On Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:14:12 +0000, Tristan Miller wrote:


OK, so maybe I should revise my question to "Given that both British and
continental railways allocate platforms well in advance, why is it that
continental railways are able to publish these allocations and generally
stick to them even in the event of delays?"

Because British culture and institutions as a whole have always preferred
flexibility instead of strict, rigid Germanic discipline. There's no
special reason why stations platforms should be any different, is there?

Admittedly this culture has been changing in recent years with British
elfin-safety regulations becoming stricter and stricter. Maybe other
aspects of British culture will follow suit - if so, we'll soon overtake
the Germans!