Glossary


Terms & Glossaries of Shipping and Trading

Berne Gauge

Berne Gauge or Berne Convention Gauge is an informal but widely used term for the railway loading gauge considered the standard gauge in most of Europe.

What is Berne Gauge?

Berne Gauge or Berne Convention Gauge is an informal but widely used term for the railway loading gauge considered the standard gauge in most of Europe. The term arises from the international railway conference held and consequent convention signed in Bern, Switzerland in 1912. The official name of this gauge is the Gabarit passe-partout international (PPI, literally "pass-everywhere international gauge"), and it came into force in 1914. It is the most restrictive loading gauge (standard measure) or the lowest common denominator of loading gauges on the railways of continental Europe.