04 What is the UIC Vehicle type?

The class codes, fifth to eighth digit of the wagon number, contain the UIC class code and the technical characteristics of a wagon.

The UIC class codes are made up of one or more “class letters” (or main characters, upper case) and one or more “code letters” (or secondary characters, lower case).

Class codes and type designation systems exist for freight wagons and passenger coaches.

Class codes for freight wagons

The fifth digit of the wagon number encodes the class letter for freight wagons

0 Class letter T → Freight wagon with openable roof
1 Class letter G → Covered freight wagon of standard design
2 Class letter H → Covered freight wagon of special design
3 Class letter K, O, R → Flat wagon with single wheelsets of standard design
4 Class letter L, S → Flat wagon with single wheelsets of special design
5 Class letter E → Open freight wagon of standard design
6 Class letter F → Open freight wagon of special design
7Class letter Z → Tank wagon
8 Class letter I → Refrigerated wagon
9 Class letter U → Special wagon

The sixth to eighth digits encode the code letters

Class codes for passenger coaches

The fifth to eighth digits in passenger coaches indicate the type of construction in several characteristics. For better legibility, a hyphen is placed between the sixth and seventh digits.

The fifth digit of the wagon number encodes the class letters for passenger coaches

0 Postal and private coaches and older CIWLT sleeping cars
1 A – First class seating coach
2 B – second class seating coaches
3 AB – first and second class seating coaches
4 Ac and ABc – couchette coaches first class and first and second class
5 Bc – couchette coaches second class
6 Sleeping carriages and special design carriages
7 Sleeping carriages and special design carriages
8 Sleeper coaches and coaches of special types
9 Luggage coaches

The sixth digit of the wagon number for passenger coaches encodes the number of compartments, for large-capacity coaches the number of fictitious compartments.

for mail and private coaches:
0 Mail coaches
6/7 Sleeping carriages not yet included in the international WL pool and not yet coded for the national park

for seating coaches:
0 10 compartments
1 11 compartments (only AB or B)
2 12 compartments (B only)
7 7 compartments
8 8 compartments
9 9 compartments

The seventh digit codes the maximum speed:
0 to 2 up to 120 km/h
3 to 6 up to 140 km/h
7 to 8 up to 160 km/h
9 over 160 km/h

The eighth digit codes the heating and energy supply system, which is one of the decisive criteria for international use in passenger coaches.