In the US, that means that long distance trains (rarely commuter lines) stop running for an hour in case a passenger gets confused as to what time he or she should be at the station to meet the train, and so the trains re-synchronize themselves with local time by stopping for one hour when the change goes into effect (usually about 2 AM).

Is that the practice in Europe and Asia as well? How about the trains running between Moscow and Vladivostok? And in India?

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Robert J. Emery

I suspect that the train will arrive either one hour earlier or later, according to the direction of the change.

I don't know what happens in the mainland. I once crossed from Morocco to Spain and didn't notice that the autumn change had occurred while I had been in Morocco. Consequently I wondered why the train for Madrid left an hour later than my watch said it would.

I once

George Matthews

Regards,
Erhard

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Erhard Baltrusch

It would appear in Europe at least the trains don't stop. They either leave an hour late or ignore the change. Be forewarned when travelling aboard Amtrak on the last Saturday of October, your train will stop for an hour at the next station, regardless of station size. Here's a notice I found on the Internet, apparently from Trains Magazine:

Quote

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When clocks are changed between Daylight Savings and Standard Time each spring and fall, what happens to the Amtrak trains traveling during the early-morning hours? In spring, trains automatically become an hour late at 2 a.m. For many long-distance trains, this can be par for the course. In fall, as happened October 25, en route trains just stop to let the "new time" catch up to them.

These trains do not simply halt at an appointed time. Instead, they arrive at a station and remain there until the clock catches up with them. "They don't stop them out in nowhere land," said Amtrak spokesman Russ Hall. "I've never heard anyone complaining about it at all." In fact, the down time allows people to get some fresh air outside or smoke a cigarette, if they're even awake--it's more likely passengers will be snoozing at that hour.

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I can tell you people do complain. One Washington, DC, to Boston Amtrak train stops for an hour at Metropark (New Jersey), 26 miles from New York City. Since Penn Station New York is a disembarkation point for many on board, those passengers become frustrated that they have to 'needlessly' wait that extra hour!

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Robert J. Emery

I could frequently watch long-distance freights in germany pass whilst the clocks remain frozen for their hour - end of September, that is. It was actually the "thrill" to watch trains at that hour.

I could imagine that with long-distance trans-continental trains, the case might be a problem as there are other trains on the line getting accustomed to the new time, so how could they handle an occasional passenger train running one hour early - getting aligned into the "time slot" of a hotshot freight then ?

I'd guess there is a flexible management in the US with the operational problem as is here in Europe, but most of it I assume to occur in the yards, less so in stations.

So, maybe the ubiquitious 45 minutes late-running perishable fruit hotshot will be on time for the reason. maybe an engineering possession has an hour more to get new welds into heavy profiles being laid ...

Plenty of possibilities to remain productive for any RR. I'd agree that Amtrak waiting it off in an arms length distance from its destination (or major calling place) downtown NY is less than productive. Likely bad management.

Wonder what the lime and hot cast- steel "thermo specials" hereabouts might do. Don't think any steelworks manager will be that patient with "his" RR ...

Sure we'd like to find out how it worked in the USSR. Next time we'll all be arrested by trainspotting 2 hours after midnight, "for our safety" <innocent grin> just for the taste of it ...

Cheers, CTW

CTW, DE-Goslar