Key takeaways
- Class 622 is the Coradia LINT 54, the longer of the two two-part LINT variants.
- The number in the type name gives the approximate vehicle length in metres – 54 versus 41 for the smaller sibling.
- Counting car sections isn't enough here: both the LINT 41 and LINT 54 are two-part, so length and the running number are what decide it.
- Quickest way to rule it out: a pantograph on the roof always means an electric variant, never a LINT of Class 622.
- Operators, networks and liveries change with every new contract award.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Two-part diesel multiple unit for regional services |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Alstom |
| Type name | Coradia LINT 54 |
| Train formation | two car sections in a fixed formation |
| UIC type code | 95 – diesel railcars and diesel multiple units |
| Operators and service networks | changeable – shift with service contracts |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Two car sections in a fixed formation, noticeably longer than a LINT 41
- Roof-mounted radiator and exhaust, no pantograph
- Typical LINT boxy front with a large windscreen and low-set headlights
- Vehicle number begins with 622
- The two car sections are equal in length – the train looks symmetrical, not like a vehicle with a short section
Updated: August 2026 – Two car sections, a LINT front, a radiator on the roof: that gets you the family, but not yet the class. Class 622, the Coradia LINT 54, shares its two-part build with the shorter LINT 41 – and that’s exactly what makes it the most interesting identification case in the whole family. This page shows you how to tell the two apart cleanly.
Not every LINT is the same LINT
Note down the class and the vehicle number together – that's how "some LINT or other" turns into a usable sighting.
What is Class 622?
Class 622 is Alstom’s Coradia LINT 54, a two-part diesel multiple unit for regional services. The number in the type name describes the approximate vehicle length in metres, which makes the LINT 54 noticeably longer than the equally two-part LINT 41, but shorter than the three-part LINT 81 of Class 620.
In the vehicle classification system it sits with the diesel railcars under the UIC type code 95 – the first two digits of the twelve-digit vehicle number. In practice that means the code describes the traction, not the size of the vehicle. A LINT 27 carries the same 95 as a LINT 81.
Operationally the 622 is a typical regional vehicle for lines without continuous overhead wire. Who runs it and on which network is decided by service contracts – and those are regularly re-awarded. Operators include AKN Eisenbahn in the Hamburg hinterland. In the Bavarian Oberland, vehicles of this type run for the Bayerische Oberlandbahn (BOB).
The trickiest LINT case: 41 or 54?
For every other variant, counting the car sections is enough. Not for the LINT 54: it has exactly as many as the LINT 41. So you need one more observation here.
Confirm the family
A boxy, tall front with a large windscreen and low-set headlights: that's the LINT signature. The Talent, Desiro Classic and Regio-Shuttle all look distinctly different.
Judge the length
Use the platform as a yardstick. A LINT 54 takes up noticeably more platform length than a LINT 41 – that's especially obvious at short platforms.
Count the doors
More vehicle length means more entrances per side. The door layout is a more reliable clue than the visual impression alone.
Read the number
The data panel begins with 622. That settles the case – everything before it is only good circumstantial evidence.
Where exactly the vehicle numbers sit on a railcar, and how to capture them reliably even at short stops, is explained in the guide on finding train and vehicle numbers. The general sequence for identifying classes is described in the guide to identifying rolling stock classes.
The LINT family at a glance
| Type | Car sections | German class(es) | Identification tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coradia LINT 27 | one car section | 640 | unmistakable from being single-part |
| Coradia LINT 41 | two car sections | 623, 648 | shorter than the LINT 54 |
| Coradia LINT 54 | two car sections | 622 | the longer two-part variant |
| Coradia LINT 81 | three car sections | 620 | unmistakable from being three-part |
The table shows why the 622 is the special case: it shares the “two car sections” row with two other classes. The LINT 41 of Class 623 and the older LINT 41 of Class 648 are its closest look-alikes.
Which LINT is running near you right now?
Community sightings show you classes and numbers in real time – the fastest answer to "41 or 54?".
Spotting and photography
The LINT 54 is a rewarding subject: long enough to show structure, short enough to fit fully in the frame.
The platform as a measuring tape
Photograph the train once so that a platform end or a signal is also in the frame. Reference points like these later help you work out the vehicle length – especially useful when telling the LINT 41 and LINT 54 apart.
Three practical points:
- Three-quarter view rather than head-on. Around 30 to 45 degrees to the vehicle’s axis shows the front and the side wall at the same time and lets you make out the door layout.
- Keep the roofline clear. The radiator and exhaust are the feature that separates diesel from electric variants. Too low a viewpoint cuts them out of shot.
- Get the data panel in shot. A picture without a legible vehicle number is only half the information when a family has four variants.
So the sightings you collect stay usable later, a fixed scheme is worth setting up – see the guide on keeping a sightings log for how that can look.
Keep a safe distance
Stay behind the safety line and keep clear of the platform edge. Don't step onto the track area – not even to judge the vehicle length more precisely.
Judging length: a skill you can practise
Anyone who wants to reliably tell the LINT 41 and LINT 54 apart needs to be able to judge vehicle length. That sounds like it takes experience, but it’s really mostly a question of method – and one you can practise systematically.
The basic idea: never estimate the absolute length, always the ratio to something you already know. A platform offers several reference points for this. Platform edges are marked, stopping boards are positioned, and shelters and lighting masts stand at regular intervals. A vehicle that ends at a particular mast will end there again next time – a longer vehicle won’t.
The second method is counting. Doors, window bays and bogies are visible on every vehicle and can be counted even from a distance. More vehicle length generally means more window bays between the doors. That’s considerably more reliable than the overall impression, which is heavily influenced by viewing angle and distance.
The third method is direct comparison. When two vehicles are standing at the same station, the question is settled in seconds. Situations like that are the best learning moment there is – note down both numbers and fix in your mind what the difference looks like.
What you shouldn’t do, on the other hand, is infer the variant from the shape of the front end. Within a vehicle family the front is deliberately styled the same way. It identifies the family, not the model. Anyone who takes that shortcut gets it wrong on a regular basis.
And one more note that goes beyond this class: guesses don’t belong in a sighting unmarked as such. If you weren’t sure of the variant, note that down. A reading flagged as uncertain is more honest, and more useful in the long run, than false certainty that nobody can check afterwards.
Common mix-ups and how to rule them out
It points to the 622 if …
- the railcar has two equally long car sections
- it is noticeably longer than a typical two-part regional railcar
- a radiator and exhaust sit on the roof
- the data panel begins with 622
Look more closely if …
- you're torn between the LINT 41 and LINT 54 – without a reference point, length is hard to judge
- two units are coupled together and the middle of the train is out of sight
- a new operator livery has replaced the usual colour layout
It's not a LINT 54 if …
- a pantograph sits on the roof
- the train consists of one or three car sections
- the data panel begins with 620, 623, 640 or 648
Conclusion
Class 622 is the case that shows whether you’ve really understood a vehicle family. The front-end shape gives you the family, the number of car sections narrows it down, but only length and the data panel decide it. Anyone who gets into the habit of always reading the number as well has solved this problem once and for all – and ends up with a noticeably more valuable sighting besides.
Verdict in brief
A two-part LINT, noticeably longer than a LINT 41, a roof radiator instead of a pantograph, and a data panel starting with 622: that's the LINT 54. Without reading the number, identification here always remains a guess.
Keep every LINT variant in view
Log the class, number and location of your sightings – and see straight away which variant you're still missing.
Summary
- The LINT 54 is the longer two-part variant of the Coradia LINT family and carries the class number 622 in Germany.
- Because the LINT 41 and LINT 54 have the same number of car sections, the vehicle number matters a lot here.
- A look at the roof reliably separates the diesel variants from visually related electric multiple units.
- Always treat service networks and operators as subject to change.
Frequently asked questions
What is Class 622?
Class 622 is Alstom's Coradia LINT 54, a two-part diesel multiple unit for regional services. The 54 in the name stands for the approximate vehicle length in metres. In the vehicle classification system it carries the UIC type code 95, alongside the other diesel railcars.
How do I recognise a LINT 54?
By the typical LINT boxy front, by two equally long car sections, and by a roof with a radiator and exhaust instead of a pantograph. Because the LINT 41 is also two-part, the vehicle number ultimately settles it: on the LINT 54 it begins with 622.
What's the difference between the LINT 41 and the LINT 54?
Both are two-part, but the LINT 54 is noticeably longer – around 54 metres against around 41. On the platform you can tell from the number of doors and from how much platform length the train takes up. The class number settles it for certain: 622 versus 623 or 648.
What does the number in the Coradia LINT name mean?
It describes the approximate vehicle length in metres. The LINT 27 is a single car, the LINT 41 and LINT 54 are two-part, and the LINT 81 is three-part. That lets you sort the whole family without learning it by heart – you just need a rough sense of length.
How do I tell diesel and electric variants of similar railcars apart?
By the roof. Radiator grilles and exhaust systems mean diesel traction and the type code 95; a pantograph means electric traction and the type code 94. The front-end shape is nearly identical across many families, so it doesn't help here.
Who operates Class 622?
That changes with each contract award. Regional services are regularly re-tendered, and with a new service contract the operator, service network and livery often change too. Check the current situation through community sightings rather than relying on older route lists.
Do LINT 54s run in double-heading?
Yes, that's common on high-demand routes. Two coupled units make four car sections in a row. That's not a different vehicle and not a LINT 81 either – just multiple traction – so look out for the coupling point in the middle of the train.
Why does Class 622 carry the type code 95?
Because the first two digits of the twelve-digit vehicle number describe the type, and 95 stands for diesel railcars and diesel multiple units. Manufacturer, length or area of operation play no part in it – only the type of traction decides.
Log your sighting of the Class 622 (Alstom Coradia LINT 54)
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
Class 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.
DMUClass 623 (Alstom Coradia LINT 41)
Class 623 is a two-part Coradia LINT 41 – the same build as the older 648, but its own class with its own number range.
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 644 (Bombardier Talent)
Class 644 is the three-part Bombardier Talent with diesel-electric transmission. Visually almost identical to the 643 – the vehicle number is what settles it.
DMUClass 646 (Stadler GTW 2/6)
The GTW 2/6 of Class 646 is unmistakable: a narrow drive module sits between the two car body sections. Here's how to identify it reliably in the field.
DMUClass 650 (Stadler Regio-Shuttle RS1)
The Regio-Shuttle RS1 of Class 650 is Germany's most distinctive single-part diesel railcar. Here's how to recognise it by its front, windows and roof.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
3-Länderbahn
The 3-Länderbahn is a regional network around Siegen whose lines reach into three German states. The brand name has survived a change of operator: where Deutsche Bahn once ran the trains, the Hessische Landesbahn is now in charge – and you'd never guess it from the name.
BrandAKN 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.
BrandHellertalbahn
Hellertalbahn is both the name of the line and a service brand – and for a while it was also the name of its own operating company. If you want to place the railcar you've just seen in the Hellertal, you first need to work out which of the three meanings is meant. The data panel settles it.
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