This page gives detailed information about the timezones used in Europe
during the period and in the countries where TEE trains were running.
All countries used Middle European Time (one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean
Time) as the standard time, but during the summer periods during these
years Daylight Saving Time (DST, or Summertime) was introduced; which was
two hours ahead of GMT. However, introduction was not simultaneously but
graduately and starting/ending times became standardized only late in the
period.
Italy was the first country that introduced DST in 1966. The periods until
1979 were as followed:
- 1966 - 22 May - 24 September
- 1967 - 28 May - 23 September
- 1968 - 26 May - 21 September
- 1969 - 1 June - 27 September
- 1970 - 31 May - 26 September
- 1971 - 23 May - 25 September
- 1972 - 28 May - 30 September
- 1973 - 3 June - 29 September
- 1974 - 24 May - 28 September
- 1975 - 1 June - 27 September
- 1976 - 30 May - 25 September
- 1977 - 22 May - 24 September
- 1978 - 28 May - 30 September
- 1979 - 27 May - 29 September
Note that during these years in most cases the DST period coincided with
the summer timetables of the European railways. From 1980 Italy joined
the other countries in their dates.
Spain was second to introduce DST in 1974. Periods were:
- 1974 - 13 April - 5 October
- 1975 - 19 April - 4 October
- 1976 - 27 March - 25 September
- 1977 - 2 April - 24 September
After that time the common rules were used.
France started in 1975:
- 1975 - 20 March - 21 September
- 1976 - 28 March - 25 September
In 1977 Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands joined France with at that time
a fixed rule: first Sunday in April until last Sunday in September. In
1981 this rule was replaced by: last Sunday in March until last Sunday in
September (and is modified again in 1996). This rule was joined in 1978
by Spain (as told), in 1979 by Italy and Germany and in 1980 by Austria
and Switzerland. Although Denmark had TEE trains running they were running
during a period that no DST was used in Germany and Denmark.
Exact dates for the last period were:
- 1977 - 3 April - 24 September
- 1978 - 2 April - 30 September
- 1979 - 1 April - 29 September
- 1980 - 6 April - 27 September
- 1981 - 29 March - 26 September
- 1982 - 28 March - 25 September
- 1983 - 27 March - 24 September
- 1984 - 25 March - 29 September
- 1985 - 31 March - 28 September
- 1986 - 30 March - 27 September
- 1987 - 29 March - 26 September
- 1988 - 27 March - 24 September
- 1989 - 26 March - 23 September
- 1990 - 25 March - 29 September
- 1991 - 31 March - 28 September
- 1992 - 29 March - 26 September
- 1993 - 28 March - 25 September
- 1994 - 27 March - 24 September
- 1995 - 26 March - 23 September
Of course the dates from 1980 are not really relevant as these pages do
not handle night trains.
Note: the periods are including the indicated last day!