UIC 438-4:2005-12

Rolling stock numbers are essential data for the railway system. They enable a vehicle to be identified unambiguously and constitute a common language for railway undertakings (RUs), infrastructure managers and the authorities competent in each state for: vehicle certification and registration, monitoring the vehicle in operation, managing maintenance, handover and acceptance of vehicles between RUs, accounting and financial operations. Hitherto special vehicles1 received an identification number made up of numbers and letters based on national rules. The railway reforms in numerous countries, in particular rail market liberalisation and the new procedures governing rail vehicle operation, also concern the field of construction, maintenance and infrastructure inspections. A sine qua non of this is to have a unique numbering mechanism for special vehicles. This leaflet describes the structure of the number borne by special vehicles, and the marking used for the identification of a vehicle, based on principles directly stemming from freight and passenger tractive and hauled stock.