Key takeaways
- SŽ stands for Slovenske železnice, Slovenian Railways – the spelling SZ without diacritics is the common makeshift form.
- The 71x group marks diesel railcars: Classes 711, 713 and 715 belong together in the same vehicle category.
- How to identify it: a cab at both ends, no pantograph, an exhaust system – then it is a diesel railcar.
- Slovenia's electric network runs on 3 kV DC, which is why diesel vehicles are used where there are no overhead wires.
- Fleet and deployment keep changing: older railcars are refurbished, stored or replaced – check the current status.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Diesel railcar for passenger services |
|---|---|
| Operator's scheme | Slovenske železnice (SŽ) list their vehicles under three-digit series numbers |
| Series group | At SŽ the 71x group stands for diesel railcars |
| Propulsion | Diesel propulsion – independent of the overhead line |
| Network electrification system | Slovenia electrifies at 3 kV DC; diesel vehicles run on the remaining lines |
| UIC country code | 79 for Slovenia |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- A cab at both ends, with the passenger compartment right behind it – no separate locomotive in the train
- No pantograph on the roof; an exhaust system and cooling-air openings instead
- Engine noise and exhaust give away the diesel engine even before you look at the roof
- The vehicle number starts with the series 713; the spellings SŽ 713 and SZ 713 mean the same thing
- Usually short units of one or a few cars, typical of branch lines
- A vehicle number with UIC country code 79 indicates Slovenian registration
Updated: August 2026 – A short railcar on a line without overhead wires, a cab at both ends, a diesel engine under the floor: that is how the SŽ 713 appears. This page explains how the Slovenian series system is structured, how to recognise a diesel railcar with certainty, and why with this group of vehicles your own observation is worth more than any database.
Document rare vehicles
There is hardly any public data on older railcar classes – your sighting with number and date fills exactly that gap.
What is the SŽ 713?
The Class 713 is a diesel railcar of Slovenian Railways, in Slovenian Slovenske železnice, abbreviated SŽ. A diesel railcar is a vehicle that combines propulsion and passenger compartment in one: it runs under its own power and needs neither a locomotive nor overhead wires.
That places the 713 clearly within the Slovenian fleet. It is not a vehicle for the electrified main lines, but for the services on which there are no overhead wires or on which a full locomotive-hauled train would make no economic sense. That is exactly why such railcars are usually short – often just one vehicle or a small unit.
A note on spelling that saves time when researching: SŽ and SZ mean the same thing. The Ž is missing in many databases, timetables and forums, which is why the same class turns up under both spellings. If you search for only one variant, you will miss half the results.
Reading the Slovenian series system
Slovenia works with a numerical series system of three-digit numbers. Unlike in Germany, where the first digit is strictly tied to the vehicle type, the Slovenian system has grown historically – but neighbouring numbers as a rule belong to the same group of vehicles. The following overview places the classes you are most likely to come across in today’s fleet.
| Series number | Vehicle type | Examples in today’s fleet |
|---|---|---|
| 342, 363 | Electric locomotives | older machines from the Yugoslav era |
| 541 | newer electric locomotive | Siemens design for main-line service |
| 310, 312 | Electric multiple units | modern Stadler multiple units |
| 643, 661, 664 | Diesel locomotives | main-line and shunting service |
| 610 | modern diesel multiple unit | Stadler design |
| 711, 713, 715 | older diesel railcars | the group the 713 belongs to |
For the 713 that means specifically: it belongs to the group of diesel railcars and so sits right next to the SŽ 711 and the SŽ 715. If you cannot read the number, the vehicle type will still land you in the right group – and in the field that is the quicker route. How to work through such features in the right order is described in the guide to identifying classes.
Type first, number second
On foreign vehicles, the series number is often hard to read or placed in an unfamiliar spot. So always determine the vehicle type first – railcar or locomotive-hauled train, diesel or electric – and only look for the number after that.
How to recognise a diesel railcar in the field
Three observations are enough, and all three work from a distance too.
Check the front of the train
If passengers are sitting right behind the cab, it is a railcar. If an engine room with ventilation grilles begins there, you are looking at a locomotive.
Look at the roof
No pantograph, no high-voltage cables, but an exhaust and cooling-air outlets: the vehicle is diesel-powered.
Estimate the train length
Diesel railcars for branch lines are short. A single vehicle or two coupled units is the typical picture, not a long rake of coaches.
Look for wires above the track
If there is no overhead line above the route, electric vehicles are ruled out anyway. That is the simplest preliminary decision of all.
For comparison, it is worth looking at the modern face of Slovenian diesel operations: the SŽ 610 (Stadler FLIRT DMU) does the same job with today’s vehicle technology. Side by side, the two vehicles show very clearly how railcar construction has changed over the decades.
Record sightings from abroad
Class, number, location and date in one app – so even a holiday sighting can still be analysed later.
Its place in railway operations: 3 kV, branch lines and changes of vehicle
Slovenia electrifies its lines at 3 kV DC. Where these wires end, diesel territory begins – for passenger trains that means diesel railcars, and in freight and shunting service diesel locomotives such as the SŽ 664.
For observation, this gives you a simple rule: don’t look for vehicles, look for types of line. On a non-electrified branch line, the probability of seeing a diesel railcar is high; on an electrified main line it is low. That is more reliable than any diagram list.
At the same time, the same applies to older railcar classes everywhere in Europe: their fleet keeps changing. Vehicles are refurbished, put into reserve, restricted to individual workings or replaced by new builds. Which class currently runs on which line changes with timetable years and procurement programmes. So don’t rely on older overviews – check the current status, for example via community sightings. Where information on foreign vehicles is gathered is shown in the guide to international sightings and forums abroad.
Spotting and photography on branch lines
Branch lines are appealing to photograph and demanding to organise: little traffic, often no platform canopy, but a clear view and peaceful surroundings.
Few trains, good planning
On lightly used lines every train counts. Check the departure times beforehand and allow enough buffer for finding your viewpoint.
Short trains, tighter framing
A single railcar fills the frame less well than a long train. Deliberately include the surroundings in the picture instead of zooming in as close as possible.
Don't forget the number
The series and vehicle number are on the side. Plan at least one picture so that it stays legible – otherwise you will be missing the evidence later.
Work from public areas
The platform edge and safety line apply just the same, even when there is little traffic. Tracks, crossings and operational railway land are off limits.
For an unambiguous identification you need the full vehicle number in the end. How it is structured internationally and where the Slovenian country code 79 sits within it is explained in the article on the UIC number and its check digit. For the sighting to still be worth something later, it belongs in a properly kept sightings logbook.
Common mix-ups
It points to a diesel railcar if …
- there is a cab at both ends with a passenger compartment behind it
- there is no pantograph on the roof
- an exhaust system and cooling-air openings are visible
- the line has no overhead wires
Look more closely if …
- the vehicle has been refurbished and carries an unfamiliar livery
- you cannot read the series number and several 71x classes are possible
- the railcar is standing under overhead wires – that does not rule out diesel propulsion
It's not a diesel railcar if …
- there is a pantograph on the roof
- the leading vehicle has no passenger windows
- a locomotive is at the head of a train of individual coaches
Verdict
The SŽ 713 is a vehicle where the honest answer is: the vehicle type is clear, the technical details are thinly documented in public. In practice that is entirely sufficient. Diesel railcar, 71x series of Slovenian Railways, deployed where there are no overhead wires – with that, every sighting can be placed cleanly. Everything else comes from the vehicle number, and that is written on the side.
In short
A diesel railcar of Slovenian Railways from the 71x series group. Its recognition features are cabs at both ends, no pantograph and use on non-electrified lines – fleet and deployment are constantly changing.
Your sightings from Slovenia in one place
Class, number, date and photo in one app – that pays off especially with rarely documented vehicles.
Summary
- The Class 713 is one of Slovenian Railways' diesel railcars and therefore a vehicle for non-electrified lines.
- If you want to identify it, work via the vehicle type first and only then via the series number.
- Slovenian rolling stock is strongly shaped by the Yugoslav era; many classes were taken over from JŽ and kept in service.
- There is little reliable public information about individual older railcar classes – which makes documented sightings all the more valuable.
Frequently asked questions
What does SŽ stand for?
SŽ is the abbreviation for Slovenske železnice, Slovenian Railways. Because the Ž is missing from many keyboards and databases, you will also find the spelling SZ – it means the same company. When researching, it is worth trying both variants, otherwise you will miss results.
What does the number 713 mean?
Slovenian Railways list their vehicles under three-digit series numbers. The 71x group stands for diesel railcars; alongside the 713, Classes 711 and 715 also belong to it. So the number tells you first about the vehicle type and only secondarily about the specific design.
How can I recognise a diesel railcar beyond doubt?
By three things: there is no pantograph on the roof, the vehicle has a cab at both ends with the passenger compartment directly behind it, and an exhaust system and cooling-air openings are visible. If the engine noise comes from the vehicle itself and not from a locomotive, the matter is settled.
Why do diesel vehicles run in Slovenia at all?
Because not the entire network is electrified. Slovenia uses 3 kV DC for its electrified lines; all other lines need vehicles with their own propulsion. Diesel railcars are the most economical solution there, because they manage without a locomotive and make sense even when demand is low.
What does JŽ have to do with Slovenian vehicles?
Before Slovenia's independence, the network belonged to Jugoslovenske železnice (JŽ). Many vehicles date from that time and were taken over by Slovenian Railways. That explains why older classes carry a numbering scheme that cannot be explained by today's Slovenian fleet policy alone.
How do I tell a diesel railcar from an electric multiple unit?
A look at the roof decides it. An electric multiple unit carries at least one pantograph and high-voltage cables, a diesel railcar has an exhaust and radiators instead. From the front, both vehicle types often look very similar, because both have a cab at each end.
Can I see Slovenian vehicles in Germany?
Not as a rule. Slovenian diesel railcars are geared to the domestic network, and the way to Germany crosses several borders and electrification systems. If you want to see such vehicles, plan a trip – in German cross-border traffic you will come across French, Luxembourg, Austrian or Czech vehicles instead.
Why can I find so little technical data on this class?
Older railcar classes of smaller railways are poorly documented in public, and the information that does exist is often contradictory. In practice that is not a problem: vehicle type, series number and vehicle number are entirely sufficient for a clean sighting. Invented performance figures help no one – a documented number with a date, on the other hand, does.
Log your sighting of the SZ Class 713
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
SZ Class 711
The Class 711 is a diesel railcar of Italian origin on Slovenian branch lines. Here's how to recognise it and how to make sense of the SŽ numbering system.
DMUSZ 715
The SŽ 715 is one of the diesel railcars of Slovenian Railways. Here's how to tell it apart from its neighbouring classes and place it correctly in the Slovenian network.
DMUSZ 610 (Stadler FLIRT DMU)
Class 610 is Slovenia's modern diesel multiple unit for lines without overhead wires. Here's how to recognise it and how to tell it apart from electric multiple units.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
Where to see the SZ Class 713
Specific viewpoints with lighting times, coordinates and an honest verdict on whether the trip is worth it.
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