UIC identification marking for tractive stock

[2] This makes the locomotive clearly identifiable within Europe and parts of Asia and northern Africa (see List of UIC country codes).

The EU CR OPE TSI required that by 1 August 2008 all traction units had to be registered and marked with their number.

see List of UIC country codes A register of tractive units has been introduced by the Federal Railway Office (Eisenbahnbundesamt, EBA), which also issues vehicle numbers.

Vehicles that are used both by DB and private railways are allocated to the same class – the difference is recognisable from the owner's abbreviation.

[6] Frequently the commonly used national part of the number is underlined in order to make it more readily identifiable.

For every railway that enters its tractive units into the register, a clear European-wide code is needed, separate from the number.

This alphanumerical Vehicle Keeper Marking (VKM) is allocated by a railway administration in accordance with CR OPE TSI.

UIC classification scheme for locomotives in Germany. For explanation see text.
Example of a UIC vehicle number
Example in Poland - train at Warszawa Śródmieście , shows on foreground UIC markings however missing first four numbers (country and type because of local usage) – (94 51) 2 140 003-6, with additional national class number – ER75-006 .