There are many examples of this type of vehicle in operation in
Europe.
Austria Railjet Steuerwagen Push-pull trains with cab cars on one end operate extensively on
ÖBB Railjet services using
Siemens Vectouro trainsets.
Belarus DMU 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.
Russian Federation In Russia, as part of the first Push-Pull railway train
DP2D Driving Trailers used to operate a
TEP70 diesel locomotive from other side of the train. The trailers are ultimated with
EP2DM head cars, making the replacement simple. Currently, these trailers are completing the certification testings along with the DMUs.
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 .
Finland The
VR fleet includes 42 cab cars (Finnish:
ohjausvaunu), classified as Edo.
France The
Corail fleet includes 28
voitures-pilote, classified as B6Dux.
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 by the
Deutsche Reichsbahn (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
ships). 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.
Hungary Control cars in
Hungary 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 series, but they are considered and treated as a part of their DMU and EMU unit respectively.
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 station in 1997 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, 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 bilevel 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/
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.
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" 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 and
regional rail.
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 networks as well as regional,
InterRegio, and
InterCity 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, Germany, and
Italy. 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 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 had originally been possible. Older driving trailers, mostly BDt EW I/II and a few remaining Dt of SBB could 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. The
BLS operated 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 With the renewal of its rolling stock, all these driving trailers have disappeared.
Südostbahn had a fleet of ABt for their BDe 4/4 but had been fully replaced by FLIRTs. NPZ ABt existed 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 were used for the Voralpen-Express with Re 456, Re 446 or
SBB-CFF-FFS Re 420. The narrow gauge
Zentralbahn ABt could at some point control
HGe 101 (ex SBB),
De 110,
BDeh 140 (ex LSE) and the "SPATZ"
ABe 130. Meanwhile the remaining ABt are specialized for one type of motive power. The
Rhaetian Railway (RhB) had, besides the ABDt that worked with Be 4/4 511-516, a group of driving trailers that could be used with their Ge 4/4 I, II and III locomotives. Some of them are specially fitted for Vereina
car shuttle trains with Ge 4/4 III. The latest At, matching the Alvra train sets, can work with Ge 4/4 III, Ge 4/4 II and Allegras. The similar Bt only go with Allegras and Ge 4/4 II, often on the Arosa line. 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.
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 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 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. livery at
Norwich The
Mark 5a sets currently operated by Chiltern Railways and formerly operated by
TransPennine Express include a purpose built Driving Trailer.
Mark 3 DVT at
Marylebone station 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 with some to be operated by
Transport for Wales Rail from 2021. Former operators of the Mark 3 DVTs are
Arriva Trains Wales,
Greater Anglia,
KeolisAmey Wales,
Virgin Trains West Coast and
Wrexham & Shropshire. ==Oceania==