UIC classification of railway coaches

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Railway coaches are classified under an international system developed by the UIC. This UIC classification of railway coaches replaced earlier national classification schemes in many countries, such as Germany. The coach class is expressed as a combination of letters. It is sometimes followed, for example in the Deutsche Bahn AG, by a three-figure class number. In a broader sense the vehicle number displayed on the coach is also part of its classification, because it encodes other technical details such as the top speed or the type of heating system used.

Contents

For example the full designation of a passenger coach, including its coach number, looks like this:

73 80 29-94 708-7 Bpmbz 293.6

This article explains how this classification code on the sole bar of each coach may be decoded.

Main letters

Avmz - 1st class compartment coach DB Avmz.jpg
Avmz - 1st class compartment coach
ARkimbz - Bistro Cafe/1st Class ex-InterRegio coach BordBistro.jpg
ARkimbz - Bistro Cafe/1st Class ex-InterRegio coach
Bimz - 2nd class InterRegio coach ICB1.JPG
Bimz - 2nd class InterRegio coach
Bnrz - 2nd class local coach Hannover - DB "Silberling" Coaches.jpg
Bnrz - 2nd class local coach
Bxf - 2nd class S-Bahn driving trailer BxF Koln-Mulheim.jpg
Bxf - 2nd class S-Bahn driving trailer
DABpzf - Double decker driving trailer with 1st and 2nd class (open) seating Alzeyer Bahnhof- auf Bahnsteig zu Gleis 2- Richtung Bingen (RB Doppelstockwagen) 22.7.2009.JPG
DABpzf - Double decker driving trailer with 1st and 2nd class (open) seating

The classification of a coach begins with one or more class letters, in our example above, a capital B. It describes the general class of coach:

APassenger coach with 1st class seating
BPassenger coach with 2nd class seating
ABComposite coach with 1st and 2nd class seating
ARCoach with 1st class seating, kitchen and dining area
BCCoach with 2nd class seating and place for disabled, and could also include playroom for children(Norway only)
BFCoach with place for small children, place for disabled, staff room and bicycle room(Norway only)
BRCoach with 2nd class seating, kitchen and dining area
AD, BDComposite coach with 1st or 2nd class seating and a luggage compartment
D Luggage van
DA, DB Double-decker coach (Doppelstockwagen) with 1st or 2nd class seating(Germany only)
DABComposite double-decker coach with 1st and 2nd class(Germany only)
DDDouble-decker luggage van(DR only)
DDDouble-decker car transporter of the passenger coach type(used in motorail trains)
Post Mail van (Germany only)
F Luggage van (Norway and Sweden only)
FMail van(Austria only)
FRCoach with restaurant / bistro and staff room / luggage room(Norway only)
BPostComposite coach with 2nd class and a mail section
DPostLuggage van with a mail section
WGClub car(Germany only)
WGSSpecial club car (Saloon car)(Germany only)
SRClub car
SalonSaloon coach
WR Restaurant car
WL… Sleeper (in most countries in combination with A or B)
K… Narrow gauge coach (only in combination with A, B or D)
ZMail van(Switzerland only)
ZPrisoner transporter(DR only)

Secondary letters (Deutsche Bahn AG)

The following lower-case letters follow the main letters and describe the technical equipment and fittings of the coach. How the letters are used, is at least partly up to the individual railway company. This overview is based on the system used by the Deutsche Bahn AG:

i
formerly: local- or regional-traffic passenger (Nah- oder Regionalverkehrswagen) coach with center aisle, gangway without rubber connectors
formerly: InterRegio coach
l
regional-traffic passenger coach (Regionalverkehrswagen) with length of more than 24.5 metres, centre aisle in 2nd class, centre aisle or side corridor in 1st class, rubber gangway connectors (currently not used)
formerly: couchette coach (Liegewagen), later changed to c
m
long-distance passenger coach (Fernverkehrswagen) with length of more than 24.5 metres, rubber gangway connectors (except on DDm)
mm
long-distance modified passenger coach (Fernverkehrswagen) with length of more than 24.5 metres, rubber gangway connectors
n
local-traffic passenger coach (Nahverkehrswagen) with length of more than 24.5 metres, centre aisle in 2nd class, centre aisle or side corridor in 1st class, two centre doors, with 36-pole control cable for push-pull operations
x
local-traffic passenger coach (S-Bahn) with centre aisle, centre doors, high performance brakes, bus bar for current collection, push-pull operations by default
y
regional-traffic passenger coach (Regionalverkehrswagen) with length of more than 24.5 m, centre aisle in 2nd class, centre aisle or side corridor in 1st class, two centre doors, with 34-pole control cable for push-pull operations
b
coach with equipment for the disabled (behindertengerecht)
formerly: coach with command-control cabling (Befehls-Leitung)
c
couchette coach, compartment seats can be converted to couchettes
d
coach with luggage, multi-purpose or bicycle section
k
coach with bistro, kiosk, kitchen section or snack machines
o
compartment coach with fewer number, without (ohne) air-conditioning
p
open coach with centre aisle (pullman type), air-conditioned
s
on luggage vans: side corridor (Seitengang)
on sleepers:Special type (small single- or twin-bed compartments)
on compartment coaches:Service compartment
v
compartment coach with fewer (verringerter) number (11 instead of 12 on Bm, 9 instead of 10 on Am, 6/4 instead of 6/5 on ABm), air-conditioned
w
compartment coach with way fewer number (9 instead of 12 Bm, former Am)
formerly: seats with padding (weich) also in former third class and then new second class
r
coach with high-performance brakes (Rapid-Bremse) KE-GPR (only with n or Post)
f
coach with driving cab (Führerstand), 36-pole control cabling or time-division multiplexed push-pull operations
q
coach with driving cab, 34-pole control cabling for push-pull operations (only non-modernised vehicles without n or y)
u
coach with 34-pole control cable for push-pull operations
uu
coach with 36-pole control cable for push-pull operations (included in f or n)
h
coach which power supply from axle generators (some with additional bus-bar)
formerly: non-converted local passenger train coaches of Reichsbahn origin
z
coach with power supply from bus-bar (no axle generators)
a
coach with automatic door operation (TAV)
e
formerly: coach with electrical heating

Secondary letters (Austrian Federal Railways)

The Austrian Railways use different secondary letters for twin- and four-axled coaches. The following letters have been in force since 1981. The letters d for double-decker coach, l for push-pull coaches and s for driving cars are written after a dash (e.g.: Bmpz-ds).

cFour-axled couchette coach
mFour-axled coach longer than 24 m
pFour-axled open coach with centre doors
son four-axled luggage van with corridor
xon four-axled luggage van for express goods
zFour-axled coach with power supply from a bus-bar
hTwin-axled coach with electric heating
iTwin-axled coach with open platforms and centre doors
ipTwin-axled coach with enclosed platforms and centre doors
oTwin-axled coach without steam heating
üTwin-axled coach with gangway bellows
wTwin-axled coach with Webasto heating (driving trailer)
-d Double-decker coach
-kCoach with driving cab
-lCoach with control cables for push-pull operation
-s Driving trailer for push-pull operation

Secondary letters (SNCF)

In addition to secondary letters, SNCF includes superscript characters to indicate the number of compartments or sections within a coach. (Example = A8tuj)

c Couchette car
dCoach with luggage section
(e) Bi-level coach
fCoach compatible with the British loading gauge
h Wheelchair accessible coach
j Stainless steel (Inox) coach
oCoach suitable for Hospital train use
(p)Coach with gangway, but no bellows or rubber connectors
qNon-metallic coach
rCoach with Buffet or Restaurant section
sLuggage van with side corridor
tOpen center aisle coach (Chair car)
u Air-conditioned coach
wCoach with immobilization brake
xCoach with special compartment
zCoach without screw brake (hand brake)

Secondary letters (Swiss Federal Railways)

The Swiss Federal Railways currently uses secondary letters for their fleet of Eurofima coaches and to denote special type carriages.

cCouchette car
mPassenger coach with a length of more than 24 meters
pOpen center aisle coach (Chair car) or Panorama coach
rBar or Buffet coach (not currently in use)
sSalon coach
t Driving trailer

Vehicle number

The fifth digit of the Coach number defines the type:

See also

Sources

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