
A control car, cab car (North America), control trailer, or driving trailer (UK, Ireland, Australia and India) is a non-powered rail vehicle from which a train can be operated. As dedicated vehicles or regular passenger cars, they have one or two driver compartments with all the controls and gauges required to remotely operate the locomotive, including exterior locomotive equipment such as
horns, bells, ploughs, and lights. They also have communications and safety systems such as
GSM-R or
European Train Control System (ETCS). Control cars enable
push-pull operation when located on the end of a train opposite its
locomotive
A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...
by allowing the train to reverse direction at a
terminus without moving the locomotive or turning the train around.
Control cars can carry passengers, baggage, and mail, and may, when used together with diesel locomotives, contain an
engine-generator set to provide
head-end power (HEP). They can also be used with a
power car or a
railcar
A railcar (not to be confused with the generic term railroad car or railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coa ...
.
European railways have used control cars since the 1920s; they first appeared in the United States in the 1960s.
Control cars communicate with the locomotive via cables that are
jumped between cars. North America and Ireland use a standard
AAR 27-wire
multiple unit
A multiple-unit train (or multiple unit (MU)) is a self-propelled train composed of one or more Coach (rail), carriages joined, and where one or more of the carriages have the means of propulsion built in. By contrast, a locomotive-hauled ...
cable, while other countries use cables with up to 61 wires. A more recent method is to control the train through a
Time-Division Multiplexed (TDM) connection, which usually works with two protected wires.
North America

In North America, ''cab cars'' are used primarily for
commuter rail
Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
and, less frequently, for longer distance trains. There are both single and bilevel models; styling ranges from blunt ends to newer, more aerodynamic, streamlined cabs. They may be very similar to regular coaches, to the point of including a gangway between cars so that they could be used in the middle of a passenger train like a regular coach if necessary.
The
Chicago and North Western Railway had 42 control cabs built by
Pullman-Standard in 1960, which eliminated the need for its trains or locomotives to be turned around.
It was an outgrowth of multiple-unit operation that was already common on diesel locomotives of the time. The
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
transit agency
Exo uses control cars on all its trains. Amtrak also has a number of
ex-Budd Metroliner cab cars, which are used primarily for push pull services on the
Keystone Service and
Amtrak ''Hartford Line''. The
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...
uses cab cars on its
C3 double deck coaches.
During the mid-1990s, as push-pull operations became more common in the United States, cab-cars came under criticism
for providing less protection to engine crews during
level crossing
A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, Trail, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line or the road etc. crossing over or under using an Overpass#Railway, o ...
accidents. This has been addressed by providing additional reinforcing in cab cars. This criticism became stronger after the
2005 Glendale train crash, in which a
Metrolink collided with a
Jeep Grand Cherokee at a level crossing in California. The train was traveling with its cab car in the front, and the train jackknifed. Eleven people were killed in the accident, and about 180 were injured. Ten years later, in early 2015,
another collision occurred in
Oxnard, California
Oxnard () is a city in Ventura County in the U.S. state of California, United States. On California's Central Coast (California), Central Coast, it is the most populous city in Ventura County and the List of largest California cities by populati ...
, involving one of Metrolink's improved "
Rotem" cab cars at the front of the train hitting a truck at a crossing. The truck driver left his vehicle before the impact, but the collision resulted in multiple car derailments and further cars jackknifing causing widespread injury.
Converted locomotives
From the 1970s until 1999, the
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...
used a number of older locomotives converted to "power packs". The original prime movers were replaced with engines/generators solely for supplying HEP with the engineer's
control stand left intact. Locomotives converted included
Alco FA-1s and FA-2s,
EMD F7s, and one
F9. One FA was further converted into a power car for the
C1 bi-level cars in 1991. The railroad has since switched to classic cab cars with a
DE30AC/
DM30AC locomotive on some trains. Trains going into
Penn Station require two DM30AC locomotives on each end in order to make use of their
3rd rail pickups.
Until the 1980s,
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
's
GO Transit had a similar Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) program for EMD FP7s. They were frequently used with GP40-2Ws and GP40M-2s, which lacked HEP to power trains. They also found use with HEP-equipped
GP40TCs and F40PHs, and were sometimes leased to other railroads. They were eventually retired in 1995 upon the arrival of the
EMD F59PHs and subsequently scrapped, except for one F7A and one F7B, which were sold to
Tri-Rail and the
Ontario Northland Railway, respectively.
MARC had a former F7 unit, #7100, also converted into an APCU, or All-Purpose Control Unit, which occasionally substituted for a cab car. It was rebuilt with a HEP generator, newer cab controls, and fitted with a
Nathan Airchime K5LA. It was used up until the late 2000s, and was donated to the
B&O Railroad Museum in 2010.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
developed their Non-powered Control Unit (NPCU) by removing the prime mover, main
alternator, and traction motors from surplus
EMD F40PH locomotives. The
control stand was left in place, as were equipment allowing
horn, bell, and headlight operation. A floor and roll-up side-doors were then installed to allow for baggage service, leading to the nickname "cab-baggage cars" or "
cabbages".
Six NPCUs rebuilt for ''
Cascades'' service in the Pacific Northwest do not have the roll-up side doors, because the
Talgo VI sets on which they operated had a baggage car as part of the trainset, though #90230, #90250, and #90251 were later fitted with these doors. #90250 was originally painted in the ''Cascades'' scheme, but was later repainted into Phase V livery. These units have since operated with standard Amtrak cars (Horizon and Amfleet) since the Talgo VI's retirement in 2020.
Four NPCUs, #90213, #90214, #90220 and #90224 are exclusively used on the ''
Downeaster''. These units have Downeaster logos applied to the front and the sides of the units.
Three NPCUs are designated for use on
Amtrak California services. They are painted in a paint scheme similar to the old with blue-and-teal striped livery used by
Caltrain between 1985 and 1997.
In 2011, Amtrak F40PH 406 was converted to an NPCU to enable
push-pull operation of Amtrak's 40th-anniversary exhibit train; in addition a HEP generator was installed to supply auxiliary electricity. Unlike other NPCUs, the 406 resembles an operational F40PH externally and initially retained its original number. But as of 2024, it was renumbered to 90406 to avoid duplicate numbering with the ALC-42s.
Though not being completely converted to cab cars, similarly,
Coaster in Southern California has a couple of their former F40PH units, those being 2103 and 2105 at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum and Southern California Railway Museum, respectively, that currently have their prime movers drilled in and have to used as cab cars via multiple unit operation.
In 2017,
NCDOT started a Cab Control Unit (CCU) program using ex-GO
F59PHs. Five CCUs have been ordered, numbered 101-105. These are used on the ''
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
''.
In 2023, Amtrak began testing a former
HHP-8 locomotive as a cab car with the aim of supplementing or replacing the existing
ex-Metroliner cab cars until the
Airo fleet arrives. As of July 2024, eight total conversions are planned.
In 2024, Amtrak started converting their
GE P42DC locomotives into Non-Powered Control Units, starting with Amtrak P42DC #184 (the original Phase IV heritage unit), which is now Amtrak P42C #9700.
File:A westbound train departs OSB.jpg, A typical built Mafersa cab car with a P40DC at Old Saybrook
File:NJ Transit Comet V 6044.jpg, NJ Transit Comet V at Dunellen
File:Former Metroliner cab coach at Lancaster.jpg, Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
9645 at Lancaster station in August 2017
File:TriMet 2001 and 2011.jpg, WES commuter rail 2001 is the only cab car in a fleet of powered DMUs and is the 1st streamlined cab car in the US.
File:VIA 2311.jpg, A Siemens Venture cab car for Via Rail, another example of a streamlined cab car.
File:Talgo VIII at Portland Union Station, September 2019.JPG, Cab car of an articulated Talgo 8 set for Amtrak Cascades.
File:Pacific Surfliner crossing trestle at Arroyo Hondo, May 2018.jpg, Bi level Pacific Surfliner cab car in 2018
File:Hyundai-Rotem Cars Presentation at LAUPT.jpg, Bi level Hyundai Rotem cab car with full upper cab and streamlined design.
File:MetroRail 600.jpg, LIRR 600, an FA-2 converted into a "power pack"
File:Amtrak Cascades at King Street Station.jpg, Amtrak Cascades NPCU (formerly a F40PH) at King Street Station (Seattle, WA)
Europe
There are many examples of this type of vehicle in operation in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
.
Austria
File:Montafonerbahn1.jpg, NPZ EMU Steuerwagen of the Montafon Railway in Schruns
File:Austria_cityshuttle_02.jpg, The Steuerwagen of the Austrian CityShuttle in Lower Austria
Lower Austria ( , , abbreviated LA or NÖ) is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Major cities are Amstetten, Lower Austria, Amstetten, Krems an der Donau, Wiener Neustadt and Sankt Pölten, which ...
File:Railjet-Oesterreich.JPG, ÖBB Railjet Steuerwagen
File:CAT in Mannswörth.JPG, CAT Steuerwagen in Mannswörth
Belarus
In Belarus, as part of push-pull trains, control and intermediate cars from
DR1 DMUs manufactured by the
Riga Machine-Building Plant (RVR) are used. After the decommissioning of power cars, some of them were converted into control cars by replacing the engine room with a passenger compartment, and at the other end of a train, one unit of
2M62 or 2M62U diesel locomotives started to use instead of another DR1 power car. Later, the control cars of DRB1 trains began to be produced by RVR initially for push-pull trains on a par with DMUs. RVR also produced DRB2 control cars for such trainsets, which a similar to control cars of the
ER9 EMUs.
File:DRB1m-07 with 2M62U-0258, Rogachev.jpg, DRB1m-07 push-pull trainset with a control car, derived from an early-produced DR1 DMU
File:BCh DMU DRB1-04 head car (19720997798).jpg, DRB1-04 push-pull trainset with a control car similar to control car of DR1 DMU
File:ДДБ1 с головой 013.jpg, A push-pull train with DRB2 control car and DDB1 intermediate trailers
Belgium
NMBS/SNCB make extensive use of push-pull operation. Trains are powered by
class 21 class 27 or
class 18 electric locomotives and are operated in one direction from a driving carriage.
Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, these control cabs were hardly used in the past. The main reason was concerns about the greater tendency of trainsets that do not have a traction unit at the head of the train to
derail. Earlier legislation considered such a train to be sunk and for this reason the speed of such a train was limited to .
File:07.07.19 Česká Třebová 814050 (48249805047).jpg, Class 914 in Česká Třebová railway station
File:80-29 003 Bftn CD Ostrava-Kuncice.jpg, Class 943 control cab in Ostrava-Kunčice
File:Brno, Královo Pole, železniční stanice, vůz 80-30 002 (02).jpg, Class 961 control cab in Brno-Královo Pole
Finland

The
VR fleet includes 42 cab cars (Finnish: ''ohjausvaunu''), classified as Edo.
France

The
Corail fleet includes 28 ''voitures-pilote'', classified as B
6Dux.
Denmark
The Danish
ABs were acquired in 2002. The control car is manufactured by Bombardier. They are to be upgraded for
ERTMS, starting 2019.
Germany
The first German attempts to use control cars (German: ''Steuerwagen'') and remote control-equipped steam locomotives were before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
by the
Deutsche Reichsbahn
The ''Deutsche Reichsbahn'' (), also known as the German National Railway, the German State Railway, German Reich Railway, and the German Imperial Railway, was the Weimar Republic, German national Rail transport, railway system created after th ...
(DRB). The driver's control instructions were transmitted from the control car to the locomotive by a
Chadburn-type machine telegraph (similar to engine order telegraphs on
ship
A ship is a large watercraft, vessel that travels the world's oceans and other Waterway, navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally disti ...
s). The order had to be immediately acknowledged and implemented by the automatic firebox controllers. This indirect control was judged as impractical and unsafe, because, although the driver controlled the brake directly, the danger existed that in an emergency the locomotive would continue supplying "push" power for some time and possibly derail the train.
Attempts to use electric locomotives (beginning with a converted
E 04 class model) were more promising, as the engine driver could control the locomotive directly. World War II interrupted the test program, despite good successes. Only after the war would control car operation be slowly accepted, when locomotives and suitably equipped cars became available.
The length of train consists in push-pull operations was originally limited to 10 cars for reasons of guidance dynamics. A speed limit of was also imposed, rising to in 1980. This was not an operational hindrance, as push-pull trains were generally initially used in six-car commuter trains.
Only since the mid-1990s have long-distance trains, which can have up to 14 cars and travel at speeds of , been operated with control cars. A special circumstance is the
ICE 2, which may operate with the control car in the lead at up to on the recently built
high-speed lines.
File:ICE2 007 Köln Bonn Airport Steuerwagen.jpg, ICE2 Steuerwagen at Cologne Bonn Airport
File:National Express Wittenberger Steuerwagen.JPG, Wittenberger Steuerwagen operated by National Express Germany
File:Intercity Fornsbach.JPG, A German intercity train clearly showing the locomotive driving from the rear
Hungary
Control cars in
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
are present since the 1960s. The first type of control cars used by
MÁV, that is still used on low traffic branch lines was the BDt (then called BDat) series, with the BDt 100 series being capable of travelling with diesel (and formerly with steam) engines (most notably the M41 series), and the BDt 300 series being capable of travelling with electric
V43 series engines. These carriages were built by the MÁV
Dunakeszi Main Workshop between 1962 and 1972.
Most of the BDt 100 series, with lack of function after the
Bzmot series overtook the shrinking number of unelectrified branch lines, were converted to BDt 400 series by the Dunakeszi Main Workshop, now led by
Bombardier, in 2005 (after a prototype series of 7 built in 1999). They are only compatible with the V43 2xxx series, as only they have digital remote control.
With the purchase of the former
East German carriage series from the
DB, called "Halberstadters", 27 control cars serialed Bybdtee arrived in Hungary. Although a V43 3xxx series was introduced that has special remote control compatible to these control cars, because of the Halberstadters' rare use as branch line carriages, they are rarely used as effective control cars, and are more frequently seen as a regular carriage because of their bicycle storage space.
There are more carriages that are technically separate control cars, like the Bdx series that were part of the (now deleted from rolling stock) MDmot
DMU series, or the Bmxt series that is part of the BDVmot and BVhmot
EMU
The emu (; ''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is a species of flightless bird endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is the Tallest extant birds, tallest native bird. It is the only extant taxon, extant member of the genus ''Dromaius'' and the ...
series, but they are considered and treated as a part of their DMU and EMU unit respectively.
File:BDt 300-as vezerlokocsi.jpg, Control car MÁV BDt 322, still the series of control cars with the largest active number in Hungary, now mainly used on electrified rural lines
File:MAV BDt-405.jpg, Prototype control car MÁV BDt 405 in its original, grey-yellow-blue livery (now repainted to the fleet color visible on the carriage behind)
File:BDt 406-os vezérlőkocsi.jpg, Control car MÁV BDt 406, the most recent control car used on lines surrounding Budapest
File:MÁV vezérlőkocsi.jpg, MÁV Bybdtee series, used rarely as an actual control car
Ireland
Iarnród Éireann operates two classes of push-pull trainsets, each with its own Control Car:
* De Dietrich (
Enterprise service) with driving cab containing
EMD control stand, luggage compartment and passenger seating. On this set, train heating was supplied from the locomotive
Head End Power System, but this led to reliability issues on the 201 Class locomotives, so Mark 3 Generator vans have replaced one of the De Dietrich standard class coaches in the formation since September 2012.
** Numbered 9001–9004
* CAF (
Mark 4) with driving cab containing replica locomotive control stand, luggage compartment and twin engine / generator sets for train heating. No passenger seating is provided.
** Numbered 4001–4008
All Mark 4 Control Cars have full-sized driving cabs with EMD locomotive type power and brake controls. Locomotive control is by means of an
AAR system, modified by Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) to include control of train doors and operate with
201 Class locomotives.
Iarnród Éireann formerly operated Mark 3 Control Cars from 1989 until 2009:
* Mark 3s with driving cab containing replica locomotive control stand, luggage compartment, underslung
Cummins engine / generator set for train heating and passenger seating.
** Numbered 6101–6105, converted from
Mark 3 InterCity cars for suburban push-pull services. These were withdrawn in September 2009 following the introduction of
22000 Class InterCity Railcars. These units have since been scrapped apart from 6105 which has been preserved by the West Clare Railway.
Italy
In Italy, the first push-pull trains began to run after World War II.
At the time there were no systems to actually remote command the rear
locomotive
A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...
, so an engineer had to take place in it and command traction, following instructions (via an apposite intercom) given by the other driver, who remained in the front car, commanding brakes and sighting signals.
This lasted until the adoption of the 78-wire cable in the 1970s, which enabled full remote commanding from control cars.
Today push-pull trains are very common, and different kinds of control cars are employed:
* UIC Z1 control cars.
*
MDVC type control cars, with aerodynamic or communicating cabin.
*
Piano ribassato type control cars, with flat, refurbished
E464-like or communicating cabin.
* Doppio Piano two floors control cars.
* UIC-X type control cars.
* Vivalto type control car.
These types allow full remote control of any
Italian locomotive supplied with standard 78-wire cable, except for UIC Z1, which are used on IC services and are only able to command
class E.402 locomotives, and MDVC Diesel-specific version, usable only with
class D.445 Diesel locomotives.
The same driving commands are used for both rheostatic and electronic locomotives, but their meanings change.
''Vivalto'' type control cars, at this time, can only remote command
Class E.464 and
Class E.632 locomotives, because of software issues, though are able to command other locomotive types.
Vivalto cars can also use
TCN remote control cable.
Driving cars can be recognized because of the "np" in their identification number and usually also have a dedicated compartment for bicycle and luggage transportation.
There also are specific
EMU
The emu (; ''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is a species of flightless bird endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is the Tallest extant birds, tallest native bird. It is the only extant taxon, extant member of the genus ''Dromaius'' and the ...
/
DMU non-motorized units control cars, which (in
Trenitalia) are classified as Le / Ln XXX with no significant difference between them and motorized units except the lack of traction motors.
File:Piano ribassato pilot.jpg, ''Piano Ribassato'' driving carriage with E.464-like cabin
File:DUEPIANI-Udine-06-97.jpg, ''Doppio piano'' driving carriage at Udine station in 1997
File:UIC-Z1 semiPilota.jpg, Control car UIC-Z1
File:Stazione di marotta-mondolfo con vivalto.jpg, Double-decker driving carriage ''Vivalto''
File:Carrozza semipilota MDVC Trenord.jpg, Trenord cab car MDVC
The Netherlands
The use of cab cars (Dutch: stuurstandrijtuig) in The Netherlands by
NS is becoming rare due to the conversion of the sets to EMUs and the discontinued use of control cars on ''intercity direct'' services.
The use of a "virtual
EMU
The emu (; ''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is a species of flightless bird endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is the Tallest extant birds, tallest native bird. It is the only extant taxon, extant member of the genus ''Dromaius'' and the ...
" concept for some short-distance trains in the north of the country is where train sets are formed of a driving carriage, two or three intermediate carriages and a
class 1700 electric locomotive. These train sets are diagrammed as if they were all EMUs resulting in formations with two locomotives, often at intermediate positions in the train. Most of the train sets have been converted into double-decker EMUs called
DDZ.
Poland
In Poland, the term used is "wagon sterowniczy", which literally means "control carriage".
Koleje Mazowieckie use driving trailers on their regional services. The first batch of
double-decker driving trailers and cars, the Twindexx
Bombardier Double-deck Coaches, was delivered in 2008. The second batch,
PESA-made Sundecks, was delivered at the end of 2015.
Slovakia
In 2011, the state-owned Slovakian railway operator
ZSSK introduced a JNR-based passenger train operator; a
push-pull operation train series manufactured by
Škoda Transportation, including
Class 381 electric
109E locomotives and even
Class 263 alternating-current locomotives, provides the vehicles utilised by the company. The
Class 951 system train coaches remain introduced at
Bratislava hlavná stanica, which these generally operate in conjunction with
commuter rail
Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
and
regional rail
Regional rail is a public transport, public rail transport service that operates between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops than inter-city rail, and unlike commuter rail, operate beyond the limits of urban areas, connectin ...
.
Sweden
There has only been one type of control car in service in Sweden. Only three examples of the
AFM7 were made and they are currently in service with
SJ in the
Mälaren Valley. The Swedish word for control car is ''manövervagn'' which literally means "manoeuvre car".
Switzerland
Swiss driving trailers operate in many different configurations. There are several models currently in service on
S-Bahn
The S-Bahn ( , ), , is a hybrid urban rail, urban–suburban rail system serving a metropolitan region predominantly in German language, German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit syst ...
networks as well as regional,
InterRegio, and
InterCity
InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the train categories in Europe, classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to InterRegio, regional train, r ...
services. These are operated by the federal railway system (
SBB) as well as various private railroads throughout the country (including narrow gauge lines) and into
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, Germany, and
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
.
Driving trailers are classified after the UIC-lettering system, adding a "t,” giving ''Bt'' (second class), ''BDt'' (second class + baggage), ''ABt'' (first + second class), or ''Dt'' (baggage).
For Intercity trains there are the Bt IC that work together with EW IV and the double-deck version for the
IC 2000
The IC 2000 is a Bilevel rail car, double-deck push-pull train, push-pull train in Switzerland and is run by Swiss Federal Railways, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB-CFF-FFS) as part of its InterCity#Switzerland, InterCity service. Top speed is 200&n ...
trainsets, working with
Re 460.
The Zürich S-Bahn trainsets with
Re 450 work in fix consists of Re 450 - B - AB - Bt but intermediate cars and driving trailers are numbered as coaching stock.
"NPZ" Regional and S-Bahn trains with
RBDe 560 usually have a matching Bt driving trailer. Replacement by an older BDt EW I/II is technically possible. Older driving trailers, mostly BDt EW I/II and a few remaining Dt of SBB can be used with
Re 420 and
RBe 540 and some motive power of private railways. In theory also
Re 430 and Re 620 can be controlled but these classes only work freight trains today.
The
BLS operates four groups of driving trailers:
* ABt NPZ to go with RBDe 565 and RBDe 566 II (ex RM)
* Bt EW I 950-953, BDt 940-941, car-shuttle BDt 942-945, 946-949 and 939 can work with Re 425, Ae 4/4 and Re 465
* Bt EW III, BDt EW II (both ex SBB), Bt EW I 901-902 (ex Thurbo/MThB) and leased Dt from SBB can work with Re 420.5 ex SBB and BLS Re 465.
* Bt EW I 950–953, BDt 940–941, car-shuttle BDt 942–945, 946-949 and 939 can work with Re 425, Ae 4/4 and Re 465
Südostbahn had a fleet of ABt for their BDe 4/4 but they will soon be fully replaced by FLIRTs. NPZ ABt exist for the two types of RBDe 566 SOB owns (566 071-076 ex BT and 566 077-080 ex SOB of the SBB-type). Nine BDt are used for the Voralpen-Express with Re 456, Re 446 or
SBB-CFF-FFS Re 420.
The narrow gauge
Zentralbahn ABt can control
HGe 101 (ex SBB),
De 110,
BDeh 140 (ex LSE) and the new "SPATZ"
ABe 130.
The
Rhaetian Railway
The Rhaetian Railway (; ; ), abbreviated RhB, is a Swiss transport company that owns the largest network of all private railway operators in Switzerland. Headquartered in Chur, the RhB operates all the railway lines of the Cantons of Switzerland, ...
(RhB) has, besides the ABDt that work with Be 4/4 511-516, a group of driving trailers that can be used with their Ge 4/4 I, II and III locomotives. Three of them are specially fitted for Vereina
car shuttle trains.
The
Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn (MGB) has numerous driving trailers for almost all types of motive power. They work regional trains and
car shuttle trains through the
Furka Base Tunnel.
File:SBB IC2000 Bt in Zürich.jpg, Double-decker Swiss IC 2000 Steuerwagen
File:SBB Re 450 Bt in Zürich.jpg, S-Bahn Zürich double decker
File:CH SBB NPZ Steuerwagen.JPG, Swiss NPZ Steuerwagen in Biel
File:BLS Steuerwagen.jpg, The BLS Bt EW III (former Swiss Express)
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, ''driving trailers'' may have one or two driving cabs. They have been used for many decades, with the
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a History of rail transport in Great Britain, British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, ...
often using
autocoaches on branch line services. These allowed a train driver to remotely control the regulator and reverser of a suitably equipped locomotive. The fireman remained on the locomotive to operate the boiler and locomotive whistle. Locomotives were commonly sandwiched between a pair of autocoaches, allowing a maximum of four to be used.
Driving Trailers
A Driving Brake Standard Open or DBSO is a specially converted
Mark 2 passenger car. Initially operated by
ScotRail from 1979, they were operated on
InterCity
InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the train categories in Europe, classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to InterRegio, regional train, r ...
and
Anglia Railways services on the
Great Eastern Main Line from the late-1980s until 2006. Some have been refurbished for use on
Network Rail test trains. Others were used by
Direct Rail Services on
Cumbrian Coast line locomotive hauled passenger trains under contract to
Northern Rail until late 2018 when they were replaced by regular
Diesel multiple units.
The
Mark 5a sets formerly operated by
TransPennine Express include a purpose built Driving Trailer.
File:DBSO 9710 at Norwich.JPG, DBSO 9710 in InterCity
InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the train categories in Europe, classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to InterRegio, regional train, r ...
livery at Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
File:Rail-dbso-amoswolfe.jpg, DBSO in Anglia Railways livery
File:TransPennine Exress Mark 5a first test at Crewe.jpg, Mark 5a Driving trailer
Driving Van Trailer
A Driving Van Trailer or DVT is a more modern type of control car, purpose-built to include space for baggage and a guard's office. The DVT was developed in the late-1980s from the DBSO and designed to be used with
Mark 3s on
West Coast Main Line services and
Mark 4s on the
East Coast Main Line. As of February 2021, Mark 3 DVTs are in service with
Chiltern Railways and
Network Rail, with Mark 4 DVTs in service with
London North Eastern Railway
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is a British train operating company which operates most services on the East Coast Main Line. It is owned by DfT Operator for the Department for Transport (DfT). The company's name echoes that of the Londo ...
with some to be operated by
Transport for Wales Rail
Transport for Wales Rail Limited, branded as Transport for Wales and TfW Rail ( and ), is a Welsh State-owned enterprises of the United Kingdom, publicly owned train operating company, a subsidiary of Transport for Wales (TfW), a Welsh Governme ...
from 2021. Former operators of the Mark 3 DVTs are
Arriva Trains Wales,
Greater Anglia,
KeolisAmey Wales,
Virgin Trains West Coast and
Wrexham & Shropshire.
File:Wrexham & Shropshire Mk3 DVT at London Marylebone 2009.jpg, Wrexham & Shropshire Mark 3 DVT at Marylebone station
File:Mk4DVT-82201-03.jpg, GNER Mark 4 DVT at Leeds station
Oceania
Australia
NSW
All of the driving trailers are generally on much of the earlier rolling stock. Examples of these driving trailers were on some old (now most likely scrapped) red rattler cars along with C and K sets (4 trailers). The driving trailers from the K set were later converted to ordinary trailers. These can be noted by the positioning of the pantograph. On a single set the pantographs are placed on the second and third cars, and on an eight car train (2 sets combined) they're placed on the second, third, sixth and seventh cars. Some third Generation of Sydney Trains, Tangaras or T sets, have driving trailers but are equipped to supply electricity to the train though the use of a pantograph.
Waratahs (A sets) have two driving trailers (one at each end) with power trailers in between the driving and non-driving trailers.
South Australia
2100 class railcar are driving trailers, being placed in a 2-car consist with a 2000 class power unit, sometimes with a second trailer to make a 3-car consist-the power car would be placed in between the two trailers. As of 2018, only three of these trailers exist, the rest were scrapped. Two are preserved and one that was donated to South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service (cut-in half). Three 2000 class power units out of the twelve have had the same fate.
New Zealand

Experiments with light railcars were aimed at cutting costs on lightly used branch lines.
Autotrains were built in 1906 and 1907 and by 1925
NZR had 8 88-seat and 5 72-seat motor trains. In 1908 there was a motor train Auckland suburban service to
Otahuhu and between
Morrinsville and
Putaruru in 1913.
In
Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
,
Transdev Auckland operated 21
DC class locomotives and four
DFT class locomotives (owned by
KiwiRail) in push-pull mode with 24 sets of 3-5 SA cars and an SD driving car with driving cab and remote controls (ex
British Rail Mark 2 carriages rebuilt for suburban service), owned by Auckland Transport.
["Ticket to Ride" e.nz magazine, July/August 2007 Volume 8/4, pages 24-28] The carriages were replaced with EMUs in July 2015.
Asia
Sri Lanka

Control cars are available on most Diesel multiple units operated by
Sri Lanka Railways.
Israel
Control cars exist on all push-pull trains operated by
Israel Railways, as well as their Siemens Desiro electric multiple unit sets.
India
Control cabs are generally found on DEMU's, EMU's and MEMU's in India.
Japan
The
Sagano Scenic Railway uses control cars with the control car on the Kameoka end of the train.
See also
*
Cab (locomotive)
The cab, crew compartment or driver's compartment of a locomotive, or a Passenger car (rail)#Self-propelled passenger equipment, self-propelled rail vehicle, is the part housing the train driver, Fireman (steam engine), fireman or secondman ...
References
{{Reflist
Passenger railroad cars