UIC identification marking for tractive stock
Encyclopedia
Since the beginning of 2007 all newly authorised railway locomotives or other traction units, at least in Europe, have been given a twelve-digit number. This makes the locomotive or railcar clearly identifiable from an EU-wide list of registered railway vehicles and which follows the UIC Code of Practice 438-3, Identification marking for tractive stock. A complete index number comprises 12 digits. The first two digits form the type code, the third and fourth, as with wagon numbers, the country of origin. Digits 5 to 11 may be freely defined by the country concerned, and the final digit is a check figure. It is followed by abbreviations for the country of origin and the owner of the vehicle.
By the deadline of 1 August 2008 all traction units in a fleet had to be registered and marked up with their index number. Existing locomotive numbers used internally were not affected.
(Eisenbahnbundesamt or EBA). The EBA is also responsible for issuing vehicle index numbers. The national section of the index number (figures 5 to 11) comprises a four-digit class number and the associated 3-figure serial number of the vehicle within its class.
In order to simplify renumbering for the Deutsche Bahn
, in choosing the class numbers for vehicles in the existing fleet the DB selected the first four digits in such a way that the previous DB number could continue to be used without changing the check digit. An amendment of the check digit was only needed for the DB's combustion-engined railcars. For new DB vehicles, such as the Alstom
Class 1214, first introduced in 2008, this is not valid. Although they are internally counted as Class 262, they have been given an index number corresponding to the class used by the manufacturer.
As a result of the requirement to be entered into the register, vehicles and classes were included that had never been part of the DB. These were allocated to new classes by the EBA, which were no longer based around the historical classification systems of the Deutsche Bahn. This has caused misunderstandings for railway fans, because the classes are now generally made up of four-digit numbers which no longer give a clue as to the type of vehicle. For that the first two digits are required, in other words the digits making up the type code.
Example:
Class "0128" appears to have a typical DB classification number for an electric locomotive, if you look at the last 3 digits. However, because the full index number includes the type code "98", it is in fact a diesel shunter. The three-figure numbers "3xy" or "2xy" previously used by the Deutsche Bahn are not part of the new classification numbers. The traditional classification numbers are therefore obsolete and may only be found in the index numbers of former state railway vehicles.
Vehicles that are used both by the DB as well as private railways are allocated to the same class. The difference is always recognisable from the owner's abbreviation. One advantage of the system is its simplicity, because when vehicles change ownership they retain the same index number. Only the abbreviation of the owner's name needs to be changed. For a major rebuild the actual number can however be changed to that of an appropriate class.
See also List of classes in the German Railway Vehicle Register
article.
By the deadline of 1 August 2008 all traction units in a fleet had to be registered and marked up with their index number. Existing locomotive numbers used internally were not affected.
Type code
| 90 | Tractive unit not otherwise classified, e.g. steam locomotive Steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine... |
| 91 | Electric locomotive Electric locomotive An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device... with a top speed of 100 km/h or more |
| 92 | Diesel locomotive Diesel locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel... with a top speed of 100 km/h or more |
| 93 | Electric railcar Railcar A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western... with a top speed of 190 km/h or more |
| 94 | Electric railcar with a top speed of less than 190 km/h |
| 95 | Diesel railcar |
| 96 | Trailer car Multiple unit The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage... |
| 97 | Electric locomotive with a top speed of less than 100 km/h (shunter) |
| 98 | Diesel locomotive with a top speed of less than 100 km/h (shunter) |
| 99 | Departmental tractive units |
Germany
In Germany a national register of tractive units has been introduced by the Federal Railway OfficeFederal Railway Office
The German Federal Railway Authority has been the independent federal authority for the regulation of the railways in Germany since 1 January 1994...
(Eisenbahnbundesamt or EBA). The EBA is also responsible for issuing vehicle index numbers. The national section of the index number (figures 5 to 11) comprises a four-digit class number and the associated 3-figure serial number of the vehicle within its class.
In order to simplify renumbering for the Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
, in choosing the class numbers for vehicles in the existing fleet the DB selected the first four digits in such a way that the previous DB number could continue to be used without changing the check digit. An amendment of the check digit was only needed for the DB's combustion-engined railcars. For new DB vehicles, such as the Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
Class 1214, first introduced in 2008, this is not valid. Although they are internally counted as Class 262, they have been given an index number corresponding to the class used by the manufacturer.
As a result of the requirement to be entered into the register, vehicles and classes were included that had never been part of the DB. These were allocated to new classes by the EBA, which were no longer based around the historical classification systems of the Deutsche Bahn. This has caused misunderstandings for railway fans, because the classes are now generally made up of four-digit numbers which no longer give a clue as to the type of vehicle. For that the first two digits are required, in other words the digits making up the type code.
Example:
Class "0128" appears to have a typical DB classification number for an electric locomotive, if you look at the last 3 digits. However, because the full index number includes the type code "98", it is in fact a diesel shunter. The three-figure numbers "3xy" or "2xy" previously used by the Deutsche Bahn are not part of the new classification numbers. The traditional classification numbers are therefore obsolete and may only be found in the index numbers of former state railway vehicles.
Vehicles that are used both by the DB as well as private railways are allocated to the same class. The difference is always recognisable from the owner's abbreviation. One advantage of the system is its simplicity, because when vehicles change ownership they retain the same index number. Only the abbreviation of the owner's name needs to be changed. For a major rebuild the actual number can however be changed to that of an appropriate class.
See also List of classes in the German Railway Vehicle Register
Check digit
The check digit is calculated from the first eleven numbers and is derived from the sum of the numbers that arise when the digits are alternately multiplied by 2 and 1 (the first digit by 2, the second by 1, the third by 2 etc.); the difference of this summation from the next multiple of ten produces the check digit. (For examples of this see the article on wagon numbers) On entering a number into a computer the check digit acts as an accuracy check.Vehicle owner's code
For every railway company, that enters its tractive units into the register, a clear, European-wide code is needed. This is allocated by the respective railway administration and is the fleet component of the index number. The list of owner's codes may be seen in the European Railway AgencyEuropean Railway Agency
The European Railway Agency is one of the agencies of the European Union. The decision to set up the agency was made in April 2004. The agency has two main sites, both in Nord Department, France...
article.
Example
| Meaning of 97 80 8194 052-7 D-LEG | |
|---|---|
| 97 | Type description, here: electric locomotive Electric locomotive An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device... , top speed up to 100 km/h |
| 80 | Country code, here: Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
| 8194 | Federal Railway Office Federal Railway Office The German Federal Railway Authority has been the independent federal authority for the regulation of the railways in Germany since 1 January 1994... type code, here a DRB Class E 94 |
| 052 | Serial number |
| 7 | Check digit |
| D-LEG | Name of owner, here Leipzig Railway Company (Leipziger Eisenbahngesellschaft). |
See also
- Union Internationale des Chemins de Fer
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- UIC classification of railway coachesUIC classification of railway coachesRailway 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...
- UIC classification of goods wagonsUIC classification of goods wagonsThis list contains the UIC classification of goods wagons and their meanings. The description is made up of a class letter and usually several code letters ....
- UIC country codes