Key takeaways
- EU44 is the Polish Taurus designation: E for electric, U for general-purpose, 44 as the design number.
- Technically it's a Siemens ES64U4 – a EuroSprinter with 6,400 kW and four electrification systems.
- A 200 km/h top speed makes it the fastest classic locomotive in Polish long-distance service.
- The nickname Husarz is widespread in Poland and turns up regularly in sighting reports.
- The Taurus front is unmistakable – once you know it, you recognise the family in any country.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Multi-system electric locomotive for fast passenger trains |
|---|---|
| Designation system | E = electric, U = general-purpose, 44 = design number |
| Manufacturer designation | Siemens ES64U4 – EuroSprinter, 6,400 kW, four electrification systems |
| Wheel arrangement | Bo'Bo' – four axles on two bogies, all powered |
| Continuous power output | 6,400 kW |
| Maximum speed | 200 km/h |
| UIC country code | 51 for Poland |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Characteristic Taurus front with strongly raked windscreens and a distinctive nose shape
- Four axles on two bogies – not a six-axle build
- EU44 marking with running number on the body
- Several pantographs on the roof for different electrification systems
- In front of high-quality passenger trains in Polish long-distance service
- UIC number carrying the country code 51 for Poland
Updated: August 2026 – The PKP EU44 is the Polish Taurus locomotive. Technically it’s a Siemens ES64U4, operationally the fastest classic locomotive in Polish long-distance service, and in the scene’s own language simply the Husarz. This page shows you how to read the name, how to identify the machine with confidence, and what makes the Taurus family so unmistakable.
Caught a Husarz? Secure the number.
Taurus sightings are worth collecting – in Traintrack the locomotive is logged with number and location in seconds.
What is the PKP EU44?
The EU44 is a four-axle multi-system electric locomotive of type ES64U4 from Siemens Mobility’s Taurus family. It produces 6,400 kW and is rated for 200 km/h. The Polish designation follows the usual scheme of Polskie Koleje Państwowe: E for electric drive, U for uniwersalna – general-purpose – and 44 as the design number.
That places it at the same level in the Polish system as the classic PKP EU07, but technically it belongs to a completely different world: modern three-phase drive technology, multi-system capability and a styling that comes from the shared European platform rather than home-grown Polish design.
Two codes, two perspectives: EU44 and ES64U4
This locomotive carries two self-explaining designations at once – one from the railway’s point of view, one from the manufacturer’s. Both can be read.
| Code | Origin | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| E (in EU44) | PKP scheme | electric drive |
| U (in EU44) | PKP scheme | general-purpose, suitable for passenger and freight trains |
| 44 | PKP scheme | design number within the group |
| ES | Siemens | EuroSprinter platform |
| 64 | Siemens | 6,400 kW continuous power output |
| U4 | Siemens | general-purpose version for four electrification systems |
Reading both systems side by side gives you half a data sheet’s worth of information from a single vehicle name. Hardly any other class works this cleanly.
The 64 is no coincidence
In EuroSprinter naming, the power output sits right in the name: ES64 means 6,400 kW. Once you know the code, you can read off a Siemens locomotive's core power rating without opening a data sheet.
The Taurus front: Europe’s best identifying feature
Look at the front
Strongly raked windscreens, a distinctively shaped nose, a clearly set-off front section: no other locomotive family has this silhouette. It works as an identifying feature from a great distance.
Count the axles
Four axles on two bogies. That immediately rules out the six-axle Polish freight classes.
Check the roof
Several pantographs point to multi-system capability – a strong clue against the classic single-system Polish locomotives.
Read the marking
EU44 plus running number confirms the identification. The running number belongs in your log, since only it identifies the individual machine.
You’ll find the same front, under a different designation, on the ÖBB 1216 (Taurus III) too – good proof that vehicle families carry the same basic design across borders and differ only in equipment, authorisation and markings.
See live where a Taurus has been reported
Community sightings show you which vehicles are currently out and about – before you head to the spot.
Spotting and photography
The EU44 is a rewarding subject: the raked front catches the light better than a flat body, and its use in long-distance service means plannable timings at large stations.
- Three-quarter view from the nose side. The 30- to 45-degree angle brings out the rake of the windscreens – shot head-on, the locomotive looks flatter than it is.
- A lower standpoint for static shots. Slightly below window-line level emphasises the nose shape. Platform height is usually enough for that.
- Short shutter speed for run-throughs. For a locomotive rated at 200 km/h, long exposures simply stand no chance.
- Keep the marking in the frame. Without a legible number, a Taurus shot stays interchangeable.
The basics are covered in the guide to taking good photos of trains; the question of lenses is answered in the guide to focal length in train photography. For planning trips with real-time data, the article on live sightings helps.
Choosing your spot is still mandatory
Track areas, platform edges beyond the marking and operational railway land are off limits – even for a 200 km/h train that only comes once a day. Photograph only from publicly accessible locations at a safe distance.
The Taurus family across Europe
The EU44 isn’t a one-off, but part of one of the continent’s best-known locomotive families. The same basic design runs under various national designations in several countries – which makes it especially interesting for spotters.
For identification that means: the shape tells you the family, but not the country. Only the marking, livery and UIC number tell you where and for whom a machine runs. Whoever collects Taurus locomotives is therefore collecting numbers, not shapes.
Same family, different versions
Within the family, the machines differ in electrification system equipment, train protection and authorisations. You can't tell which version you're looking at from the front alone – for that you need the markings on the vehicle.
In practice that means three things for documentation. First, every sighting needs the country it was made in – for a family spread right across Europe, that’s not a given. Second, noting the livery is worthwhile, because special liveries occur more often on prestigious long-distance locomotives than on freight machines. Third, the full UIC number is the only identifier that stays unambiguous across national borders.
For practice on the platform that means a front-on shot alone isn’t enough. The frame must include the side wall, or you’re documenting the family but not the machine. For a vehicle rated at 200 km/h, it also means choosing your position beforehand rather than searching for it as the train pulls in.
Anyone wanting to cover the Polish side of this family fully should also keep an eye on the classic PKP EU07 – it carries the same letter pair and shows, in direct comparison, just how far apart the vehicle generations are.
Common mix-ups
It points to an EU44 if …
- the typical Taurus front with raked windscreens is visible
- you count four axles on two bogies
- the marking reads EU44
- the locomotive is running in front of a high-quality long-distance train
Look more closely if …
- you see a Taurus front but can't read the marking – the family runs in several countries
- the locomotive carries a special livery
- the vehicle is stabled among other machines
It's not an EU44 if …
- the front looks boxy and flat – then more likely an EU07 or EP07
- you count six axles
- the locomotive has the smooth, elongated Vectron shape rather than the Taurus nose section
The most common mix-up happens with the newer Siemens platform: the Siemens Vectron at PKP Cargo (EU46) looks noticeably smoother and plainer, without the characteristically raked Taurus windscreen.
Verdict
The EU44 is the Polish edition of one of Europe’s best-known locomotive families. It’s identified in seconds by its front, doubly readable through its name, and firmly anchored in the Polish scene under the nickname Husarz. Anyone photographing fast long-distance trains in Poland will get it in front of their lens sooner or later.
Quick verdict
EU44 means electric, general-purpose, design 44 – technically a Siemens ES64U4 with 6,400 kW and 200 km/h. The raked Taurus front is the clearest identifying feature, the running number the confirmation.
Collect Taurus sightings across Europe
The same locomotive family in several countries – document number, country and livery in one place.
Summary
- The EU44 brings the Siemens Taurus family onto the Polish network and is instantly recognisable by its front-end shape.
- The manufacturer code ES64U4 reveals the core specs: EuroSprinter, 6,400 kW, four electrification systems.
- Its multi-system capability makes it interesting for workings that leave the Polish 3 kV network.
- Exactly which diagrams it runs changes with timetable years and vehicle availability.
Frequently asked questions
What does the designation EU44 mean?
E stands for electric drive, U for uniwersalna, i.e. general-purpose locomotive, and 44 is the design number. The Polish designation thus follows the same scheme as the EU07 or ET22. Technically it's a locomotive of the Siemens type ES64U4 from the Taurus family.
What does the manufacturer code ES64U4 stand for?
ES stands for EuroSprinter, the Siemens locomotive platform. The 64 refers to the continuous power output of 6,400 kW, the U to the general-purpose configuration and the 4 to four electrification systems. The code is almost as self-explaining as the Polish designation – just from the manufacturer's point of view.
Why is the EU44 called Husarz in Poland?
Husarz alludes to the Polish hussars, the winged cavalry of the early modern era. The nickname is firmly established in the Polish railway scene and turns up in forums, sighting reports and conversations more often than the official class designation.
How fast does the EU44 go?
Its top speed is 200 km/h. Whether that pace is actually reached depends on the line, authorisation and timetable – in everyday service it's not the locomotive that sets the pace, but the infrastructure and the path.
How do I recognise a Taurus in the field?
By the front-end shape. The Taurus family has an unmistakable, strongly raked windscreen section with a distinctive nose shape that no other locomotive family has. Add to that four axles on two bogies. Once you've learned this silhouette, you'll recognise it equally in Austria, Germany, Slovenia and Poland.
What sets the EU44 apart from other Taurus variants?
The basic shape is the same across the family; what differs is electrification system equipment, authorisations, markings and liveries. The ES64U4 version is the multi-system variant with four systems – which is why you'll find it under various national designations, for instance as ÖBB 1216 in Austria.
Can the EU44 run across borders?
The design is technically built for multiple electrification systems, which in principle enables cross-border workings. Whether a specific machine is actually allowed to run into a given country additionally depends on authorisations, train protection systems and operating agreements – and that changes over the years.
Where are you most likely to find the EU44?
On the fast long-distance routes of the Polish network and at large hub stations with locomotive-hauled long-distance trains. Specific diagrams shift with every timetable change, which is why checking current real-time data and community sightings pays off far more than any static list.
Log your sighting of the PKP EU44 (Taurus)
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
ÖBB Class 1216 (Taurus III)
The Class 1216 is the multi-system Taurus III – and holder of the world speed record for locomotives at 357 km/h, set in 2006.
Electric locoSiemens Vectron PKP Cargo (EU46)
The Siemens Vectron runs for PKP Cargo under the designation EU46. Here's how to recognise the platform, tell it apart from the Taurus, and make sense of the code.
Electric locoPKP EP09
The EP09 is the express locomotive of classic Polish long-distance service. E for electric, P for passenger – and a styling that sets it clearly apart from the EP07.
Electric locoPKP EP07
The EP07 is the passenger-service variant of the Polish general-purpose locomotive family. The P in the name makes the difference – visually it's barely distinguishable from the EU07.
Electric locoPKP ET22
The ET22 is the heavy freight electric locomotive of the Polish network: six axles, two three-axle bogies, and a name that states its job directly.
Electric locoPKP EU07
The EU07 is the Polish general-purpose electric locomotive par excellence. Its name gives it all away: E for electric, U for general-purpose, 07 for the design. Here's how to identify it with confidence.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
Siemens Mobility
Siemens Mobility doesn't build individual vehicles, it builds platforms: a Vectron in Sweden and one in Slovenia are the same machine with different equipment. Anyone who understands the platform logic can recognise the vehicles even when the livery gives nothing away.
State railwayPolskie Koleje Państwowe (PKP)
Polish locomotive designations are the most clear-cut numbering system in Central Europe: two letters tell you the traction and purpose before you've even read the number. The group structure behind them is considerably less clear – a lot of what's called PKP no longer belongs to it.
Where to see the PKP EU44 (Taurus)
Specific viewpoints with lighting times, coordinates and an honest verdict on whether the trip is worth it.
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