Key takeaways
- The 642 is the Siemens Desiro Classic: a two-car diesel railcar with a Jacobs bogie for regional services.
- Fastest way to identify it: two car sections, but only three bogies to count.
- Roof, not side wall: radiator packs prove the diesel drive – the UIC number starts with 95 accordingly.
- The main risk of confusion is with the two-car Coradia LINT 41, which also has a Jacobs bogie.
- Operating networks and operators change with service contract awards – network lists from the internet go out of date fast.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Two-car diesel railcar for regional services |
|---|---|
| UIC type code | 95 (diesel railcar / diesel multiple unit) |
| Manufacturer | Siemens, Krefeld-Uerdingen works |
| Layout | Two car sections on three bogies, the middle one a Jacobs bogie |
| Maximum speed | 120 km/h |
| Numbering scheme | Both halves of a unit carry 642-series numbers from separate blocks |
| Typical use | Regional and branch lines without overhead line |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Two car sections, but only three bogies – the middle one is shared
- Continuous interior with an open gangway over the Jacobs bogie
- Flat, strongly rounded front end with a deeply drawn-down windscreen
- Radiator and exhaust equipment on the roof instead of a pantograph
- Low-floor entries between the bogies
- Vehicle numbers of both halves start with 642
Updated: August 2026 – Two car sections, one shared bogie in the middle, a flat rounded front and radiators on the roof: that’s the Class 642, the Siemens Desiro Classic. This page shows you how to identify it in seconds, how to tell it apart from the visually related LINT 41, and where you’ll realistically find it.
Spotted a Desiro? Log both numbers.
A unit consists of two car sections with their own numbers – with Traintrack, both are logged in no time.
What is the Class 642?
The Class 642 is the Siemens Desiro Classic, a two-car diesel railcar for regional services. Its hallmark is the articulated design: two car sections rest on a shared Jacobs bogie in the middle, so a complete unit has only three bogies. The vehicles are rated for 120 km/h and were built at the Siemens works in Krefeld-Uerdingen.
Operationally, the 642 belongs to the generation that replaced classic high-floor railcars such as the Class 628 / 629 in diesel local services. Low-floor entry, a continuous interior and a lighter car body were the key advances. A closely related design runs under a different designation as the ÖBB 5022 (Desiro Classic) in Austria.
How to identify the 642 in the field
Count bogies, not car sections
Two car sections, but only three bogies: that's the fingerprint of an articulated railcar. Short-coupled designs have two separate bogies at the same point instead.
Assess the front end
Flat, strongly rounded, with a deeply drawn-down windscreen. This front-end shape sets the Desiro apart from the more angular LINT line and from the Talent vehicles with their folded front.
Look at the roof
Radiator packs and exhaust instead of a pantograph. Because Siemens also built the Desiro platform with electric drive, the roof is the decisive criterion here.
The general order to work through when identifying a class – rough features first, details next, the number last – is laid out in the guide to identifying locomotive classes.
The Jacobs bogie is the key
A shared bogie under the gangway means: articulated railcar. Two separate bogies mean: short-coupled individual cars. This one feature separates the modern railcar generation from the older design more reliably than any styling detail.
What the vehicle number reveals
The twelve-digit UIC number starts with 95 for diesel railcars. The short running number visible in everyday operation starts with the same class number on both car sections of a 642 unit, but the serial numbers come from two separate blocks. Anyone documenting a unit cleanly should therefore note both numbers.
| Feature | Class 642 | Class 628 |
|---|---|---|
| Car sections | two | two |
| Bogies per unit | three | four |
| Entry | low-floor | steps |
| Gangway | open, continuous | via a connecting door |
| Number of the second section | 642-series block | 928-series number |
How to fully read the twelve-digit number is explained in the article on reading the UIC number on a vehicle.
Context in railway operation
The Desiro Classic is a typical regional vehicle: short enough for lightly used routes, yet also suited to peak-time services when running in double or triple traction. This scalability explains its widespread use. In Thuringia, Erfurter Bahn runs vehicles of this type. City-Bahn Chemnitz also uses them in Saxon regional services.
| Location | Chance of a sighting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Non-electrified regional lines | high | Core territory of the type |
| Regional hubs with several diesel lines | high | Several lines converge, good visibility |
| Terminus stations with a turnaround | medium to high | Standing time for clean shots |
| Electrified long-distance corridors | low | At most a diversion or transfer working |
| S-Bahn networks | very low | Purely electric operation |
Assignments change
Operator, livery and operating network depend on service contracts with a limited term. Vehicles are redeployed, sold or repainted. Treat any network information as a snapshot in time and check the current status before a long trip.
Where's a Desiro Classic running right now?
Current sightings from the community are the best basis for a targeted trip.
Spotting and photography
The Desiro’s flat, rounded front reflects light strongly and can quickly look flat and featureless in harsh midday light. These four points improve the shot.
Look for flat light
In the morning and late afternoon, the light picks out the curves. Overhead midday light makes the front end look bland.
Show the articulation
A three-quarter view makes the gangway with the Jacobs bogie visible – exactly the feature that defines the type.
Think about multiple traction
Two or three coupled units make a noticeably stronger subject than the solo railcar and log several vehicle numbers at once.
Respect the platform edge
Stay behind the safety line, don't cross tracks, don't enter operational installations. A better angle is never an excuse.
Suitable locations can be found in the overview of the best stations for trainspotting in Germany.
From high floor to the low-floor generation
The 642 belongs to the vehicle generation that visibly changed diesel local services in Germany. Before it, railcars with steps and separate car bodies set the tone; after it, articulated vehicles with lowered entries took over. The difference is visible even from a distance: where a clear step used to sit between platform and vehicle floor, there’s now a largely level transition.
Technically, the Jacobs bogie is behind this. Because two car sections share one bogie, the design saves weight and structural height. The interior becomes fully walk-through, the train accelerates more easily, and the entry area can sit lower. You find exactly this principle in almost all modern regional railcars – in the LINT family just as much as in the Talent or the Link.
That gives a useful rule of thumb for field identification:
| Observation | Vehicle generation |
|---|---|
| Steps, four bogies for two cars | older design, such as Class 628 |
| Level entry, shared bogie | low-floor generation from the late 1990s onwards |
| One car body, two bogies | single-car solo railcar |
| Three car bodies, four bogies | three-car articulated railcar |
That lets you place almost any German diesel railcar into a generation in seconds, even before reading the class number. The rest is fine-tuning on front-end shape, windows and markings.
Common mix-ups
It points to the 642 if …
- two car sections stand on only three bogies
- the front end looks flat and strongly rounded
- radiators and exhaust sit on the roof
- both numbers start with 642
Look more closely if …
- you only have the side view and can't judge the front-end shape
- the train runs in double traction and the unit boundaries blur together
- an unfamiliar livery obscures the styling
- a visually related vehicle of a foreign railway is in front of you
It's not a 642 if …
- a pantograph sits on the roof
- the unit has four bogies
- the train comprises three car sections
- the front end looks folded and angular, as with the Talent
The classic mix-up is the two-car Coradia LINT 41, Class 648: same basic layout, different front-end shape. The three-car Talent, Class 643 is already ruled out by its car count.
Conclusion
The Class 642 is a textbook example of how to correctly identify a modern railcar: not through details, but through its layout. Two car sections, three bogies, radiators instead of a pantograph – that’s enough. Everything to do with operator, network and livery, on the other hand, is variable and needs checking against current information.
In short
Two car sections on three bogies, a rounded flat front, radiators on the roof: that's the Desiro Classic, Class 642. The front-end shape helps you tell it apart from the LINT 41; the vehicle number gives the final confirmation.
Collect diesel railcars systematically
Number, date, location and photo all in one place – so you keep track even among similar-looking types.
Summary
- The Desiro Classic was one of the first big successes in German low-floor diesel local services and is correspondingly widespread.
- Counting the bogies is the quickest way to identify it correctly.
- Where the vehicles are deployed depends on service contracts and changes regularly.
- For documentation, both vehicle numbers of a unit belong in the logbook, not just one.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Class 642?
The Class 642 is the Siemens Desiro Classic, a two-car diesel railcar for regional services. The two car sections rest on a shared Jacobs bogie in the middle, so a complete unit has only three bogies instead of four. The vehicles are rated for 120 km/h.
How do I identify the 642 reliably?
Count the bogies. Two car sections with only three bogies is the decisive feature. Add to that the flat, rounded front end, the low-floor entry and the roof equipment with radiators and exhaust. The vehicle number starts with 642.
What is the difference between the 642 and the Coradia LINT 41?
Both are two-car diesel railcars with a Jacobs bogie and so share the same basic layout. Differences lie in the front-end shape, the window layout and the door arrangement – the Desiro looks rounder and flatter, the LINT more angular. When in doubt, the vehicle number settles it.
How fast does the Class 642 go?
Its maximum speed is 120 km/h. On typical regional routes with closely spaced stops, that's rarely needed; the line's maximum speed and the timetable are what decide.
What does the 95 at the start of the twelve-digit number mean?
It's the UIC type code for diesel railcars and diesel multiple units. Electric multiple units carry a 94 at this position instead. Because many modern railcar families exist in both diesel and electric variants, these two digits are often the quickest unambiguous piece of information.
Does the Desiro Classic also run outside Germany?
Yes. The design was also procured for other railways, including in Austria. The vehicles look very similar to each other but carry different class designations and country codes in the UIC number. For field identification, it helps to look at the full markings.
Where do you find the Class 642?
On non-electrified regional and branch lines. Exactly which networks depends on current service contracts and shifts with every new award. Current sightings and up-to-date timetable information are more reliable than older overviews.
Why should I note down both vehicle numbers?
Because a unit consists of two car sections with their own numbers. Only both together fully document the specific unit. This is especially useful when car sections are recombined during maintenance – the pairing then changes, even though the vehicle looks the same from the outside.
Log your sighting of the Class 642 (Siemens Desiro Classic)
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 643 (Bombardier Talent)
The Class 643 is the three-car Bombardier Talent in diesel form. Here's how to recognise it by front end, articulation and roof – and tell it apart from the 644.
DMUÖBB Class 5022 (Desiro Classic)
The Class 5022 is the ÖBB's two-part diesel railcar for non-electrified lines. Here's how to recognise it and tell it apart from the Class 5047.
DMUClass 668.4
The Class 668.4 is the battery variant of the Siemens Mireo. It runs electrically, charges under overhead line and bridges sections with no contact wire from storage.
DMUClass 670
The Class 670 is a single-unit double-deck diesel railcar from the 1990s – a tiny series that never found a successor in Germany.
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.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
City-Bahn Chemnitz
City-Bahn Chemnitz runs trains that turn into trams right in the middle of the city. Behind the brand name stands a municipally owned company, behind the operating concept the Chemnitz model – and on the network, three very different vehicle types run side by side.
BrandErfurter Bahn
Erfurter Bahn is a brand name, not an operating entity. Behind it stands a municipally backed group of companies with several entities that share vehicles, workshops and staff. Anyone who wants to log a sighting properly reads the data panel, not the lettering.
InfrastructureErms-Neckar-Bahn Eisenbahninfrastruktur AG (ENAG)
The ENAG owns the Ermstalbahn between Metzingen and Bad Urach – a short branch line at the foot of the Swabian Jura. It doesn't run any trains itself. This one line is a particularly clear example of just how many parties are actually involved in a railway.
Heritage railwayFichtelbergbahn
The Fichtelbergbahn isn't a weekend heritage railway - it's a narrow-gauge line with a year-round timetable and scheduled steam operation. From Cranzahl it climbs on 750mm gauge up to Oberwiesenthal, Germany's highest town.
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