Key takeaways
- The 445 is a multiple unit, not a push-pull set: the double-deck cars have their own drive, and there's no locomotive at all.
- Twin class: end cars run as 445, intermediate cars as 446 – both belong to the same unit.
- The most common mix-up is the locomotive-hauled double-deck push-pull set: same car shape, but with a locomotive.
- A second mix-up: multiple units with single-deck end cars and double-deck intermediate cars are a different build.
- Watch the number range: the 445 number is also used in Germany for double-deck multiple units from other manufacturers.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Electric double-deck multiple unit for regional services |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Bombardier (Twindexx vehicle family) |
| Classes in the formation | 445 for the end cars with a driving cab, 446 for the intermediate cars |
| Car construction | Double-deck throughout, no separate locomotive |
| Electrification system | 15 kV / 16.7 Hz AC via pantograph |
| UIC type code | 94 – electric multiple unit |
| Typical use | High-demand Regional Express services under overhead wire |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Double-deck cars throughout – including the end cars with a driving cab
- No separate locomotive at either end of the train
- Pantograph on the roof of one car, no side-mounted collector shoes
- End cars carry Class 445, intermediate cars Class 446
- Low-floor doors between the bogies, with stairs leading up and down
- Driving cab built directly into the double-deck car, not into a separate power car
Updated: August 2026 – A double-deck train pulls in, and there’s no locomotive at the front: that’s exactly the giveaway of the Class 445, an electric double-deck multiple unit from the Twindexx family built by Bombardier Transportation. The intermediate cars run under their own Class 446. This page explains how to tell such trains apart from locomotive-hauled double-deck trains and why a class number alone doesn’t always reveal the manufacturer.
Spotted a double-deck multiple unit?
Log the number, location and date in Traintrack – so it stays traceable which unit you saw and when.
What is the Class 445 / 446?
The Class 445 is an electric double-deck multiple unit: all cars are double-decked, the drive is distributed across the unit, and there’s no separate locomotive. It runs under the German overhead line at 15 kV and 16.7 Hz; the power is picked up by a pantograph on the roof of one of the cars.
The twin class designation follows the usual system in multiple-unit engineering: the end cars with a driving cab carry Class 445, the intermediate cars Class 446. Both are permanently coupled into one unit. So anyone photographing just one car will read a different class number depending on position – without anything about the train itself having changed.
A second point matters more for identification than it sounds: the number range for double-deck multiple units in Germany is not reserved for a single manufacturer. The Stadler KISS is also classified in this range. So the class number reliably tells you what kind of vehicle you’re looking at – but not always who built it. The Twindexx programme passed to Alstom as manufacturer in 2021, with nothing changing about the vehicles themselves.
Multiple unit or push-pull set? The decisive question
Look at both ends of the train
If the train looks the same at both ends and consists entirely of double-deck cars, it's a multiple unit. If there's a locomotive at one end, it's a push-pull set.
Scan the roof
On a multiple unit, the pantograph sits on one of the cars. On a push-pull set, it sits on the locomotive – a very noticeable difference.
Check the car shape
Are all the cars really double-decked, including the ones with a driving cab? Single-deck end cars point to a different build.
Read the number
If an end car's number starts with 445, you've made the classification. On an intermediate car you'll read 446 – the same unit.
The basic sequence for identifying rolling stock – first vehicle type, then build, then class – is described in the guide to identifying classes.
The one-second test
First look for a locomotive. If you don't find one and the train is still double-decked, you're generally looking at a double-deck multiple unit. Everything else is fine identification.
Double-deck compared: three concepts
Not all double-deck trains are alike. The three common concepts differ even from 200 metres away.
| Concept | Locomotive present? | Car shape | Identification feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double-deck multiple unit (Class 445 / 446) | no | all cars double-decked | pantograph on one car, both ends alike |
| Double-deck push-pull set | yes | cars double-decked, driving trailer double-decked | separate locomotive at one end |
| Multiple unit with mixed build | no | single-deck end cars, double-deck intermediate cars | clear step in height behind the head |
The third row is the most interesting trap: a train whose middle section is double-decked but whose ends stay single-decked belongs to a completely different vehicle family – for example the Class 4462 (Siemens Desiro HC). Anyone who only notes “double-deck” loses exactly that information.
For distinguishing locomotive-hauled double-deck trains, it’s also worth comparing with the Bombardier Twindexx Vario – cars from the same family, but without their own drive.
Double-deck isn't just double-deck
Log in Traintrack which build you actually saw – that distinction is otherwise quickly lost.
Placing it in service
Double-deck multiple units are capacity vehicles. They’re deployed where you need as many seats as possible within a limited train length – so on high-demand Regional Express routes under overhead wire. Compared with locomotive-hauled trains, they save the locomotive change and accelerate faster; compared with single-deck multiple units, they offer more seats but need internal stairs and therefore more time for passenger exchange.
For observation, a clear pattern follows: you’ll find them at hub stations of major conurbations and on the feeder lines into them, not on lightly used branch lines. Whether a particular line is run with double-deck multiple units, double-deck push-pull sets or single-deck units is, however, not a permanent property: it depends on transport contracts, vehicle availability and replacement plans, and changes with contract awards and timetable years.
How local and long-distance services fundamentally differ in vehicle choice and operating concept is set out in the article local vs long-distance services for spotters.
No line lists from memory
Anyone taking operating areas from older sources will regularly be wrong. Rely on current information and your own or reported sightings if you're specifically looking for a particular class.
Photography: the problem of height
Double-deck trains are tall, and platforms are low. That leads to two typical mistakes – converging verticals and cropped roofs.
- Distance instead of wide angle. The further away you stand and the longer the focal length, the less the vertical edges tip inward.
- Three-quarter view from the platform end. Around 30 to 45 degrees shows both head and side wall and lets the height read clearly.
- Include the door area. The low-floor entrance with stairs going up and down is a characteristic part of this vehicle category.
- Take the number as a separate shot. A tight second shot of the side wall turns the image into a solid sighting – especially because end cars and intermediate cars carry different classes.
How the twelve-digit vehicle number is structured, where the type code sits and what the check digit at the end does is explained in the article on the UIC number and its system. This is especially relevant for double-deck multiple units, because depending on which car you photograph, you’ll have a different class number in the picture – without anything about the train itself having changed.
Safety on the platform
- Stay behind the safety line. The space in front of it belongs to the vehicle. Incoming trains create a noticeable slipstream, especially with tall vehicle sides.
- Never enter the track area. Tracks, operational facilities and sidings are railway premises and off-limits to observers.
- Don’t flash towards the driving cab. Glare is an immediate hazard to train operation.
- Prepare for crowded platforms. Capacity trains bring many passengers. Keep tripods and backpacks close to your body.
Common mix-ups
It's the 445 / 446 if …
- all cars are double-decked, including those with a driving cab
- no locomotive runs in the formation
- a pantograph sits on one of the cars
- an end car's number starts with 445
Look more closely if …
- you read the number 446 on a car – that's the intermediate car of the same unit
- the head shape looks unfamiliar: the same number range is also used for double-deck multiple units from other manufacturers
- two units are coupled and you count across the whole train
It's not a 445 if …
- a separate locomotive hangs on the train – then it's a push-pull set
- the end cars are single-decked and only the intermediate cars are double-decked
- the train is single-decked throughout
- the vehicle has side-mounted current collector shoes instead of a pantograph
Conclusion
The Class 445 is one of the few vehicles where the decisive observation is an absence: there’s no locomotive. Anyone looking for that has roughly classified the train in seconds. Fine identification then comes down to the car shape of the end cars, the position of the pantograph and the class number – bearing in mind that 445 and 446 belong to the same unit, and that this number range isn’t reserved exclusively for one manufacturer.
Quick verdict
Double-decked throughout, no locomotive, pantograph on one car: that's the Class 445 with intermediate cars of Class 446. A locomotive on the train or single-deck end cars rule it out immediately.
All your double-deck sightings in one place
Log the build, number and location in Traintrack – and keep track of every unit you're still missing.
Summary
- The Class 445 is an electric double-deck multiple unit from Bombardier's Twindexx family.
- The intermediate cars appear under their own Class 446, even though they belong firmly to the unit.
- The quickest distinguishing feature versus double-deck push-pull sets is the absence of a locomotive.
- Because the same class number is used in Germany for double-deck multiple units from different manufacturers, it's worth checking head shape and the full vehicle number.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Class 445 and 446?
Their role in the formation. 445 designates the end cars with a driving cab, 446 the intermediate cars without one. Together they form a fixed unit and can't be used separately in service. Such twin classes are the norm for multiple units, because each car type needs its own vehicle number.
How do I tell a double-deck multiple unit apart from a double-deck push-pull set?
Easiest via the locomotive. A push-pull set consists of double-deck cars plus a separate locomotive at one end and a driving trailer at the other. A multiple unit like the 445 has no locomotive – the drive sits in the cars themselves, and both ends look the same. You can spot that from any distance.
Why is there no power car visible on the 445?
Because the drive is distributed across the unit rather than sitting in a separate vehicle. The driving cab is built directly into the double-deck cars. That's exactly what makes multiple units of this type more compact than locomotive-hauled trains of equal capacity – and very unambiguous to identify.
Is the class number 445 used for only one vehicle model?
No. In the German numbering system, numbers in the same range have been assigned to double-deck multiple units from different manufacturers. The class number alone therefore doesn't necessarily tell you which manufacturer built the vehicle. Head shape, detail design and the full vehicle number clarify that.
What does the 94 at the start of the vehicle number mean?
The twelve-digit UIC number for powered vehicles starts with a two-digit type code. 94 stands for an electric multiple unit or railcar. It's followed by the country code, class, running number and a check digit. So the code describes the vehicle type, regardless of manufacturer or operator.
Where are double-deck multiple units typically used?
On high-demand regional routes under overhead wire, where many seats per train length are needed. Exactly which networks that is currently depends on transport contracts, vehicle availability and timetable years, and shifts regularly. So check the current status for your region.
How do I recognise the 445 from the side?
By the continuous double-deck shape of all cars including the end cars, and by the low-set doors between the bogies, from which stairs lead up and down. If there's no locomotive and one of the cars carries a pantograph, the classification as a double-deck multiple unit is practically confirmed.
Can a double-deck multiple unit run in double-heading?
Yes, that's common in regional services to increase capacity during peak hours. Watch for the coupling point in the middle of the train, where two driving cabs meet. For identification, only count cars within one unit, never across the whole train.
Log your sighting of the Class 445 / 446 (Bombardier Twindexx Express)
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Related classes
Stadler KISS (Class 445 / 446)
The KISS is Stadler's double-deck multiple unit. It shares the German class numbers 445 and 446 with a rival design – it's the construction that separates the two, not the number.
Electric locoBombardier Twindexx Vario
Twindexx Vario refers to the double-deck coaches used in locomotive-hauled push-pull trains. Here's how to tell them apart from a multiple unit and read the formation correctly.
EMUClass 4462 (Siemens Desiro HC)
The Class 4462 is a Siemens Desiro HC: single-deck end cars, double-deck intermediate cars. The step in height behind the head is unmistakable.
EMUBombardier NGTD12DD (Dresden)
The NGTD12DD is the long low-floor articulated tram of the Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe. Count the segments and the type is unambiguously identified.
EMUBombardier Talent 2 / 3 (Class 442 / 443)
The Talent 2 is hard to miss thanks to its bulging front end – it's earned the nickname hamster cheeks. Here's how to reliably identify it and the Talent 3.
EMUDB Regio Dosto (Twindexx Vario)
Double-deck coaches with a driving trailer at the front: the Twindexx Vario looks like a multiple unit but is actually a locomotive-hauled push-pull set. This is exactly how you tell it apart.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation was for decades one of Europe's largest rolling stock manufacturers, with plants in Hennigsdorf, Görlitz and Bautzen. Since 2021 the company has been absorbed into Alstom. The product names TRAXX, Talent and Twindexx live on – the company name on the vehicle, however, is history.
ManufacturerAlstom
After taking over Bombardier Transportation, Alstom is Europe's broadest vehicle manufacturer. Diesel railcars, freight locomotives, trams – much of it comes from the same house, recognisable not by the logo but by the platform names and their body styles.
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