Key takeaways
- The 1622 is a diesel railcar from the Coradia LINT family, in the LINT 54 configuration.
- The fastest way to identify it is via the roof: no pantograph, but exhaust and a radiator instead.
- The number in the type name is the length: LINT 27, 41, 54 and 81 differ mainly in metres and car bodies.
- Four-digit class numbers arise when the classic three-digit block is already taken – 1622 thus follows on from 622.
- Operators and networks change with every contract award – treat them as a snapshot, not a fixed vehicle property.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Diesel railcar for regional services |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Alstom |
| Vehicle family | Coradia LINT 54 |
| Configuration | Two-car articulated unit with a shared bogie under the gangway |
| Meaning of LINT | Leichter Innovativer Nahverkehrs-Triebwagen (light innovative local-service railcar) |
| Meaning of the number 54 | Approximate vehicle length in metres |
| Traction | Diesel engines under the vehicle floor – no overhead line needed |
| UIC type code | 95 – diesel railcar |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- No pantograph on the roof – instead exhaust and radiator housings
- Two car bodies with a shared bogie under the gangway
- Rounded, deeply drawn-down front end of the newer LINT generation
- Vehicle number begins with the four digits 1622, not with 622
- Noticeably longer than a two-car LINT 41, but shorter than a three-car LINT 81
- Used on lines without continuous electrification
Updated: August 2026 – Four digits instead of three, plus a roof with no pantograph: the Class 1622 gives away what it is right in its number. Behind it is a vehicle from Alstom’s Coradia LINT family, specifically the LINT 54 configuration. This page shows you how to read both – the number and the vehicle.
Spotted a vehicle number? Log it straight away.
On multi-car railcars, each car body carries its own number – neatly recorded in Traintrack.
What is the Class 1622?
The Class 1622 is a two-car diesel railcar for regional services from Alstom’s Coradia LINT family, specifically the LINT 54 configuration. Its two car bodies share one bogie under the gangway, the propulsion equipment sits under the vehicle floor, and no overhead line is needed to operate it.
That places the vehicle firmly in its operational niche: it serves regional lines without continuous electrification. This shows up directly in the twelve-digit vehicle number – it begins with type code 95 for diesel railcars. At DB, the same vehicle type carries the three-digit Class 622.
Reading the number: 95, 1622, and what sits between them
Two numbers on the same vehicle, two completely different statements. Anyone who keeps them apart reads modern railcars far more confidently.
| Number | Where it sits | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 95 | first two digits of the twelve-digit number | UIC type code: diesel railcar |
| 94 | same position on other vehicles | electric multiple unit – then a pantograph belongs on the roof |
| 80 | third and fourth digits | country code for Germany |
| 1622 | class number | vehicle type; the leading 1 marks an extended number block |
| Running number | after the class number | identifies the individual vehicle |
The type code is the more useful tool for field identification, because it describes a physical property: 95 means an internal combustion engine, 94 means live wire. How the twelve-digit number is put together overall, and how to read the check digit, is explained in the article on the UIC number and its system.
The four-digit class number follows a different logic: if a three-digit block is taken, a digit is placed in front of it. 622 becomes 1622. The same system explains classes like the 1440 from the Coradia Continental family. Such four-digit numbers are mainly carried by vehicles of non-federal railways such as AKN Eisenbahn. You’ll also come across them at the Bayerische Oberlandbahn (BOB).
The LINT family in one table
Alstom sorts the LINT family by vehicle length. That’s unusually practical, because you can put it to direct use in the field.
| Type | Length per designation | Car bodies | Class at DB |
|---|---|---|---|
| LINT 27 | around 27 metres | one | 640 |
| LINT 41 | around 41 metres | two | 648 and 623 |
| LINT 54 | around 54 metres | two | 622 |
| LINT 81 | around 81 metres | three | 620 |
The row for the LINT 54 is why many identifications go wrong: two car bodies alone tell you nothing. Both the LINT 41 and the LINT 54 are two-car units – the difference lies in length and vehicle generation. Three car bodies, on the other hand, point unambiguously to the LINT 81.
Identification step by step
Look at the roof
No pantograph, but exhaust and radiator housings instead: that confirms the diesel railcar and rules out every electric multiple unit.
Count the car bodies
Two bodies with a shared bogie under the gangway point to the LINT 41 or LINT 54. Three bodies lead to the LINT 81.
Compare the front end
The newer LINT generation has a rounder, more deeply drawn-down front end than the older LINT 41. That's a good clue, but not proof.
Read the vehicle number
It's on the side wall and settles the question for good. Four digits starting at 1622 mean this class, three digits at 622 mean the DB version of the same type.
The roof is the best starting point for railcars
Many manufacturer families exist as both diesel and electric variants with almost identical car bodies. From the front and side, such vehicles often look alike – on the roof they don't. A pantograph means electric, exhaust and a radiator mean diesel. This one observation saves you half the detail work.
See where diesel railcars get reported
Community sightings show you which vehicles are currently running on which line.
Where you’ll find the vehicle
Diesel railcars follow the infrastructure. Wherever there’s no continuous overhead line, they’re the vehicle of choice – and that’s exactly where you should look for them.
There’s an important distinction here that many overviews blur: the vehicle type is a constant, the operator is not. Regional services are awarded via transport contracts with fixed terms. After a re-award, the same vehicles can turn up in a different livery, under a different name and in a different region. Network and route information is therefore always a snapshot.
In practical terms for planning: base yourself on the line’s electrification, not on an operator list. Non-electrified regional lines, hub stations at the transition between electrified and non-electrified network, and terminus stations with longer standing times are the most reliable starting points. How you then identify the specific service is described in the guide to finding a train number.
Operator and area of use keep changing
Transport contracts run out, fleets move to a different region, liveries get adjusted. Treat any information on operator, route or service network as changeable and check the current status via real-time data and current sightings.
Common mix-ups
It points to the 1622 if …
- there's no pantograph on the roof, but exhaust and a radiator instead
- the vehicle consists of two car bodies with a shared bogie
- the front end looks rounded and deeply drawn down
- the vehicle number begins with the four digits 1622
Take a closer look if …
- you count two car bodies but can't judge the length – then it might be a LINT 41
- the vehicle wears an operator livery you can't place
- you only see the front and can't judge either the roof or the number
It's not a 1622 if …
- there's a pantograph on the roof – then it's an electric multiple unit with type code 94
- you count three car bodies – then you're looking at the LINT 81
- the vehicle number begins with the three digits 622 – then it's the DB version
The most common misidentification is confusing it with the LINT 41: same family, same number of car bodies, different length and different generation. The second most common concerns electric multiple units with a similar silhouette – there, the roof always decides.
Photo tips for two-car railcars
A vehicle around 54 metres long brings its own photographic requirements. It doesn’t fit casually into a frame, and the interesting details are far apart.
- Allow enough distance. Up close, perspective distorts the long vehicle. More distance and a longer focal length look calmer.
- Choose a three-quarter view. About 30 to 45 degrees to the vehicle axis shows the front end and side wall at once.
- Include the roof in the shot. Exhaust and radiator housings are identification features and shouldn’t be cropped out.
- Keep the vehicle number legible. It’s on the side wall and later turns the photo into evidence you can cite.
- Keep to the platform edge and safety distance. The track area is off limits, even for a better angle.
The technical basics – shutter speed for passing trains, choosing a vantage point and handling backlight – are covered in the guide to taking good photos of trains.
Verdict
The Class 1622 is a lesson in vehicle numbers. The type code 95 tells you there’s an internal combustion engine underneath, the four-digit class number tells you the classic block was already taken, and the type name LINT 54 tells you the length. All three you can verify on the vehicle itself – unlike the operator and area of use, which shift with every contract award.
In short
No pantograph, two car bodies, number starting at 1622: that's the Coradia LINT 54 as Class 1622. The roof decides diesel or electric, the number in the type name decides the length.
All your railcar sightings in one place
Vehicle number, date and route together – so it stays clear which unit you saw and when.
Summary
- The Class 1622 belongs to Alstom's Coradia LINT family and corresponds to the LINT 54 configuration.
- It's a two-car diesel railcar for regional lines without continuous overhead wire.
- The UIC type code 95 at the start of the twelve-digit vehicle number identifies it as a diesel railcar.
- For identification, roof fittings, number of car bodies and the full vehicle number are enough.
Frequently asked questions
What does LINT 54 mean?
LINT stands for Leichter Innovativer Nahverkehrs-Triebwagen (light innovative local-service railcar); the number gives the approximate vehicle length in metres. A LINT 54 is therefore around 54 metres long. The LINT 27, LINT 41 and LINT 81 are named on the same logic – the family is sorted by length, not by power.
Why is the class called 1622 rather than 622?
Because the three-digit number block 622 was already taken. For further vehicles of the same family, the block is extended to four digits: 1622. You'll recognise the same system from classes like 1440, 2462 or 3428 – the leading digit isn't a new vehicle type, but a workaround in the numbering system.
How do I recognise that it's a diesel railcar?
By the roof. Electric multiple units carry a pantograph there, diesel railcars have exhaust and radiator housings instead. This is confirmed by the vehicle number: if it begins with 95, the UIC type code identifies it as a diesel railcar; 94 marks an electric multiple unit.
What's the difference between the LINT 54 and the LINT 41?
Mainly the length, and with it the capacity. Both are two-car articulated units with a shared bogie under the gangway, but the LINT 54 is distinctly longer. There's also the vehicle generation: the LINT 54 and LINT 81 belong to the newer series with a different front-end design than the older LINT 41.
What is an articulated unit with a shared bogie?
A vehicle where two neighbouring car bodies share one bogie instead of each having their own. That saves weight and axles and makes the gangway between the car sections ride more smoothly. From the outside you can tell by the single bogie sitting under the gangway.
Who operates the Class 1622?
That changes with every contract award in regional services. Transport contracts run for fixed terms, after which entire fleets can change operator, livery and area of use. So always check the current status rather than relying on an older assignment.
Why do diesel railcars also run under overhead wire?
Because diagrams don't end at system boundaries. A train that runs mainly on non-electrified lines often covers its final kilometres to the hub station under live wire. A diesel railcar under overhead line is therefore not a contradiction, but everyday practice.
How do I find the full vehicle number?
It's on the side wall, usually near the bottom next to the doors, and has twelve digits. The first two digits name the vehicle type, followed by the country code, class number, running number and check digit. On multi-car vehicles, each car body carries its own number.
Log your sighting of the Class 1622 (Alstom Coradia LINT 54)
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
Class 622 (Alstom Coradia LINT 54)
The LINT 54 of Class 622 is the longer of the two-part LINT variants – the one case where counting carriages alone isn't enough to identify it.
DMUClass 648 (Alstom Coradia LINT 41)
Class 648 is the two-part Coradia LINT 41 – one of Germany's most common diesel railcars. Here's how to identify it reliably and tell it apart from relatives.
DMUClass 620 (Alstom Coradia LINT 81)
The Class 620 is the three-car Coradia LINT 81 – the longest member of the LINT family, and already identifiable by its number of car sections.
EMUClass 1440 (Alstom Coradia Continental)
The Class 1440 is the younger generation of the Alstom Coradia Continental. Its four-digit number reveals a lot about the German class numbering system – and about the train itself.
DMULHB VT 2E
The VT 2E from Linke-Hofmann-Busch is a two-part diesel articulated railcar for non-federal railways. Here's how to recognise it and tell it apart cleanly.
DMUMAN Railbuses
In the 1950s MAN built light diesel railcars mainly for private railways. Here's how to recognise them and tell them apart from the Uerdingen railbus.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
AKN Eisenbahn
AKN is one of the few brands in Germany where the name and the operating company genuinely coincide. The three lines A1, A2 and A3 north of Hamburg carry a line system found nowhere else – which makes identifying them in the field unusually easy.
BrandBayerische Oberlandbahn (BOB)
The Bayerische Oberlandbahn is a case study in reverse: the company still exists, but its name has all but disappeared from the train. Anyone travelling to Munich-Holzkirchen today mostly sees a sister brand instead – yet still logs a BOB sighting.
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