As shown on the photographs at right, the code may be arranged either vertically (e.g. on closed wagons) on three or more lines at man's height with the letter codes next to the corresponding part of the digit code, or horizontally (e.g. on flat wagons) at the bottom of the chassis side with all digits together (with groups separated by spaces and the check digit by a dash) and all letters together. It is always found on both sides of the wagon, not on the front or back.
Calculation of the self-check digit
The digits are multiplied individually from right to left alternately by 2 and 1, and digit summed using the Luhn algorithm. The difference between this sum and the next multiple of ten is the check digit, placed after the eleventh digit, separated by a dash.
At the beginning of 2006 the country replaced the owner (almost exclusively state railways), with the owner now indicated by following letters. For example, for a vehicle registered in Germany on the AAE, which had its own code as a private railway, 68 AAE became 80 D-AAE.
(see also UIC country code)
Reading of numbers
Numbers are read visually, the method of choice today (2008). No railway is able to read the number automatically with the required reliability (less than 1 error in 10,000). Using OCR readers the numbering (DB AG: Font Gerade Normschrift DIN 16 Variant DB) can be only be read to an accuracy of no better than 5% (1 in 20).
Numbering systems
The UIC has the following numbering systems, as detailed in leaflets:
Leaflet 419-2 – Analytical numbering of international freight trains.[2]
Leaflet 428-1 – International sorting system for wagonload traffic.[3]
Leaflet 438-2 – Identification marking for freight rolling stock.[4]
Leaflet 920-1 – Standard numerical coding for railway undertakings, infrastructure managers and others companies involved in rail-transport chains.[5]
Leaflet 920-2 – Standard numerical coding of locations.
Leaflet 920-10 – Standard numerical code for railway customers.[6]
Leaflet 920-14 – Standard numerical country coding for use in railway traffic.[7]
These agreements have not yet achieved the status of a standard or norm.
^see: UTP Marking 2015, Uniform Technical Prescription Applicable to Vehicle Numbers and linked alphabetical marking on the
bodywork: THE RAILWAY VEHICLE MARKING, Applicable from 1.1.2015, retrieved from: OTIF page Prescriptions and Other Rules
^Leaflet 419-2, Analytical numbering of international freight trains, Obligatory, 2nd edition, November 2008 - Translation, 1/09 (issued 1/02/2009), ISBN978-2-7461-1957-4
^Leaflet 428-1, International sorting system for wagonload traffic, Obligatory, 1st edition of 1.10.77 and 1 Amendment
^Leaflet 438-2, Identification marking for freight rolling stock, Obligatory, 7th edition, May 2004 - Translation, 3/04 (issued 1/08/2004), ISBN2-7461-0699-X
^Leaflet 920-1, Standard numerical coding for railway undertakings, infrastructure managers and others companies involved in rail-transport chains, Obligatory, 6th edition, November 2005 - Original, 4/05 (issued 1/11/2005), ISBN2-7461-1023-7
^Leaflet 920-10, Standard numerical code for railway customers, Obligatory, 1st edition of 1.7.74 and 1 Amendment
^Leaflet 920-14, Standard numerical country coding for use in railway traffic, Obligatory, 2nd edition, March 2005 - Translation, 2/05 (issued 1/05/2005), ISBN2-7461-0929-8