Key takeaways
- The 371 is the border-crosser: it handles both the Czech DC system and the German AC system.
- Class 371 and 372 are closely related; the 371 is the version approved for the higher speed of 160 km/h.
- Its German sister is the DB Class 180 – the same design, a different owner, a different number.
- Best chances in Germany: in the border area of Saxony, where trains towards the Czech Republic run through.
- Nickname: in the Czech Republic the type is known as "Bastard" – a reference to the mix of two electrification systems in one vehicle.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Four-axle dual-system electric locomotive for cross-border passenger trains |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Škoda, Plzeň |
| Wheel arrangement | Bo'Bo' (two two-axle bogies) |
| Electrification systems | 3 kV DC (Czech Republic) and 15 kV / 16.7 Hz AC (Germany) |
| Maximum speed | 160 km/h |
| Related classes | Class 372 as a closely related version, DB Class 180 as the sister design in Germany |
| Typical operating area | Cross-border traffic between the Czech Republic and Saxony – diagrams change with the timetable |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Four axles in two bogies, a boxy body with a flat, high front end
- Two different pantographs on the roof – a feature of true dual-system locomotives
- Vehicle number begins with 371, closely related machines carry 372
- Changes electrification system at the German-Czech border without the locomotive being changed
- Czech markings and UIC country code 54 even on German soil
- Visually very close to the German Class 180 – the number decides
Updated: August 2026 – If you spot an electric locomotive with Czech markings in Saxony, in front of an international passenger train, there’s a high probability you’re looking at a Class 371. It’s the Czech electric locomotive that German spotters realistically get to see the most – because it’s one of the few able to cross the system boundary between the two countries.
Document cross-border traffic
International vehicles are rarely predictable – log the number, place and date immediately, while you can still see them.
What is Class 371?
Class 371 is a four-axle dual-system electric locomotive built by Škoda Transportation in a Bo’Bo’ wheel arrangement. It’s equipped for 3 kV DC and for 15 kV / 16.7 Hz AC and is therefore tailored to exactly one job: through traffic between the Czech DC network and the German AC network. Its maximum speed is 160 km/h.
That makes it fundamentally different from the domestic dual-system locomotives of Classes 362 and 363: they too run under two systems, but under the two Czech systems. The 371, by contrast, is designed for the German combination.
Why this locomotive exists at all
Electrification systems aren’t standardised across Europe, and at national borders that immediately becomes an operating problem. Three numbers explain Class 371 completely:
- 3 kV DC – the system in the north of the Czech Republic
- 25 kV / 50 Hz – the system in the south of the Czech Republic
- 15 kV / 16.7 Hz – the German system
A locomotive that only handles Czech DC gets stuck at the border. A locomotive that only handles the two Czech systems does too. Only the combination of Czech DC and German AC produces a vehicle allowed to run straight through – and that’s exactly the 371.
System knowledge in one sentence
For every international train, it's worth asking: which two systems does the locomotive have to handle? The answer almost always tells you which class could be up front – long before you can read the number.
Class 371, Class 372 and the German Class 180
These three designations all belong to practically the same vehicle – and cause plenty of confusion as a result.
- Class 372 is the closely related Czech version of the same Škoda design.
- Class 371 is the variant approved for 160 km/h, tailored to fast international passenger trains.
- The Class 180 is the sister design based on the German side.
The background is the same as with many European border classes: a jointly developed design was split between both railway administrations involved, so each side has its own vehicles in its fleet. The result is near-identical locomotives with completely different numbers – and a classic misidentification trap if you go by shape alone.
Then there’s the Czech peculiarity in numbering. At České dráhy, a purely numerical classification system has applied since 1988: the class number and the running number are written together, and letter designations from before that are officially retired. Because the 371 has a different maximum speed from the 372, it consequently gets its own class number too – even though both vehicles come from the same build series.
Visually, body features won’t get you further here. What counts is the vehicle number together with the country code: 54 stands for the Czech Republic. How the full UIC number is structured and what each position tells you is explained in the article on reading a UIC number and its check digit.
Where you’ll find Class 371
| Location | Chance of a sighting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Border-area stations in Saxony | high | Through-running international trains need no locomotive-change manoeuvre |
| Elbe valley between Saxony and the Czech border | high | The classic route towards Prague |
| Large Czech hub stations | medium | Vehicles stand between two duties |
| German interior away from the border region | low | Without a through service, there’s no reason for the locomotive |
| Pure freight hubs | low | The class is tailored to passenger trains |
Deployment and fleet numbers are changeable
Which international trains are locomotive-hauled and with which class shifts with timetable years, vehicle availability and procurement. Treat any statement about actual duties as a snapshot and check the current situation.
See where a 371 was last reported
Community sightings from cross-border traffic save you a trip into the blue.
Photo tips for the border region
Use platform ends and bridges
Publicly accessible locations are more than enough for good pictures. Track areas, operational railway land and stabling sidings are off limits – not even a rare locomotive changes that.
Narrow valleys call for focal length
In the Elbe valley, you're often standing further away than you'd like. A light telephoto helps you isolate the train without having to get closer.
Take the side markings with you
Because the 371, 372 and their German sister design are visually almost impossible to tell apart, the readable number is the real point of the picture for documentation.
Plan for the light in the river valley
Valley edges shorten the usable time window considerably. Check the light direction beforehand, or you'll end up in shadow while the other side of the valley is in the sun.
Cross-border traffic has its own dynamic for spotters. Because international services are rarely tightly timetabled, waiting only pays off with a plan: if you know the train number, you know the time window, and if you know the time window, you can work out light and position in advance. Conversely, delays in cross-border traffic are more common than in domestic traffic, because disruptions from two networks add up. So plan more generously, and pick out a second shooting direction at the same spot, so the waiting time isn’t wasted.
Which focal length makes sense for this is covered in the guide to the best telephoto lens for railway photography. For research on Czech vehicles and photo spots, the guide to Czech sighting sources is the quickest way in.
Common mix-ups
It points to the 371 if …
- a locomotive with Czech markings is running on German soil
- the train crosses the border without a locomotive change
- the number begins with 371
- an international passenger train is attached
Look more closely if …
- the number isn't readable – the 371, 372 and their German sister design look almost identical
- the locomotive is running in an unfamiliar livery
- you only see it in backlight or from behind
It's not a 371 if …
- the number begins with 362, 363, 242 or 243
- the locomotive is noticeably more modern in shape – then Class 380 is more likely
- you find it deep in the German interior with no connection to a route towards the Czech Republic
For fast international services, the more modern Class 380 is now an option too – it even handles three electrification systems and can be recognised by its flatter, considerably more modern front.
Conclusion
Class 371 is a lesson in European railway engineering: it exists only because two neighbouring countries chose different overhead line systems more than a hundred years ago. For German spotters, it’s the most realistic opportunity to document a Czech vehicle without a trip abroad – provided you get the number readable in the picture.
In short
A dual-system locomotive for 3 kV DC and 15 kV AC, 160 km/h, Czech markings on German soil: that's the 371. Only the vehicle number reliably tells it apart from the 372 and the German Class 180.
Archive your international sightings properly
Number, train, location and date in one app – so your cross-border finds still hold up years from now.
Summary
- Class 371 exists because Germany and the Czech Republic use different overhead line systems.
- It's the Czech electric locomotive that German spotters are realistically most likely to get in front of the camera.
- Visually it's barely distinguishable from the German Class 180 – the vehicle number is the decisive feature.
- Actual duties and fleet numbers keep changing; check the current situation before a trip.
Frequently asked questions
What is Class 371?
Class 371 is a four-axle dual-system electric locomotive from Škoda that can run under both 3 kV DC and 15 kV / 16.7 Hz AC. It was designed for cross-border traffic between the Czech Republic and Germany and is approved for 160 km/h.
Why does the border need a special machine at all?
Because the systems don't match: in the north, the Czech Republic runs on 3 kV DC, Germany on 15 kV at 16.7 Hz. Without a dual-system locomotive, every train would need a locomotive change at the border – a cost in time and staff that's avoided with the right vehicle.
What's the difference between Class 371 and Class 372?
Both belong to the same Škoda design and look virtually identical. The 371 is the version upgraded for 160 km/h and is therefore tailored to fast cross-border passenger trains. On the vehicle itself, you can only tell them apart reliably by the first three digits of the vehicle number.
What does the Class 180 have to do with it?
The German Class 180 is the sister design of the same construction, based on the German side. Visually the two are very close, which makes them a classic case of misidentification. What matters is the vehicle number and the markings: the UIC country code 54 stands for the Czech Republic.
Where can I see Class 371 in Germany?
In the border area of Saxony, where passenger trains run through across the border. Because the locomotive handles both electrification systems, it doesn't need to be changed at the border and runs some distance on German soil. Exactly which duties that involves shifts with timetable changes and vehicle availability.
Where does the nickname Bastard come from?
It plays on the mix: a vehicle combining two fundamentally different electrification systems was seen in the enthusiast scene as a technical crossbreed. Czech nicknames are rarely official but firmly established – they turn up in forums and photo archives more often than the class number.
How do I document a sighting properly?
With the full vehicle number, date, location and, if possible, the train number. This is especially worthwhile for cross-border vehicles, because their operating areas change and a sighting becomes hard to trace later. A photo of the side markings is the simplest safeguard.
Log your sighting of the ČD Class 371
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
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Škoda Transportation
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Where to see the ČD Class 371
Specific viewpoints with lighting times, coordinates and an honest verdict on whether the trip is worth it.
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