Key takeaways
- The 640 is the LINT 27: the single-car, shortest version of the Alstom Coradia LINT family.
- Fastest way to identify it: only one car body and roof-mounted radiators instead of a pantograph.
- The number in the type name describes the approximate vehicle length – LINT 27, LINT 41, LINT 54 and LINT 81 differ mainly in this.
- Typical territory is lightly used branch lines, where a long train would be uneconomical.
- Operators and networks change with service contract awards; fleet lists from the internet go out of date fast.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Single-car diesel railcar for regional services |
|---|---|
| UIC type code | 95 (diesel railcar / diesel multiple unit) |
| Type family | Alstom Coradia LINT – the 27 stands for the approximate vehicle length in metres |
| Layout | One car body on two bogies, no Jacobs bogie |
| Maximum speed | 120 km/h |
| Manufacturing plant | Salzgitter (formerly Linke-Hofmann-Busch) |
| Typical use | Branch lines and lightly used regional routes |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- A single car body – the shortest member of the LINT family
- Two bogies under one body, no split train formation
- Characteristic LINT front end with a dark-toned window band running round it
- Radiator and exhaust equipment on the roof instead of a pantograph
- Low-floor entry in the middle section, with high-floor areas over the bogies in between
- Running number starts with 640
Updated: August 2026 – A single, short railcar at a small platform, the sound of a diesel engine, no overhead wire: that’s the typical picture of the Class 640, the Coradia LINT 27. This page shows you how to recognise it with confidence, how to tell it apart from the longer LINT variants, and what matters when photographing it.
Spotted a LINT 27? Log it straight away.
Within the LINT family, the exact class matters – with Traintrack you can note it down in seconds.
What is the Class 640?
The Class 640 is the Alstom Coradia LINT 27, a single-car diesel railcar for regional services. The number in the type name describes the approximate vehicle length in metres – LINT 27, LINT 41, LINT 54 and LINT 81 together form a modular family that ranges from the short solo railcar to a three-car train. The 640 is the shortest link in that chain and is rated for 120 km/h.
LINT vehicles are built at the Salzgitter works, which grew out of the former Linke-Hofmann-Busch. Operationally, the 640 targets routes with modest demand: places where a two- or three-car train like the Class 648 (LINT 41) would be too big, but a modern low-floor railcar is still wanted.
How to recognise the 640 in a few seconds
Count the car bodies
Exactly one. This is the strongest feature: every other German LINT class consists of two or three car sections. A solo railcar with LINT styling is practically always a 640.
Check the bogies
Two bogies under one body, positioned at the ends of the vehicle. There's no Jacobs bogie, because there's no second half of the car.
Look at the roof
Radiators and exhaust instead of a pantograph. Alstom also builds visually related vehicles with electric drive, so the roof layout is the most reliable way to tell them apart.
If you want a systematic approach rather than just this one class, the guide to identifying locomotive classes helps. It explains in what order to work through features so you don’t get stuck on details.
The number in the type name is the key
LINT 27, LINT 41, LINT 54, LINT 81 – the digit roughly matches the vehicle length in metres. Remember that, and you can place the whole family by train length without needing to memorise individual class numbers.
What the vehicle number reveals
The twelve-digit UIC number starts with 95 for diesel railcars. Country code, class and serial number follow after that. For the 640, that means the short running number used in everyday operation starts with 640, while the full UIC number puts the 95 in front of it. Single-car vehicles have no additional 9-number for unpowered sections, because there are none – that’s a clue too.
| Feature | Class 640 (LINT 27) | Longer LINT variants |
|---|---|---|
| Car sections | one | two or three |
| Jacobs bogie | no | yes |
| Approximate length | around 27 m | 41 m and more |
| Roof equipment | radiators and exhaust | radiators and exhaust |
| Short number | starts with 640 | 648, 622, 620 and others |
How to fully decode the twelve-digit number and what the check digit at the end does is covered in the article on reading the UIC number on a vehicle.
Context in railway operation
A short solo railcar is an economical tool: it fits onto small platforms, uses little fuel, and can be coupled in multiple as needed. That’s exactly why you find the 640 where demand and route infrastructure are limited. In Hesse, Hessische Landesbahn (HLB) runs vehicles of this type. In the Lower Saxony network, NordWestBahn relies on short LINT units.
| Location | Chance of a sighting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Non-electrified branch lines | high | Core territory of short diesel railcars |
| Small intermediate stations | high | Short platforms, low demand |
| Regional hubs at the edge of diesel networks | medium | Transition between diesel and electric services |
| Electrified main lines | low | Only as a transfer working or diversion |
| Big-city S-Bahn networks | very low | Purely electric operation |
Operating areas change
Which operator serves which network with which vehicles depends on service contracts with a limited term. Vehicles are redeployed, sold on and repainted. Check the current status via real-time information and current sightings, rather than relying on older overviews.
Where's a LINT 27 running right now?
Community sightings show you current reports – the best basis for a targeted trip.
Spotting and photography
The short body is an advantage for photography: it fits fully into the frame, even from close range. On the flip side, it lacks the length that gives a train photo a sense of dynamism.
Get closer than you would for a long train
Because the railcar is short, a mid-range focal length often works better than a strong telephoto. The three-quarter view remains the safest bet.
Let the surroundings tell the story
A solo railcar at a small station is a photo about the route, not just the vehicle. A platform canopy, a signal or the landscape gives the picture context.
Capture the number and the roof
Keep the side markings legible and, if possible, shoot from a slightly elevated position so the roof equipment is visible.
Keep your distance
Stay behind the platform edge. Track areas, operational installations and stabling sidings are off-limits – no matter how little traffic a branch line sees.
The general technique – focal plane, shutter speed, composition – is covered in the guide to good photos of trains.
One point that matters especially with short railcars: where you stand relative to the track axis. Because the vehicle has little length, the angle decides whether the picture reads as three-dimensional or flat. Shot too head-on, the car body loses its depth; shot too side-on, it looks like a technical elevation drawing. The sweet spot in between is narrow but reliable – and because single-car vehicles often stop at small stations, you generally have enough time to find it.
Second point: watch out for whether several units are coupled together. At peak times, solo railcars often run in pairs or threes. That’s a bonus for your collection, because you can log several vehicle numbers at once – provided you frame the shot so the markings of all units stay legible, or take a second, purely functional number shot.
Common mix-ups
It points to the 640 if …
- only one car body is present
- the styling matches the LINT family
- radiators and exhaust sit on the roof
- the number starts with 640
Look more closely if …
- two solo railcars coupled together look like a two-car train
- an unfamiliar livery obscures the styling
- you only see the vehicle head-on and can't judge its length
It's not a 640 if …
- a pantograph sits on the roof
- the train consists of two or three permanently coupled bodies
- there's a shared Jacobs bogie between two car sections
- the front end looks noticeably more angular and older, as with a Regio-Shuttle
The most realistic mix-up is the Stadler Regio-Shuttle RS1 (Class 650): also a single-car diesel railcar, but with a distinctly different, more sharply angled front end. Within the LINT family, the LINT 54 of Class 622 is the closest relative – it’s simply longer.
Conclusion
The Class 640 is the simplest case in the LINT family: one body, two bogies, diesel equipment on the roof. Check those three points and you’re done in seconds. What makes it interesting is less the technology than where it runs – small routes, small stations, traffic that can shift with every new contract award.
In short
A single LINT car body with radiators on the roof is practically always a 640. A glance at the number confirms it – and for where to find one, look at current sightings rather than old lists.
Keep all the LINT classes straight
Log the number, date and location – and see at a glance which variants you're still missing.
Summary
- The Class 640 occupies the smallest size class in the LINT family, making it easy to tell apart from its longer sisters in everyday spotting.
- One car body, two bogies, diesel equipment on the roof – that's all it takes to identify it.
- Because the train is short, it also fits onto narrow platforms and small stations, where it makes a rewarding photo subject.
- Anyone searching for it specifically should look at diesel routes with low passenger numbers and check the current fleet assignment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Class 640?
The Class 640 is the Alstom Coradia LINT 27, a single-car diesel railcar for regional services. The number 27 in the type name stands for the approximate vehicle length in metres. That makes the 640 the shortest version in the LINT family, intended for lightly used routes.
How do I tell the 640 apart from a LINT 41?
By the number of car bodies. The LINT 27 is single-car, while the LINT 41 consists of two car sections with a shared Jacobs bogie in the middle. The front-end shape, window band and roof equipment are, by contrast, very similar – length is the decisive feature.
How fast does the Class 640 go?
Its maximum speed is 120 km/h. On the typical routes it works, with closely spaced stops and many level crossings, that's rarely reached in practice; the route's parameters set the pace, not the vehicle.
How can I tell it's a diesel railcar?
By the roof. There you'll find radiator packs and exhaust systems instead of a pantograph. Because Alstom also builds visually related vehicles with electric drive, looking up at the roof is the most reliable way to tell.
What does the 95 at the start of the vehicle number mean?
It's the UIC type code and stands for diesel railcars and diesel multiple units. The twelve-digit vehicle number starts with it; electric multiple units carry a 94 at this position instead. Two digits are enough to clarify the type of drive unambiguously.
Where do you find the Class 640?
On non-electrified regional and branch lines with modest demand. The exact network assignment depends on service contracts and changes as those contracts run their course. So before a targeted trip, check current sightings rather than older lists.
Is the 640 low-floor?
LINT vehicles have a low-floor entry area between the bogies, while the areas above the bogies sit higher and are reached via a few short steps. You can spot the flat entry well from a distance – a clear difference from older designs with a continuous high floor throughout.
Is it worth logging sightings of individual LINT units?
Yes. Several classes within the LINT family are in service and look similar from the outside. Anyone who notes the number, date, location and livery can later work out cleanly which type they saw where – and will quickly notice when assignments shift after a new contract award.
Log your sighting of the Class 640 (Alstom Coradia LINT 27)
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
Class 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 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 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.
DMUClass 672.9 (Bombardier LVT/S)
The Class 672.9 is a light single railcar from Bautzen that continues the branch-line tradition of the East German lightweight railcars.
DMUClass 689 / 690
The designation Class 689 / 690 groups two neighbouring number ranges in the railcar block. Here's how to read the number and place it correctly.
DMUClass 772
The Class 772 is the Deutsche Reichsbahn's two-axle light railcar – known as the Ferkeltaxe and today found almost only at heritage railways.
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.
GroupHessische Landesbahn (HLB)
The Hessische Landesbahn is a group of several companies: one for passenger services, one for freight, one for its own infrastructure. The train usually just says HLB or a brand name – you only find out the operating company from the data panel.
BrandNordWestBahn
NordWestBahn is the brand of a regional transport provider in north-west Germany, whose operating company belongs to an internationally active group. It's especially instructive because of its S-Bahn services: the term means something entirely different here than in the big conurbations.
Heritage railwaySüdwestfälisches Eisenbahnmuseum
The Südwestfälisches Eisenbahnmuseum sits in the former Siegen motive power depot – roundhouse, turntable and open-air grounds included. The site tells the story of freight traffic in a mining and iron region where the railway was never a sideshow.
Where to see the Class 640 (Alstom Coradia LINT 27)
Specific viewpoints with lighting times, coordinates and an honest verdict on whether the trip is worth it.
Related guides from the blog
