Testing begins on Bratislava dual-gauge tram extension

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I had rather thought of dual gauge as being something of the past ... but the Railway Gazette tells of a dual gauge extension in Bratislava:

SLOVAKIA: Testing on a dual-gauge extension of Bratislava^s tram network began on February 16. Operator Dopravn^ podnik Bratislava expects passenger services to start in March or April.

Running south from ^af^rikovo n^mestie, the new route is the only one in the city to cross the Danube, using the 460 m Old Bridge which has been reconstructed to carry trams. The double track line then passes over the D1 motorway on two viaducts before terminating at Bos^kova in Petr^alka. The 2^4 km extension has three stops and is mostly dual-gauge. While the existing tram network in Bratislava is metre-gauge, standard gauge fast suburban light rail lines have been proposed.

Can dual gauge be found in operation elsewhere?

[stuving]

Can dual gauge be found in operation elsewhere?

It's mainly in Spain. In some cases it's transitional, but is there a serious plan to re-gauge all the "funny" gauge tracks?

[stuving]

Can dual gauge be found in operation elsewhere?

It's mainly in Spain. In some cases it's transitional, but is there a serious plan to re-gauge all the "funny" gauge tracks?

Having said that - of course the Spanish have mainly gone for dual-gauge trains, if that's an OK term. There is some track there too, and bits elsewhere - I now recall seeing a little bit in France, at Tournon-sur-Rhone where the Chemin de Fer du Vivarais (T/A Le Train de l'Ardeche) runs up the main line for a bit.

As you'd expect, Wikipedia has a list of lots of examples, some very limited, and outside Europe there are some much bigger users.

[chrisr_75]

I had rather thought of dual gauge as being something of the past ... but the Railway Gazette tells of a dual gauge extension in Bratislava:

SLOVAKIA: Testing on a dual-gauge extension of Bratislava^s tram network began on February 16. Operator Dopravn^ podnik Bratislava expects passenger services to start in March or April.

Running south from ^af^rikovo n^mestie, the new route is the only one in the city to cross the Danube, using the 460 m Old Bridge which has been reconstructed to carry trams. The double track line then passes over the D1 motorway on two viaducts before terminating at Bos^kova in Petr^alka. The 2^4 km extension has three stops and is mostly dual-gauge. While the existing tram network in Bratislava is metre-gauge, standard gauge fast suburban light rail lines have been proposed.

Can dual gauge be found in operation elsewhere?

Only a short distance, but in Switzerland, on the approach to Lucerne station on the narrow gauge Interlaken-Meiringen-Lucerne line, there is a third rail allowing standard gauge vehicle to pass.

[JayMac]

Can dual gauge be found in operation elsewhere?

Yes. In Taunton and just outside Taunton.