Standardised Time.

Commencing this month, railway time-tables in Germany, Norway and Sweden are to be compiled on a twenty-four hour basis, and the old arrangement of ante-meridian and post-meridian timings discarded. Under this arrangement, the “a. m.” and “p. m.” distinction disappears, the hours running from 00.00 to 24.00. One o'clock p. m. thus becomes 13.00 hours; 7.30 p. m. becomes 19.30 hours, and so on.

European travel has always been somewhat complicated by the different timing methods followed by the various railway systems, and the several time standards favoured. In Britain, Greenwich time is everywhere standard, while Greenwich time also is applicable to the railways of France, Belgium and Luxembourg. In Holland, Amsterdam time, twenty minutes later than Greenwich is employed. Mid-European time, one hour fast of Greenwich, is used by Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czecho-Slovakia, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The Italian railways run to Etna time, which is also one hour ahead of Greenwich; while east-European time, two hours faster than Greenwich, is favoured by the railways of Greece, Poland, Roumania, Russia and Turkey.