Swiss Locomotive and Railcar Classification - The Updated Classification System - Structure

Structure

The locomotive class or equipment codes letters (upper case), as well as the traction type code letters (lower case), are as described above, according to the old scheme, and continue to precede the UIC number (RABDe or Re 460).

The numbers are represented as two three digit groups, supplemented by a check digit, which is separated from the rest of the number by a hyphen. The first three digit group serves to designate the vehicle series (RABDe 500 008–8 or Re 460 003–7). Functionally, the UIC number is divided into three pairs:

First and second digit: Vehicle type / Traction

• 0: Steam locomotives and heritage locomotives
  • 00: Steam locomotives
  • 01: Electric locomotive
  • 02: Electric railcars/multiple units
  • 03: Diesel locomotives
  • 07: Tractors
  • 08: Snow ploughs
  • 09: Special vehicles

• 1: Narrow gauge vehicles (Brünigbahn, today Zentralbahn)
  • 10–14: Locomotives and railcars
  • 17: Tractors
  • 18: Snow ploughs

• 2: Tractors (Shunting locomotives, power rating < 500 kW)
  • 20: Battery (accumulator) powered tractors (Ta)
  • 21: Electric tractor (Te)
  • 22: Electro-diesel tractor (Tem)
  • 23: Diesel tractor (Tm)
  • 24: Electric tractor: Catenary and battery operation (Tea)

• 3: Electric locomotives with fewer than 4 powered axles (not used so far)
• 4: Electric locomotives with 4 powered axles
• 6: Electric locomotives with more than 4 powered axles
  • Second digit where the first digit is 3, 4 or 6: the type of locomotive in accordance with the previous generation index in superscript Roman numerals, e.g.
    • Re 420 = Re 4/4II
    • Re 430 = Re 4/4III
    • Re 450 = planned: Re 4/4V (Locomotive for Zürich S-Bahn)

• 5: Multiple units, motor coaches and railcars
  • 50: Long distance multiple units
  • 51: Multiple units for suburban traffic
  • 52: Multiple units for regional traffic
  • 53: Motor coaches and railcars with first and second class
  • 54: Motor coaches with second class
  • 55: Light railcars second class
  • 56: Newer motor coaches with second class and luggage compartment
  • 57: Older motor coaches with second class and luggage compartment
  • 58: Motor Luggage Van
  • 59: Diesel railcars

• 7: Intended for self-propelled departmental vehicles and construction machines, finally used for Cargo-Sprinters

• 8: Diesel locomotives
• 9: Electric shunting locomotives
  • Second digit where the final digit is 8 or 9: number of driven axles

Third and fourth digits: Owning company

As operators of various locomotive series delivered in large numbers, the main railways (especially the SBB-CFF-FFS, and also the BLS) have correspondingly large number ranges available for their use (SBB-CFF-FFS 00–49, BLS 50–59). On the other hand, the smaller private railways can only obtain numbers for series of up to 100 vehicles (00-99), but this is usually sufficient. Since 2003, the specified numbering principles have been breached many times by vehicles that have become the property of the CBB-CFF-FFS whilst retaining their numbers in the range 60-69, and by privately owned vehicles, or vehicles owned by private railways, that have been given numbers from the SBB-CFF-FFS range (especially the BLS Re 420 locomotives numbered 501-512).

• Third digit 0 to 4: Owner SBB-CFF-FFS
  • Third digit for electric locomotives and electric railcars or trains:
    • 0: Single voltage vehicle
    • 1: Single voltage vehicle, equipment for Germany
    • 2: Dual voltage vehicle
    • 3: Single voltage vehicle, variant / subclass
    • 4: Four voltage vehicle
  • Third digit for Tractors:
    • 0: to 99 kW
    • 1: 100 to 199 kW
    • 2: 200 to 299 kW
    • 3: 300 to 399 kW
    • 4: 400 to 499 kW
  • Fourth digit: Part of the serial number, where there is a separate series or subclass

• Third digit 5: Owner BLS Lötschbergbahn (BLS), formerly BLS/BN/GBS/SEZ
  • Fourth digit: Part of the serial number

• Third and fourth digits: further owning companies:
  • 60: Schweizerische Südostbahn (SOB), formerly Bodensee-Toggenburg-Bahn (BT)
  • 61–63: Regionalverkehr Mittelland (RM), formerly EBT/VHB/SMB, today BLS
  • 64: former Schweizerische Südostbahn (SOB)
  • 65: Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn (SZU)
  • 66: Thurbo, formerly Mittelthurgaubahn (MThB)
  • 67: Thurbo
  • 68: Reserve, will be used by Thurbo from 2010
  • 69: BABHE, formerly OKK
  • 70 und 71: Transports publics Fribourgeois (TPF), formerly C d f Fribourgeois Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat (GFM)
  • 72: Oensingen-Balsthal-Bahn (OeBB), not used
  • 73: Transports Régionaux Neuchâtelois (TRN), formerly Chemin de fer Régional du Val-de-Travers (RVT)
  • 74: Chemins de fer du Jura (CJ)
  • 75: Transports de Martigny et Régions (TMR), formerly Chemin de fer Martigny-Orsières (MO)
  • 76: Chemin de fer Orbe-Chavornay (OC)
  • 77: Private (originally intended for Western Switzerland)
  • 78: Private (originally intended for Central Switzerland)
  • 79: Private incl. Lokoop (originally intended for Eastern Switzerland)
  • 80: Post (POST), formerly (PTT)
  • 81: ehemalige Sensetalbahn (STB)
  • 82: Tramway Sud-Ouest Lausannois (TSOL)
  • 83: TRAVYS, formerly Chemin de fer Pont-Brassus (PBr)
  • 84: BDWM Transport (BDWM), Wohlen-Meisterschwanden-Bahn (WM)
  • 85: Sursee-Triengen-Bahn (ST), not used
  • 86: Rigi-Bahnen (RB), formerly Arth-Rigi-Bahn (ARB)/Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn (VRB)
  • 87: Appenzeller Bahnen, formerly Rorschach-Heiden-Bergbahn (RHB), not used
  • 88: ehemalige Zahnradbahn Lausanne-Ouchy (LO)
  • 89: Kriens-Luzern-Bahn (KLB), not used

Fifth and sixth digit: sequential numbering

The individual vehicle numbers can begin with either 00 or 000, as long as the fourth character is not assigned to a function. The BLS and most other private railways either assigned sequential numbers beginning with 01, or retained the old operating numbers, so as to be able to continue working internally with those numbers. Since about 2004, the SBB-CFF-FFS has similarly numbered its motive power beginning with the number 001.

Examples:

• Re 460 003–7 is the fourth locomotive of the SBB-CFF-FFS Re 460 series (the first one had the sequential number "000").
• BLS Re 465 003–2, on the other hand, is the third locomotive of its series.
• SOB BDe 576 048 to 059 were originally BT 50–53 and SOB 80–87. Upon the merger of the SOB and the BT, the two oldest SOB-BDe vehicles, nos 80 and 81, were assigned the sequential numbers 48 and 49. However, the newer vehicles in the SOB series had been delivered after the BT BDes were delivered, and were therefore renumbered as 54–59, to reflect exactly the delivery order of the merged company's BDe series as a whole.
• SOB Re 456 096 is the sixth locomotive of its series, which was originally numbered BT 91–96.