Unusual multiple unit formations in other countries.

[stadler]

This recent thread on the main UK section of the forum talks about unusual multiple unit formations that have happened and it had me wondering about other countries.

Unusual multiple unit couplings

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/class-315-and-365-in-multiple-working.286485/ Found this thread earlier that had a decent talk about 315's and 365's coupling and was wondering what other strange combinations would be possible in theory and which ones have been done in practice. Presumably...

www.railforums.co.uk

Can anyone think of any unusual multiple unit formations in other countries. So different classes coupled to each other. It can be rare one off workings or even ones that happen more frequently.

Croatia often runs 6111 + 6112 formations which is an old 1970s built Yugoslav unit coupled to a modern 2010s built Koncar unit.

It always looks so strange seeing such a modern unit coupled to a unit that is over fourty years older and i am amazed that they are compatible.

Croatia also sometimes runs 6112 + 7023 formations which is a DMU plus EMU coupled together.

They are built by the same manufacturer but it is very rare elsewhere to see a DMU and EMU coupled.

Slovenia and Luxembourg and Germany all operate some fairly common Stadler Flirt plus Stadler Kiss formations.









They are similar units but it looks so strange seeing a single deck train and a double deck train coupled together.

RHB and other narrow gauge railways in Switzerland has some really weird formations of the Allegra EMU units hauling old locomotive hauled carriages. This is basically the equivalent of a 745 or 755 hauling some of our MK3 carriages.









Even stranger is that they sometimes split up the Allegra EMU units and just use the driving carriage to haul a bunch of locomotive hauled carriages or have a locomotive in the middle. I think Switzerland has a lot of odd formations.

I would be interested in any other examples of rare or unusual formations in other countries that anyone can think of. Anything that is less common or different types coupled together. Even better if anyone has any photos or videos or links.

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

There are also Siemens Mireo (single deckers) and Siemens Desiro HC (double deckers) being coupled in Arverio Bavaria's network around Munich and Augsburg

 

[Struner]

NS DH1 Wadloper & DM’90 Buffel in Groningen Hoofdstation 19/5/2000

 

[Transilien]

NS DH1 Wadloper & DM’90 Buffel in Groningen Hoofdstation 19/5/2000
View attachment 194548

That reminds of a class 153 being coupled to a 170

 

[Richard Scott]

No strictly multiple units but did have a DB 218, it's train with a 628 unit on the back, all seemingly powering.

 

[Taunton]

The Vienna city Stadtbahn has long been run with tramway-type vehicles, although in a railway alignment, including typical European articulated cars, which pulled articulated trailers (themselves unusual), and are then built up into lengthy formations. More recently they bought some much more substantial double-articulated low floor vehicles, of quite a different and larger profile. There were then issues that not all trains were low floor, so the fleet was remarshalled to have trains of an older articulated car, plus articulated trailer, then the quite different new double articulated vehicle, then another older car plus trailer facing the other way. Every train now had a low floor vehicle in the centre. The combinations did look ridiculous, here's one:

Bild: Wien - Stadtbahn - 4930 (auf www.bkcw-bahnbilder.de)

Bild: Wien - Stadtbahn - 4930

www.bkcw-bahnbilder.de

 

[dutchflyer]

The 2 of which pictures are shown=double+single deck is even more interesting; it is INTERnational, runs daily from early till late all year every hour as RE1 in the Rheinland-Pfalz Land, going west along the river Mosel from Koblenz as CFL=LUXembourg Doubledeck (with even a vendor coming along with refreshments) and DB=Red single deck as far as Trier, where the CFL is coupled off and runs to its home base and the DB unit further long the Mosel to Saarbrücken, where it gets at most times coupled to another=same DB set and then onward to Mannheim, which on a map shows as a big U on its side.
I myself was always impressed about how the Belgians were able to seemingly couple all units they built in the long years- but all in home country by mostly also same factory. Whereas NS in Nederland mostly had its series always separated to itself by type.

 

[popeter45]

dont IC3's couple up with IR4's in Denmark?

 

[jpl]

In Czechia, multiple units are sometimes loco-hauled, i.e. coupled with traditional carriages and a locomotive. I think scenarios like this are getting more rare as new stock with automatic couplers replaces older stock.

 

[The exile]

In Czechia, multiple units are sometimes loco-hauled, i.e. coupled with traditional carriages and a locomotive. I think scenarios like this are getting more rare as new stock with automatic couplers replaces older stock.

Used to be common with diesels in Czechia - I’ve also had the Slovak version which was EMU coupled with loco + stock (which I’ve never encountered anywhere else)

 

[43096]

No strictly multiple units but did have a DB 218, it's train with a 628 unit on the back, all seemingly powering.

That would not be in multiple, though. If the 628 was powering it would be a second driver on board.

That form of operation was used on the SyltShuttle+ that DB ran for a while where a 628 would operate a local service and shunt on the back of the Auto train at Niebull and be hauled over to Westerland. The 628 was not powering on the part that was 218 (or 245) hauled, but the engine would be running to provide heat/light to the unit

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Dec 2025 ==

They are similar units but it looks so strange seeing a single deck train and a double deck train coupled together.

RHB and other narrow gauge railways in Switzerland has some really weird formations of the Allegra EMU units hauling old locomotive hauled carriages. This is basically the equivalent of a 745 or 755 hauling some of our MK3 carriages.

View attachment 194543

View attachment 194544

This latter photo is not an example of an Allegra hauling old coaches. The coaches behind the Allegra are newly built trailers with a driving trailer at one designed to work with either an Allegra or a Ge4/4III in push-pull formation.

Even stranger is that they sometimes split up the Allegra EMU units and just use the driving carriage to haul a bunch of locomotive hauled carriages or have a locomotive in the middle. I think Switzerland has a lot of odd formations.

I have never seen the Rhätische Bahn split an Allegra. Are you confusing that with the driving trailers built separately that have an Allegra-type driving cab?

 

[bahnause]

I have never seen the Rhätische Bahn split an Allegra. Are you confusing that with the driving trailers built separately that have an Allegra-type driving cab?

The Allegra sets cannot be split. However, Zentralbahn has 7-car “Adler” EMUs for service between Lucerne and Interlaken. The seven-car ADLER trains consist of two three-car power modules, each with a driver's cab and a bistro car between them. The trains can be split for maintenance. While one half of the train is undergoing maintenance, the other half remains in service with the bistro car. The missing part of the train is then replaced by a “Fink” EMU. These three-part train sets are generally used for regional transport and as reinforcement modules for the Lucerne–Interlaken route.

 

[MarcVD]

In Belgium you can have formations consisting of
- motorized éléments :
- - M7 power cars
- - HLE 19 locomotives
- - HLE 13 locomotives
- Driving cars :
- - M6 driving trailers
- - M7 driving trailers
- - I11 driving trailers
- intermediate cars :
- any M6, or M7 car. Probably also I10 and I11 cars although I have never seen that used.

Previously there were also HLE 27 AA and M4 cars used in such formations but they are gone now.

You can also have an HLE13 loco in the middle of a formation and à driving trailer at each end.

That probably makes the more versatile pool of rolling stock that ever existed. More than 1000 cars, 135 locs, 115 power cars. All combinable together.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Croatia often runs 6111 + 6112 formations which is an old 1970s built Yugoslav unit coupled to a modern 2010s built Koncar unit.

In those clips I think that they were simply using a 6112 to drag a 6111, presumably because a locomotive would need an adaptor for the Scharfenberg coupler. Neither video shows the 6111 powered up.

 

[Richard Scott]

That would not be in multiple, though. If the 628 was powering it would be a second driver on board.

May well have had a driver in it. The 218 was at back of its stock with the 628 behind it.

 

[Amalie]

In those clips I think that they were simply using a 6112 to drag a 6111, presumably because a locomotive would need an adaptor for the Scharfenberg coupler. Neither video shows the 6111 powered up.

That happened a few times with some broken down ICE sets which were on very rare occasions been dragged by a TGV or an NS VIRM. That was quite a sight but (unfortunately) wasn’t intended as a passenger service.

 

[DanielB]

That happened a few times with some broken down ICE sets which were on very rare occasions been dragged by a TGV or an NS VIRM. That was quite a sight but (unfortunately) wasn’t intended as a passenger service.

Several of them have been caught on camera however: like this one by a VIRM.

 

[Taunton]

In Sydney, Australia, which made a gradual transition from single deck to double deck, the normal 4-car electric units had double deck trailers in the middle built well before any end motor cars were built so. When two were multipled up for an 8-car formation, the normal train, this gave a strange arrangement of Single-Double-Double-Single-Single-Double-Double-Single. All replaced now but you can see them at 3:45, and various other points as well, in this video:

 

[nilvaj395]

In Belgium you can have formations consisting of
- motorized éléments :
- - M7 power cars
- - HLE 19 locomotives
- - HLE 13 locomotives
- Driving cars :
- - M6 driving trailers
- - M7 driving trailers
- - I11 driving trailers
- intermediate cars :
- any M6, or M7 car. Probably also I10 and I11 cars although I have never seen that used.

Previously there were also HLE 27 AA and M4 cars used in such formations but they are gone now.

You can also have an HLE13 loco in the middle of a formation and à driving trailer at each end.

That probably makes the more versatile pool of rolling stock that ever existed. More than 1000 cars, 135 locs, 115 power cars. All combinable together.

Similar kinda to the sandwhiched loco situation is when two railjets together leads to a loco in the middle.

Not sure if its 'unusual' perhaps but I've always found the situation with the newer Stadler built coaches for the BOB railway (Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken) combined with the ABeh 4/4 II locomotive as unusual.