Streeet running in other countries

[DET63]

Here is a link to a video of a train

in Chur, Switzerland. Apparently, this service occurs every hour, so motorists must get used to sharing the road with a full-fledged (albeit narrow-gauge) train (as opposed to a "tram" or streetcar).
Are there other examples of street running of mainline (or even branch-line) trains in Switzerland, or anywhere else in Europe? How common is the practice in other countries?

 

[Neil_M]

The RhB has a few locations, Chur as shown in the video, La Presse, and another town on the Italian side whose name escapes me at the moment.

The line at La Presse is slightly segregated as it approaches the main street http://50031.fotopic.net/p54232963.html, but behind where I was stood the road narrows in and the train and cars share space.

One of the narrow gauge lines from Aigle has a lot of street running.

Can't think of any mainline street running in Switzerland, or anywhere else in Europe to be honest, but there must be some!

Oh, and when I was in Chur a few years back the road was dug up where it approaches the main station, but they had left the tracks in place, so twice an hour work and to stop and the diggers and dumper trucks moved out of the way for the train!

The RhB is a fantastic railway, well recommended if you are ever in Switzerland, the Bernina Pass is one of those routes you simply have to travel on!

 

[MrFSS]

Of course, there is this famous

.

 

[DET63]

Of course, there is this famous

Not quite street running, but still pretty hairy. Are there other places like this in the Third World where trains run through places they would not otherwise be expected?

 

[Shanghai]

It's not a train, but it is rail, in Hong Kong the tram still runs from the Western District thru Central, Wan Chai to Causeway Bay.

Also, the trams go all over Amsterdam, The Hague and a few in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

 

[DET63]

Lots of "trams," or what we call streetcars, run down the middle or side of streets (so do some light-rail vehicles). In fact, they are intended to do so, and often have to obey traffic rules that pertain to wheel-and-tire vehicles (stop signs, traffic signals, etc.). However, "heavy rail" passenger and freight trains that run in the middle of streets usually operate under railway rules, and those (presumably) supersede any road rules that might pertain to other vehicles using the same roadway.

 

[jis]

It's not a train, but it is rail, in Hong Kong the tram still runs from the Western District thru Central, Wan Chai to Causeway Bay.Also, the trams go all over Amsterdam, The Hague and a few in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

If you include Tram lines they run on streets or in medians all over the world. Just rode Croydon Tramlink last Thursday which would fall under that category too. Calcutta Tramways also would be a candidate.

But as far as a railway main line running down the street goes, I think that is more or less an unique American phenomenon and it is very very uncommon elsewhere. If you consider factory sidings that is another story altogether.