Key takeaways
- Private railway, not a state one: RegioJet runs Škoda DC Class 162 locomotives in their own, strikingly yellow livery.
- The difference to the 163 lies in the bogies: the 162 is cleared for 140 km/h, the 163 for 120 km/h.
- A pure DC vehicle: the 162 stays within the northern part of the Czech network, and cannot reach the AC network under its own power.
- Peršing is the established enthusiast nickname for this angular Škoda generation.
- The suffix WB turns up in fleet lists – only the full vehicle number is reliable.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Four-axle DC electric locomotive for passenger trains |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Škoda, Plzeň |
| Wheel arrangement | Bo'Bo' (two two-axle bogies) |
| Electrification system | 3 kV DC |
| Maximum speed | 140 km/h (Class 162), versus 120 km/h for Class 163 |
| Operator | RegioJet as a private railway undertaking – fleet allocation changes |
| Nickname | Peršing, for the angular Škoda generation of this design |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Striking yellow company livery instead of state railway colours
- Four axles in two bogies, boxy body
- Vehicle number starts with 162 – the near-identical sister carries 163
- Only runs under its own power on the Czech DC network
- UIC number with country code 54 for the Czech Republic
- Coaching stock in the same company colour instead of state railway livery
Updated: August 2026 – A bright yellow electric locomotive with an angular Škoda front, ahead of an equally yellow train: that is the unmistakable image of a RegioJet Class 162 locomotive. This page explains what’s behind it technically, why the number is 162 and not 163, and how to document the vehicle properly.
Log private-railway vehicles
Private operators' fleets change fast – document number, livery and date while the vehicle is in front of you.
What is the RegioJet 162?
The RegioJet 162 is a four-axle DC electric locomotive built by Škoda with the Bo’Bo’ wheel arrangement. It runs on 3 kV DC, as supplied by Správa železnic in the north of the Czech Republic, and is cleared for 140 km/h. It is not operated by the state railway but by RegioJet – a private railway undertaking competing in Czech long-distance services.
The class number follows the Czech railways’ purely numeric system in place since 1988. Before that changeover, vehicles carried designations with a leading letter – T 478, for example, for a diesel locomotive class, S 499 for AC locomotives. Many older vehicles are still known under both designations today, which makes research in archives and forums harder. With the 162 that is no problem: it only ever had the numeric designation.
For spotters, this is an unusually comfortable starting point: the vehicle is technically a classic, but visually instantly identifiable thanks to its bold yellow company livery. Once you’ve seen it, you won’t confuse it with a state railway locomotive of the same design again.
Class 162 or Class 163? The matter of the bogies
Anyone who looks into Czech electric locomotives sooner or later comes across a pair of classes that are barely distinguishable technically – yet carry two different numbers.
The reason is a typically Czech piece of consistency: the purely numeric class system in place since 1988 reflects the technical state of the vehicle, not its build history. If a locomotive gets different bogies and therefore a different permitted maximum speed, it also gets a new class number.
- Class 162 – 140 km/h, for faster passenger workings
- Class 163 – 120 km/h, in the original specification
The same logic led to the split between Classes 362 and 363 for the dual-system locomotives – it is exactly the same mechanism there. Both cases together give a good picture of how the Czech system thinks.
Before 1988, everything was different
Until 1988, ČSD used letter-based designations such as T 478 for diesel locomotives or S 499 for AC locomotives. Many vehicles are still known under both systems today. Anyone searching older sources should therefore always know both designations.
Identification in the field
Colour first
The yellow company livery is recognisable from 300 metres away and immediately narrows things down to a private operator. State railway vehicles of the same design look completely different.
Check axles and shape
Four axles, boxy body, a raised front end: the typical Škoda silhouette of the Peršing generation.
Read the number
If it starts with 162, the identification is clear. With 163, you are looking at a closely related but slower-rated machine.
Take the coaches into account
Coaching stock in the same company colour confirms the operator. On substitute or backup workings, though, the picture can be mixed.
The general method – from broad to fine features, and the number only at the end – is explained in the guide to identifying locomotive classes.
Where to look, and your chances of a sighting
| Situation | Chance of a RegioJet 162 | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| DC network in the north of the Czech Republic | high | The right electrification system for this locomotive |
| Major long-distance hubs with competing operators | high | Private operators concentrate on strong corridors |
| AC network in the south of the Czech Republic | very low | A pure DC locomotive, cannot run there under its own power |
| Border stations towards Germany | very low | It cannot handle the German 15 kV system |
| Branch lines and regional services | low | The locomotive is tailored to long-distance workings |
Private-railway fleets are especially fluid
Operators in open competition adjust their fleets faster than state railways: leases end, classes come and go, liveries get revised. Treat any fleet information as a snapshot in time and check the current situation through sightings.
See which vehicles were reported most recently
With private railways especially, recent sightings are worth more than any older fleet list.
Photo tips for locomotives in signal colours
Bold yellow is photographically tricky: it blows out quickly in sunlight and loses all detail once it does.
- Underexpose slightly. A third to two-thirds of a stop less keeps the coloured areas detailed.
- Avoid harsh midday light. In the morning and late afternoon, the colour stays rich instead of glaring.
- Get the whole side into the shot. The livery is the real information on private-railway vehicles – along with the number.
- Watch for livery variants. Wraps and advertising panels change; what you see today can look different in a year.
How to search specifically for special liveries and archive them sensibly is covered in the article on advertising liveries and special paint schemes. To prepare a trip to the Czech Republic, the guide to Czech sighting sources provides the right research routes.
A second point concerns the visual effect: a train that is a single colour throughout, from locomotive to coaches, looks very unified but can easily lose a sense of depth. A vantage point that shows the train curving, or a slightly elevated position, brings the layering back. For documentation, on the other hand, a clean, square-on side shot with a clearly readable number is enough – keep the two goals separate rather than trying to force both into one picture.
And as everywhere: platforms, public footpaths and bridges are permitted vantage points. Track areas, operational railway land and sidings are not.
Common mix-ups
It points to the RegioJet 162 if …
- the locomotive and coaches run in the same bold yellow company colour
- the locomotive has four axles and an angular Škoda front
- the number starts with 162
Look more closely if …
- a yellow locomotive is running ahead of unfamiliar coaches – backup workings do happen
- you cannot read the number and only see the design
- the vehicle carries a different wrap
It is not a 162 if …
- the number starts with 163 – then it is the slower-rated sister
- the locomotive is running under its own power on the AC network
- you are looking at a multiple unit rather than a locomotive with coaches
With Leo Express, another private operator in the Czech Republic relies on multiple units instead of locomotives. If you spot a Stadler FLIRT in private-railway colours there, you’ve landed on a completely different vehicle concept. The state railway version of the same Škoda design can be found on the page about Classes 162 and 163.
Conclusion
The RegioJet 162 combines two stories: that of a technically classic Škoda DC locomotive, and that of Czech open-access competition. For identification, colour, axle count and the first three digits of the number are enough. What keeps it interesting is above all that fleets and liveries at private operators change faster than at any state railway.
In short
A yellow Škoda locomotive with four axles and the number 162: a DC machine of the Peršing generation in private-railway service. The faster sister of the 163 – and a vehicle whose livery is worth documenting while it still looks like this.
Capture liveries before they change
With Traintrack you log number, colour, location and date in one step – and find your sighting again years later.
Summary
- The 162 in RegioJet colours is a textbook example of how second-hand state railway locomotives get a second life at private operators.
- Technically it remains a Škoda DC locomotive of the Peršing generation; operationally it is a vehicle of the open market.
- Livery, axle count and the first three digits of the vehicle number are enough for identification.
- Fleet allocation, livery details and areas of operation change faster at private operators than at state railways.
Frequently asked questions
What is the RegioJet 162?
It is a four-axle DC electric locomotive built by Škoda, Class 162, operated by the private railway undertaking RegioJet. It runs on 3 kV DC and is cleared for 140 km/h. The striking yellow company livery makes it identifiable from a great distance.
What sets Class 162 apart from Class 163?
The two are technically almost identical. The difference lies in the bogies, and therefore in the permitted maximum speed: 140 km/h for the 162, 120 km/h for the 163. Because a feature relevant to certification changes, the Czech class system consistently assigns its own class number – on the vehicle you can tell from the first three digits.
What does the suffix WB in the designation stand for?
Suffixes like this turn up in vehicle and fleet lists and are not always handled consistently there. The only thing reliable on the vehicle itself is the full vehicle number together with its UIC identifier. Anyone who wants to document a sighting properly should note that number, not just a list designation.
Where does the nickname Peršing come from?
In the Czech enthusiast scene, it denotes the angular Škoda generation that Classes 162 and 163 belong to. The name plays on the harsh, technical-looking design. Nicknames are a firm part of vehicle culture in the Czech Republic, and you will often meet them in forums and photo archives more often than the official class number.
Where can the locomotive run – and where not?
Only on the Czech DC network, meaning the northern part of the country. The south is electrified at 25 kV AC, which a pure DC locomotive cannot reach under its own power. Continuous runs across the system boundary need dual-system locomotives or a locomotive change.
Can I encounter the locomotive in Germany?
Not under its own power. Germany runs on 15 kV, 16.7 Hz AC, which the 162 is not equipped for. Anyone looking for Czech electric locomotives on German territory should instead look out for dual-system locomotives cleared for the German system.
Why do private railways run second-hand state railway locomotives?
Because they are immediately available, certified and already established on the network. A new-build vehicle means long delivery times and lengthy approval procedures. Second-hand locomotives allow a quick market entry – the striking livery of its own then provides the recognisability the vehicle otherwise lacks technically.
Log your sighting of the RegioJet 162 WB (Skoda)
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
CD 162 / 163
ČD Classes 162 and 163 are four-axle Škoda electric locomotives for 3 kV DC, popularly nicknamed "Peršing". Here's how to identify them and tell them apart from the 300-series.
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Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
Leo Express
Leo Express is one of the private long-distance brands on the Czech main axis between Prague and Ostrava. The dark-liveried units stand out immediately – the company behind the name is a different one from the lettering, and the offer now reaches well beyond rail.
BrandRegiojet
RegioJet runs bold yellow, loco-hauled trains through several Central European countries. Behind the one brand stand several national companies, and the coaches come from fleets across half of Europe – a train where almost every vehicle has a different story.
InfrastructureSpráva železnic
Správa železnic manages the Czech state railway network – separate from České dráhy, which is just one of several train operators there. The result is a country with unusually strong competition in long-distance services and two electrification systems on one network.
Where to see the RegioJet 162 WB (Skoda)
Specific viewpoints with lighting times, coordinates and an honest verdict on whether the trip is worth it.
Bratislava hlavná stanica
Bratislava sits closer to Austria and Hungary than almost any other capital does to its neighbours. The main station clings to the slope above the old town, is visibly showing its age – and precisely because of that offers a mix of rolling stock that vanished further west long ago.
Freight hubOstrava hlavní nádraží
Ostrava lies at the heart of the Moravian-Silesian industrial region – where coal, steel and chemicals have generated rail traffic for over a hundred years. For spotters the hub is above all one thing: the place with the highest density of private freight operators in Czechia.
Junction stationPraha hlavní nádraží
Prague is one of the few places in Europe where several long-distance operators openly compete for the same passengers. For spotters that means three railway companies, four neighbouring countries and a fleet ranging from vintage electric locomotives to tilting trains – all under the same platform roof.
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