienna-Paris one SNCF Voyageurs conductor and newrest (ÖBB) service staff work alongside on the segment between Karlsruhe and Paris.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Sep 2025 ==

Another example of a jointly operated service would be the train Moscow-Kaliningrad on the EU segment Kena-Kybertai.
You have Lithuanian and Russian staff on the train at the same time. A Lithuanian LTG Cargo loco is hauling that train.

 

[htwestern]

Sometimes a GySEV Desiro will be coupled to an ÖBB Desiro.

This is exactly what happened when I travelled on this route yesterday. It was advertised only as an ÖBB service, and on the way back we had a revenue check that was done by ÖBB staff and their G4S contractors.

 

[paul_munich]

RE22 Regensburg-Munich Airport is operated by DB and Agilis.
Both companies bought Mireos for this line, and they run them even coupled together.

 

[Springs Branch]

USA certainly used to have quite extensive long distance passenger services which were jointly run by two or even three companies end to end.

The Indian Pacific train in Australia deserves an honourable mention for having four distinct operators in the past.

This started around 1970 - so historical, but not ancient history in railway timeframes. Wikipedia's Indian Pacific article summarises it well.

. . . the Department of Railways New South Wales, South Australian Railways, Commonwealth Railways and Western Australian Government Railways agreed that a through passenger service from Sydney Central to East Perth Terminal be inaugurated . . .

The service was originally operated jointly by the four operators whose networks it traversed, with revenues and costs apportioned Department of Railways New South Wales (28.5%), South Australian Railways (10%), Commonwealth Railways (45%) and Western Australian Government Railways (16.5%).

Locomotives and crews were provided by the Department of Railways New South Wales between Sydney and Broken Hill, South Australian Railways between Broken Hill and Port Pirie, the Commonwealth Railways between Port Pirie and Kalgoorlie and Western Australian Government Railways between Kalgoorlie and Perth. With the formation of Australian National in July 1975, it provided locomotives and crews from Broken Hill to Kalgoorlie. Locomotives were changed at Lithgow, Broken Hill, Port Pirie and Kalgoorlie.

On-board crews were originally provided between Sydney and Port Pirie by Commonwealth Railways on one service and New South Wales Government Railways on the other services, Commonwealth Railways between Port Pirie and Kalgoorlie and West Australian Government Railways between Kalgoorlie and Perth.

 

[station_road]

I can’t recall where it is, but I believe the Swiss and French have a joint regional service. I’m not sure if the TGV Lyria has actual Swiss staff on board.

Are you thinking of the Léman Express network, which covers Geneva and parts of France near to the Swiss border (Annemasse, Annecy and Evian-les-Bains)? The ownership of that seems to be quite complex, with SBB, SNCF and the local authorities playing a part. The trains all carry the same livery, but with either small SBB or SNCF branding.

(Image from the website at https://www.lemanexpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Groupe-662.png showing two Léman Express train, a Flirt with SBB branding and an Alstom Regiolis train with SNCF branding.)

 

[andersj]

Between Vejle and Struer in Denmark GoCollective operates the hourly local trains, but four times a day there is a direct DSB ICL train from Copenhagen to Struer that replaces the GoCollective train between Vejle and Struer with the same timetable and calls at the same stops as the local trains.

See the timetable here: https://gocollective.dk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/90-struer-herning-vejle-k25.pdf

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

That situation in Denmark will change soon, because the Danish government has withdrawn GoCollective's franchise on grounds of poor performance. DSB will reportedly take over GoCollective's services.

[DK] GoCollective's franchise terminated by Minister of Transport

GoCollective, formerly Arriva, has been notified its contract to operate trains in Denmark has been terminated due to poor performance. The routes will be handed back to DSB. DR (public TV/radio) reports here - my translation of the highlights: Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Amalie]

Are you thinking of the Léman Express network, which covers Geneva and parts of France near to the Swiss border (Annemasse, Annecy and Evian-les-Bains)? The ownership of that seems to be quite complex, with SBB, SNCF and the local authorities playing a part. The trains all carry the same livery, but with either small SBB or SNCF branding.

Yes! This is exactly the one.

 

[peteb]

Maybe this should be in the bus thread but last week I travelled by Ersatz Bus between Deçin (CZ) and Bad Schandau (DE) as there were electrification works on the Prague Dresden route. The bus was a German bus with German driver, but the conductor was Czech, with CD badge etc. Interestingly it appeared that the driver didn't speak Czech and the conductor couldn't speak German, (unless they'd fallen out and just weren't speaking!).