Trains in Italy

[palestrina]

I’ve recently been travelling around Italy, and am wondering if anyone knows why so many of the trains travel on the left side of a dual track? For example La Spezia to Genoa. It made me feel at home, at least...

 

[gordonthemoron]

French trains travel on the left too, don't they?

 

[33056]

Switzerland travel on the left as well, in Austria some lines are left hand running and some right hand.

 

[Oliver]

French trains travel on the left too, don't they?

French trains started travelling on the left because the original signalling engineers came from Britain. In Alsace, in eastern France, they travel on the right, and there are places where they switch over. That's because Alsace was part of Germany when the lines were built.

 

[Saltleyman]

French trains travel on the left too, don't they?

French trains travel on the left running line except in the Alsace and Lorraine areas where they travel on the right running lines,this is because these areas used to be in Germany.

 

[Daimler]

French trains travel on the left running line except in the Alsace and Lorraine areas where they travel on the right running lines,this is because these areas used to be in Germany.

Rather curiously though, on the Paris Métro system they travel on the right.

 

[tripleseis]

Rather curiously though, on the Paris Métro system they travel on the right.

And it's the other way round in Madrid. The Madrid Metro is on the left, yet the RENFE lines are on the right.

 

[Aussie_Rail]

They travel on left in Melbourne/Victoria also.