Locomotive numbering system of the Swiss railways

The Swiss railways have agreed to use a common numbering system for their locomotives and railcars.

These numbers look like German, Spanish, Czechian numbers: 000 000-0, the first group of three denotes the class, the next group of three is the serial number, and the last digit is the check digit, to check whether the number is correct.

The numbers can be extended to international numbers later, by adding a sequence such as 90 85 0 at the left.

A number of Swiss railways (mostly standard gauge, narrow gauge only SBB CFF FFS so far) have started to write new numbers on new or rebuilt locomotives and railcars. Old units are not yet renumbered, so there will still be several years until the new system is fully implemented, and both systems will coexist for some time.

1st digit

0: Museum locomotives, steam locomotives
1: Narrow gauge vehicles
2: Tractors (small shunting locomotives under 500 kW)
3: Electric locomotives with less than 4 powered axles
4: Electric locomotives with 4 powered axles
5: Railcars (EMUs, DMUs)
6: Electric locomotives with more than 4 powered axles
7: not yet in use
8: Diesel locomotives
9: Electric shunting locomotives

2nd digit

if 1st digit = 0: 0 = steam, 1 = electric, 2 = railcar, 3 = Diesel, 7 = tractor, 8 = snowplough, 9 = special purpose
if 1st digit = 1: 0--2 = locomotives, 7 = tractor, 8 = snowplough
if 1st digit = 2: 0 = battery, 1 = electric, 2 = electric and Diesel, 4 = Diesel, 5 = electric and battery
if 1st digit = 3--4 or 6: denotes locomotive generation
if 1st digit = 5: 0 = long distance EMUs, 1 = short distance EMUs, 4--7: single power cars
if 1st digit = 8--9: number of powered axles

3rd digit

0--4 = owner SBB CFF FFS, for electric locomotives and railcars: 0 and 1 = 1 current system, 2 = 2 c.s., 3 = 3 c.s., 4 = 4 c.s.
For tractors (1st digit = 2): 0 = 0--99 kW, 1 = 100--199 kW, 2 = 200--299 kW, 3 = 300--399 kW, 4 = 400--499 kW
5 = owner BLS (was BLS/BN/GBS/SEZ)
6--8 = owner various private railways, see 4th digit
9 not yet in use

4th digit

if 3rd digit = 1--5: part of serial number
if 3rd digit = 6: 0 = SOB (was BT), 1--3 = RM, (4 = was old SOB), 5 = SZU, 6 = MThB, 7--8 = THURBO, 9 = BABHE (was OKK)
if 3rd digit = 7: 0--1 = TPF (was GFM), 2 = OeBB, 3 = TRN (was RVT), 4 = CJ, 5 = TMR (was MO/MC), 6 = OC, 7--9 = various private railways incl. Lokoop
if 3rd digit = 8: 0 = PTT, (1 = was STB), 2 = TSOL, 3 = TRAVYS (was PBr), 4 = BDWM (was WM), 5 = ST, 6 = RB (was ARB/VRB), 7 = RHB, 8 = LO, 9 = KLB

Note: the other narrow gauge railways (except SBB CFF FFS) have not yet joined the new numbering system, but there is space for them too: if the 1st digit is 1, the 3rd and 4th digits have a different meaning.

(4th,) 5th and 6th digit

serial number, starting with 000 (SBB CFF FFS) or 001 (BLS). For renumbered old vehicles, often the last two or three digits of the old number are taken, so the new number is most similar to the old one.

7th digit

Check digit: the digits 1 to 6 are multiplied alternately by 1 and 2, the digits of the results are added, and the last digit of what comes out is subtracted from 10 (0 stays 0) - the result of this is the check digit, which is used to be sure the number is correct, thus transmission errors can be detected.

Tobias B. Köhler (ukjp@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de) - June 1994