The UIC Country Code is a two digit-number identifying countries in which members of the
International Union of Railways (UIC) are active. The UIC has issued numbering systems for rolling stock (
UIC wagon numbers
Wagon numbers (or coach numbers) are key data for railway operations. They enable a railway wagon or coach to be positively identified and form a common language between railway operators, infrastructure companies and the state authorities. The ...
) and stations that include the country code. The values are defined in UIC leaflet 920-14.
The country code had originally been designed as a
company code but mainly as a consequence of the reorganisation of the rail sector in Europe changes were necessary. When the former UIC vehicle number became a vehicle register number (European Vehicle Number, EVN) issued by governmental organisations, the code was attributed to the countries. Vehicle numbering is now governed by the
Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail[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
/ref> and in Technical Specifications for Interoperability
A technical specification for interoperability (abbreviated as TSI) is a text provided for in European Directive 2016/797 adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on the interoperability of the European rail system ...
(TSI) of the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
.
Railroads in North America use a system based on company-specific reporting mark
A reporting mark is a code used to identify owners or lessees of rolling stock and other equipment used on certain rail transport networks. The code typically reflects the name or identifying number of the owner, lessee, or operator of the equip ...
s, and a similar system, ISO 6346
ISO 6346 is an international standard covering the coding, identification and marking of intermodal (shipping) containers used within containerized intermodal freight transport by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The ...
, is used for intermodal containers
An intermodal container, often called a shipping container, is a large standardized shipping container, designed and built for intermodal freight transport, meaning these containers can be used across different modes of transport – from ship ...
.
Table of codes
Notes
References
{{Reflist
Country codes
– UIC
Spreadsheet of current codes
- UIC
Rail transport classification systems
Lists of country codes
International Union of Railways
International rail transport
Rail transport in Europe
Railway vehicles register numbers