Key takeaways
- The 668.2 is a battery railcar based on the two-part Coradia LINT 41 – a diesel railcar on the outside, electric underneath.
- Fastest way to identify one: LINT silhouette plus a pantograph on the roof. There's barely any other combination like it.
- Deployment logic: the vehicle charges under overhead line and runs branch lines with no contact wire purely from storage.
- Numbering system: the 668 belongs to the 6xx block of railcars, sub-class .2 sets it apart from the 668.4.
- Subject to change: networks, operators and fleet sizes shift with every contract award – never copy from old lists.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Two-part local service railcar with battery storage (BEMU) |
|---|---|
| Platform | Alstom Coradia LINT 41, battery-electric variant |
| UIC type code | 95 – listed with the diesel railcars in this database |
| Body construction | Two carbody sections over a shared Jacobs bogie |
| Typical use | Regional service on partially electrified lines |
| Fleet and deployment area | Changes with contract awards and timetable years – check the current status |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Two-part articulated railcar: the gangway sits over a shared bogie
- A pantograph on the roof – unusual for a vehicle with LINT looks
- Extra roof-mounted equipment for batteries and cooling instead of purely engine bonnets
- Short unit with doors at each end of the car, an unbroken window band
- Vehicle number begins with 668, followed by sub-class 2
- Runs sections without overhead line even though the pantograph is lowered
Updated: August 2026 – A railcar that looks like a diesel vehicle but carries a pantograph on the roof and still rolls over sections with no contact wire: that’s the Class 668.2, the battery-electric variant of the Coradia LINT 41. This page shows you how to recognise it, why it runs under a railcar number of all things, and what to look out for when photographing it.
Document new vehicles first
Diagrams change constantly, especially with young classes – log your sighting with number and date while it's still fresh.
What is the Class 668.2?
The Class 668.2 is a two-part local service railcar with battery storage, which Alstom built on the Coradia LINT 41 platform. It runs electrically but carries part of the energy it needs on board, allowing it to cover sections of line without overhead wire.
That fills a very specific gap in the German network: many regional lines carry too little traffic for full electrification to pay off – but they connect to electrified main lines. That’s exactly where a battery vehicle shows its strength. The classic diesel railcar, embodied by the Class 648, remains the vehicle to compare it with: the same basic shape, the same length, a completely different drive philosophy.
Why a battery train runs under type code 95
At first glance that seems contradictory. The first two digits of the twelve-digit UIC vehicle number describe the vehicle type, and 95 stands for diesel railcars. A battery-electric vehicle doesn’t fit there in terms of content.
The explanation lies in the history of the system: German class numbers starting with 6 have been reserved for combustion-engined railcars since the EDP numbers of 1968. When battery-electric vehicles came along, they were pragmatically slotted into the same number block instead of opening up a new family. Anyone wanting to fully understand the system behind it will find it in the guide to the UIC number and its check digit – it also explains which digit carries which meaning.
For you as an observer, that means: don’t rely on the number group if you want to know the drive type. Look at the roof.
The same pattern is known from vehicle history: the old class letters VT, VS and VB also described a vehicle’s role within a formation – combustion railcar, driving trailer, trailer car – rather than its specific technology. The 1968 EDP conversion translated these roles into number blocks, and those blocks have survived every change of technology since. Anyone wanting to understand the German class system should therefore read it as an organisational system for roles, not as a catalogue of drive types.
How to identify the 668.2 in the field
Count the carbody sections
Two short carbody sections with a gangway in the middle, sitting over a shared bogie. That's the typical LINT 41 body style.
Look at the roof
A pantograph on a vehicle with LINT looks is the decisive feature. Flat roof-mounted equipment for batteries and cooling comes with it.
Listen to the sound when setting off
If a diesel engine's revving is missing when the train sets off, only inverters and fans remain. You can hear that from some distance too.
Read the number
The vehicle number begins with 668. The sub-class sets it apart from the other battery railcars in the same block.
If you want to get into the habit of a fixed order for identifications like this, the general guide to identifying locomotive classes helps: first the rough shape, then the drive, then the number.
Context in railway operations
Battery railcars aren’t universal vehicles. Their deployment profile follows from the range between two charging opportunities – and that’s exactly what determines where you’ll realistically find them.
| Line type | Chance of a sighting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Branch line with an electrified approach line | high | Classic use case: charging on the main line, battery operation on the branch |
| Terminus with charging equipment | high | Longer standing time, pantograph up, easy to photograph |
| Fully electrified main line | medium | Possible, but mostly worked by pure electric multiple units there |
| Purely diesel island with no contact wire | low | Without a charging point, there’s no operational basis |
| Depot and stabling areas | not accessible | Operational railway land, no public access |
Network and operator are subject to change
Which transport contracts are run with battery vehicles shifts with every award round. Treat any information on deployment area, operator and fleet size as a snapshot, and check the current status before planning a trip.
See where battery trains are being reported right now
Community sightings show you faster than any vehicle list which vehicles are running on which branch.
Spotting and photo tips
A BEMU offers a subject that doesn’t exist with a diesel railcar: the switch between raised and lowered pantograph. That moment at the transition between an electrified and a non-electrified section is the vehicle’s real story.
Use the charging stop
At stations with charging equipment, the vehicles stand for longer. From the public platform you can get a calm side view, roof and number there.
Get the roof in the frame
A slightly raised viewpoint on a public bridge shows the pantograph and battery equipment – the feature that defines the class.
Show context
A shot with the overhead line ending in the background explains the class better than any close-up of the front.
Secure the number separately
An extra shot of the side wall with the full vehicle number saves you the guesswork in the archive later.
For the technical side – shutter speed, focal length, choosing a viewpoint – the guide to good train photos is worth reading. And if you don’t want your pictures to sink into chaos afterwards, the article on the sighting logbook offers a workable structure.
On location: platforms and public paths are enough for everything you need. Track areas, stabling sidings and depot grounds are off-limits – house rules apply there, and barriers aren’t a suggestion but a boundary.
Common mix-ups
The biggest risk of confusion lies within its own vehicle family. The two-part diesel railcar of the Class 623 shares its carbody and front with the 668.2 and differs mainly through the missing roof equipment. The second battery railcar in the same number block, the Class 668.4, on the other hand comes from a completely different platform and looks noticeably smoother and longer.
It points to the 668.2 if …
- two short carbody sections are joined over a shared bogie
- a pantograph sits on the roof
- the vehicle keeps running with no contact wire
- the number starts with 668
Look more closely if …
- you only see the vehicle from the front – LINT fronts look very similar to each other
- the pantograph is lowered and hard to make out
- an advertising or network livery covers the usual colour scheme
It's not a 668.2 if …
- an engine bonnet is humming and there's no pantograph – more likely a pure diesel railcar
- the vehicle has three or more carbody sections
- the number starts with 622, 623, 640 or 648
Verdict
The Class 668.2 is a good example of the number not always giving away the technology. It sits in the block of combustion railcars and carries UIC type code 95, yet runs electrically. Even so, it can be identified within seconds: two-part LINT shape plus a pantograph, a rare combination. Everything else – network, operator, fleet size – is information you’re better off checking current rather than quoting from memory.
In short
LINT silhouette with a pantograph on the roof: that's the 668.2. It charges under contact wire and runs branch lines from the battery – a vehicle best photographed where the overhead line ends.
All your sightings in one place
Number, date, place and working recorded cleanly – so you can see at a glance which vehicles you're still missing.
Summary
- Battery-electric railcars like the 668.2 replace diesel vehicles where full electrification would be too expensive.
- Three things matter for identifying it in the field: the two-part LINT shape, the pantograph and the vehicle number.
- Anyone specifically looking for the class should focus on lines with gaps in the overhead line and the charging points that go with them.
- All details on deployment area and fleet size need regular checking, because transport contracts are re-awarded on an ongoing basis.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Class 668.2?
It's a two-part local service railcar with battery storage, built on Alstom's Coradia LINT 41 platform. It runs electrically but can also cover longer sections without overhead line because it carries energy on board. In this database it's listed under UIC type code 95 with the railcars.
Why is a battery vehicle listed with the diesel railcars?
Because the number blocks are older than the technology. The 6xx range of German class numbers was traditionally reserved for combustion-engined railcars; battery-electric vehicles were placed in the same block instead of creating a new system. UIC type code 95 follows that classification.
How do I recognise the Class 668.2 at a station?
Look for the combination of LINT silhouette and pantograph. A two-part articulated railcar with the typical short carbody but a pantograph on the roof is a strong sign. The full vehicle number on the side wall confirms it beyond doubt.
What does BEMU mean?
BEMU stands for Battery Electric Multiple Unit, meaning a battery-electric multiple unit. Such vehicles charge under overhead line or at fixed charging points and then bridge non-electrified sections from storage. They're the link between purely electric and purely diesel operation.
How does the 668.2 differ from the 668.4?
Both are battery railcars but come from different manufacturers and platforms. The 668.2 is built on the Coradia LINT, the 668.4 on the Siemens Mireo. That shows in the front shape, window layout and carbody length – and of course in the sub-class within the vehicle number.
Where does the Class 668.2 run?
Battery railcars are deployed where lines are only partially electrified. Which networks that currently means changes with award procedures and timetable changes. So don't rely on older overviews – check the current status via timetable information and community sightings.
Can you hear the difference from a diesel railcar?
Clearly. When setting off, the diesel engine's revving is missing; what you mainly hear is inverters, fans and rolling noise. Anyone standing at a platform edge often recognises a BEMU by sound before the vehicle number becomes legible.
How do I document a sighting properly?
Note the full vehicle number, date, place and the working. This is especially worthwhile with new vehicle families, because diagrams and networks change frequently in the first years of service. A carefully kept logbook makes it possible to trace later on which vehicle ran where and when.
Log your sighting of the Class 668.2
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 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 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.
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.
DMUClass 7081
The Reihe 7081 is listed as a diesel railcar. Because reliable details are scarce, this page shows you the route via designation, number and design.
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