ÖBB Class 1216 (Taurus III)

Updated: August 2026 – The Class 1216 is the most far-reaching variant of the Taurus family: multi-system, approved for 230 km/h, around 6,400 kW strong – and holder of the world speed record for locomotives. This page shows you how to recognise it, why multi-system capability matters so much for Austria, and what’s behind the 357 km/h.

What is the ÖBB Class 1216?

The Class 1216 is a four-axle multi-system electric locomotive of the ÖBB, designated by the manufacturer as Siemens ES 64 U4 and known in the railway community as the Taurus III. It has a Bo’Bo’ wheel arrangement, delivers around 6,400 kW and is approved for 230 km/h.

Its decisive feature is its system variety: it works not only under the Central European AC systems but also under DC systems. That lets it cover a considerably larger part of Europe without a locomotive change than its sister classes – the single-system Class 1016 and the dual-system Class 1116.

Multi-system capability: what it actually means

Europe is an electrical patchwork. Anyone who keeps this map in mind understands the ÖBB’s entire procurement logic in one sentence.

Traction current system	Rough area of application	Taurus variant required
15 kV / 16.7 Hz AC	Austria, Germany, Switzerland	1016, 1116 or 1216
25 kV / 50 Hz AC	several neighbouring countries to the east and south	1116 or 1216
3 kV DC	including Italy and Slovenia	1216
1.5 kV DC	parts of Western Europe	1216

For Austria this isn’t an academic question. The country lies on several European north-south and east-west axes; on the eastern axis, the class runs straight through to Budapest Keleti without a locomotive change. There it meets the fleet of MÁV. Every avoided locomotive change saves time, staff and infrastructure – and is what makes through workings economical at all.

The 2006 speed record

In September 2006, a machine of Class 1216 reached 357 km/h on the Nuremberg–Ingolstadt high-speed line, setting the speed record for locomotives. The record is more than an anecdote – it says something about the platform.

Important for context: record runs take place under special conditions – without a rake of carriages, on a specially prepared route, with adapted vehicle technology. In daily operation, the approved maximum speed applies, and in practice the timetable determines the pace anyway. Anyone wanting to photograph a 1216 should therefore not reckon on record speeds, but on whatever is permitted on the relevant route.

Sorting the Taurus family in three steps

The ÖBB class system helps further here: the first digit of the four-digit class number encodes the vehicle type. 1xxx is an electric locomotive, 2xxx a diesel locomotive, 4xxx an electric railcar or multiple unit, 5xxx a diesel railcar. This is complemented by the twelve-digit UIC number, which for Austrian electric locomotives typically begins with the type code 91 and the country code 81. How to fully decode such a number is explained in the guide to the UIC number on the vehicle.

Placement in railway operations

The 1216 is a universal locomotive and therefore isn’t tied to one type of train. It plays to its strength where through international workings are needed – across system boundaries, without a locomotive change. In freight traffic it runs mainly for the ÖBB Rail Cargo Group. In passenger traffic it’s above all the night trains of Nightjet.

For observation this means: border stations and international main routes are the most interesting locations. There, vehicles of several railways meet each other, standing times are often longer, and vehicle variety is considerably higher than at a purely domestic hub – the system-changeover station Fortezza / Franzensfeste on the Brenner axis is a textbook example of this. How to choose such locations and what happens operationally there is described in the guide to spotting at border stations. How the Austrian long-distance service fits into this is explained on the page about the Railjet.

Spotting and photography

The Taurus front is a rewarding subject but demands attention to the details that make your sighting identifiable at all.

• Choose a three-quarter view. About 30 to 45 degrees to the vehicle axis shows the front and side wall with the marking at the same time.
• Get the roof in too. Especially with the 1216, the roof layout is a recognition feature. A slightly higher vantage point or a shot from the opposite platform helps – at an elevated photo spot like the Brenner railway near Gries am Brenner you get a clear view of the roof anyway.
• Listen for the tone. The rising tone sequence when pulling away is a trademark of the Taurus family and announces a starting machine.
• Prefer flat light. In the morning and late afternoon, the edges of the locomotive body stand out. The basics are covered in the guide to good photos of trains.
• Use only publicly accessible locations. Tracks, operational railway land and stabling sidings are closed off and life-threatening – without exception.

Common mix-ups

The note about the country code is especially important for this class. The same technical platform runs with numerous railways and private operators across Europe – sometimes under entirely different numbers. In Bavarian-Austrian traffic, for instance, you’ll meet it under the alex brand. Only the full vehicle number, including the keeper marking, turns an observation into a robust sighting.

Conclusion

The Class 1216 is the technical pinnacle of the Taurus family: multi-system, universally deployable, and with a speed record in its history that still stands today. In everyday life, however, the record matters less than the ability to run across system boundaries without a locomotive change. It’s identified most reliably via the marking and the roof layout.