Key takeaways
- Type 70 is the type designation, not a product name: Norway lists multiple units as "Type" plus a number, everything else is marketing or list terminology.
- BM 70 refers to the same vehicle: the abbreviation BM stands for the Norwegian word "motorvogn", meaning power car.
- A fixed unit rather than a locomotive with coaches: that's the quickest category test and works even from a great distance.
- Product names are unreliable: add-ons like "Signatur" circulate in lists but aren't necessarily marked on the vehicle – identify it via the type number instead.
- No regular service in Germany: Type 70 sightings only happen in Norway.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Electric multiple unit |
|---|---|
| Naming system | "Type 70" – Norwegian multiple units carry "Type" plus a number |
| Short form | BM 70, from Norwegian "motorvogn" for power car |
| Manufacturer | Adtranz |
| Electrification system | 15 kV / 16.7 Hz AC |
| Track gauge | 1435 mm standard gauge |
| Country of operation | Norway – no regular service in Germany |
| UIC country code | 76 (Norway) |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Data panel reads Type 70 or BM 70 plus a running number on the bodyside
- Fixed multiple-unit set with a continuous roofline – no separate locomotive
- Pantograph fitted, only operated under overhead wire
- Gangways within the unit are permanently joined, not couplable like passenger coaches
- Winter fittings at the front: snowplough and shielded fittings
- Current operator's branding on the vehicle – changeable and not suitable for identifying the type
Updated: August 2026 – Three names for one vehicle: Type 70, BM70 and the product name “Signatur”. Only one of them reliably appears on the bodyside. This page explains which one that is, how to identify the Norwegian electric multiple unit in the field, and why you should generally be cautious of add-on names.
Number beats name
Log the type and running number with every sighting – product names change, the number stays.
What is the Type 70, alias BM70?
The BM70 is an electric multiple unit for the Norwegian network, built by Adtranz. In the country’s naming system it’s called Type 70: multiple units carry the word “Type” plus a number there, while locomotives instead carry an abbreviation for their traction type – “El” for electric and “Di” for diesel. The widely used form BM 70 derives from the Norwegian word “motorvogn” for power car.
As a multiple unit, it’s a fixed set of powered and non-powered cars. It isn’t pulled by a locomotive, and the individual cars can’t be separated in everyday operation. That’s exactly what sets it apart from loco-hauled trains, which in Norway run behind locomotives such as the El 18. These units were operated by the Norwegian state railway, which now trades as Vy.
Why product names don’t help with identification
The add-on “Signatur” is a good example of a problem you’ll run into in any country: marketing names, nicknames and list terminology blend together with the official type designation. For spotters, the consequence is clear.
Read it off the vehicle, not the list
What's marked on the bodyside is what counts. The type number and running number are the only details permanently tied to the vehicle.
Treat product names as context
Names like "Signatur" help with research and conversation, but they don't work as an identification feature – they can change, or not be marked at all.
Note contradictions rather than resolving them
If a source claims something different from what's standing in front of you, document both. Your own observation is the more reliable piece of information.
This order – observation before source – is at the heart of every sound identification. The guide to identifying rolling-stock classes describes how to work through it methodically; how to pass an observation on afterwards so that others benefit from it is covered in the guide to reporting sightings.
Norway rule of thumb
"Type" plus a number means multiple unit. "El" or "Di" plus a number means locomotive. That's all you need for the basic category – and often it's all that's legible in the field anyway.
Where it fits in
Electric multiple units handle traffic on Norway’s electrified network, which runs at 15 kV, 16.7 Hz – the same system as in Germany, Austria, Sweden and Switzerland. This shared standard is more than a footnote: it explains why Norwegian vehicles technically descend from the same European development line as central European ones, even though their names look completely different.
| Feature on the train | What it tells you | How reliable |
|---|---|---|
| “Type” plus a number on the bodyside | Multiple unit, not a locomotive | very reliable |
| Continuous roofline, fixed gangways | Multiple unit | reliable, even from a distance |
| Pantograph fitted | Electric traction | reliable |
| Livery and operator logo | Points to the current operator | not very reliable, changes |
| Product name in a list | Context information | not suitable for identification |
In practice, that means: you can check the first three rows on the platform, but not the last two. When two units run coupled together, two numbers also belong to the sighting – how train formations come about and what they reveal about operations is explained in the article on train formation.
Two units, two numbers
Log coupled multiple units individually – it's the only way to reconstruct later which vehicles you actually saw.
What visibly sets Norwegian multiple units apart from German ones
Even without technical datasheets, some differences that jump out in a photo can be described – they’re almost all tied to the climate.
- Reinforced fronts and sturdy snowploughs, because many lines have to reckon with snowdrifts.
- Shielded fittings, so blowing snow can’t get into ventilation and cooling openings.
- Heated components on windows, door areas and footsteps – recognisable in winter by staying free of ice and snow when everything else isn’t.
- Heavy grime during the winter half-year, which can make data panels unreadable and complicates photographing numbers.
The last point is why you should be able to read the body type rather than just collecting numbers: when the side of the vehicle is caked in snow, roof fittings, front-end shape and train formation are all that’s left as identifying features.
Spotting and photography tips
Norwegian stations are pleasant for photographers: usually easy to survey, rarely crowded, and often with a clear view across several tracks. Light and weather are the demanding parts.
Documentary shot first
Get the readable data panel first, then think about composition. A beautiful photo without a number is worthless for the sighting log.
Whole unit or a deliberate crop
Multiple units are long. Either step back far enough for the complete unit, or deliberately choose the front end and gangway as your subject.
Watch for reflections
Smooth bodysides reflect the sky and platform canopies. A slightly different viewpoint achieves more than any amount of editing.
How to combine viewpoint, focal length and light sensibly is covered in the guide how to take good photos of trains.
Safety on the platform
Tracks, operational areas and stabling areas are off limits – abroad too, and even when no fence is in the way. On the platform, the safety line is the boundary. In winter, snow can also cover the edge and meltwater makes the surface slippery: keep noticeably more distance than usual in that case.
Common mix-ups
It points to a Type 70 if …
- the bodyside reads "Type 70" or "BM 70" plus a running number
- it's a fixed multiple-unit set
- a pantograph is fitted and the line has overhead wire
- the gangways between cars are permanently joined and not individually couplable
Look more closely if …
- a source names a product name you can't find on the vehicle
- several units are running coupled together
- snow, ice or grime is obscuring the data panels
It's not a Type 70 if …
- a standalone locomotive is pulling the train
- the data panel names a different type number
- the vehicle is diesel-powered or running without overhead wire
In Norwegian local services, the closest relatives are the older Type 69 and the Talent-based Type 72. You’ll also come across the airport express Type 71 on the same tracks, which already stands out through its own distinctive branding.
Verdict
The BM70 is a vehicle where a sound method matters more than detailed knowledge. Read the type number, determine the category, note the running number, treat everything else as changeable – that gets you further than any list that mixes product names with type designations. And along the way you learn a system that transfers to every other Norwegian traction vehicle.
In short
Type 70 is the type, BM70 is the same designation written differently, "Signatur" is just an add-on name. What counts is on the bodyside – and so is the running number that makes your sighting complete.
Log Norwegian multiple units properly
Type number, running number, location and date all in one place – turning a travel observation into a reliable entry.
Summary
- The BM70 is a Norwegian electric multiple unit built by Adtranz and is correctly designated Type 70.
- The type number is the one feature that stays with the vehicle permanently – product names and liveries change.
- For field identification, body type, pantograph and data panel count, in that order.
- Areas of operation and fleet numbers shift with service contracts; treat any statement on this as a snapshot.
Frequently asked questions
What does BM70, or Type 70, mean?
In Norway, multiple units carry the designation "Type" plus a number. Type 70 is therefore a distinct multiple-unit type. The commonly used form BM 70 comes from the Norwegian word "motorvogn" for power car. Both forms refer to the same vehicle – the number is the actual piece of information.
Where does the add-on "Signatur" come from?
Product and marketing names have accompanied Norwegian multiple units since the 1990s and often appear as an add-on in vehicle lists. What's actually marked on the vehicle, though, is the type number, and only that is suitable for identification. Treat such add-ons as context, not as a feature.
How do I tell a multiple unit apart from a loco-hauled train?
By the silhouette. A multiple unit forms a continuous set with a uniform roofline and fixed gangways. On a loco-hauled train, a standalone locomotive with a distinctly different shape stands at the front, followed by individually couplable coaches. You can spot this difference even from 300 metres away.
What electrification system does the Type 70 use?
15 kV at 16.7 Hz. Norway uses the same AC system as Germany, Austria, Sweden and Switzerland. That makes overhead wire, pantographs and catenary designs look very familiar to central European observers, while the naming and markings remain unfamiliar.
Does the BM70 run in Germany?
No. It's a Norwegian vehicle with no regular service in Germany. For you, that means sightings only happen while travelling – and are all the more valuable when properly logged with number, date and location.
Why does this page say so little about power output and unit numbers?
Because reliable public figures on this are inconsistent, and made-up numbers would be worse than a shorter page. What can be described reliably is the naming logic: category, type number, electrification system, and the features you can check yourself in the field.
How do I tell exactly which unit is in front of me?
By the running number after the type number. For multiple units, it's also worth looking at the train formation: if two units run coupled together, two numbers belong to the sighting. Note both, or the observation can't be reconstructed afterwards.
Does the Type 70's area of operation change?
Yes, and regularly. In Norway as in Germany, service contracts, tenders and timetable changes shift which vehicles run on which lines. Check the current status before a trip rather than relying on older overviews.
Log your sighting of the NSB/Vy BM70 (Signatur)
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
Flytoget BM71
The BM71 is the electric multiple unit of Oslo's airport express. Its own brand, its own look, its own type number – here's how to place it reliably.
EMUVy BM69
The BM69 is Norway's older local multiple unit design. Its correct name is Type 69 – and it's the best example of how long-lived Norwegian vehicles are.
EMUVy BM72 (Talent)
The BM72 is Norway's electric Talent. If you know the Talent family from Germany, you'll recognise it straight away – despite a different designation and different colours.
EMUVy BM73 (Stadler FLIRT)
Type 73 is a Norwegian electric multiple unit type assigned to the FLIRT family. This page shows how to identify it in the field – and why the number on the train decides.
EMUVy BM74 (Stadler FLIRT)
The BM74 is one of several Norwegian FLIRT types. Barely distinguishable from outside, unambiguous by type number – here's how to go about it in the field.
EMUVy BM75 (Stadler FLIRT)
The BM75 is a Norwegian FLIRT for regional services. This page shows how to identify it and what a spotting trip to Norway really requires.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
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