Railway coupling by country
The railcar couplers or couplings listed, described, and depicted below are used worldwide on legacy and modern railways. Compatible and similar designs are frequently referred to using widely differing make, brand, regional or nick names, which can make describing standard or typical designs confusing. Dimensions and ratings noted in these articles are usually of nominal or typical components and systems, though standards and practices also vary widely with railway, region, and era. Transition between incompatible coupler types may be accomplished using dual couplings, a coupling adapter or a barrier wagon.
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Coupler types
- ABC coupler (Automatic Buffing Contact)[1][2]
- Albert coupler
- bell and hook coupler
- BSI coupler (Bergische Stahl Industrie)
- buffers and chain coupler, also known as British, buffers and screw, English, EU, link and hook, UIC, or UK coupler
- center buffer and chains coupler
- Digital automatic coupling (DAC)[3]
- GF coupler
- Henricot coupler
- H2C coupler
- Janney coupler, also known as AAR, APT, ARA, CB, center buffer, knuckle, MCB or tightlock coupler[4][5]
- Johnston link and pin coupler
- link and pin coupler
- Miller coupler
- Norwegian coupler, also known as chopper or Jones coupler
- pin and cup coupler (WABCO N-Type)
- SA-3, also known as SovietAuto-3, AK69e, CA-3, Russian or Willison coupler
- Scharfenberg coupler, also known as Dellner, Schaku or Voith coupler
- While different Scharfenburg couplers may be mechanically compatible, they may be electrically incompatible.
- Shibata coupler
- Ward coupler[6]
- Wedglock coupler, also known as London or Tube coupler
Africa
Algeria
- English, Russian couplers on 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge track[7]
- English couplers on 1,055 mm (3 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge track[7]
Angola
Botswana
Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire
Cameroon
Congo~Brazzaville
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- AAR couplers
Egypt
- English couplers on historic stock
- AAR coupler Links on modern stock[10][11][12][13]
Ethiopia
Gabon
Ghana
- Norwegian couplers on historic stock
- AAR couplers on modern stock
Kenya
- AAR and Norwegian couplers on Narrow gauge railways
- AAR Alliance couplers on Standard gauge railways
Liberia
Malawi
Mali
- like Senegal
Mauritania
Morocco
Mozambique
Nigeria
- AAR couplers on modern 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge railways[18]
- ABC couplers on legacy 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) railways[19]
- ABC couplers on legacy Bauchi Light Railway 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) Narrow gauge railways[20]
Senegal
- English couplers on freight and passenger stock
- Norwegian couplers on Indian Stock[21]
South Africa
- Buffers and chain coupler from 1859 to 1873.[22]
- Johnston link-and-pin from 1873 to 1927 on Cape gauge, from 1906 on 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge in Natal.[23][24]
- Bell-and-hook from 1902 on 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge in the Cape of Good Hope.[24][25]
- AAR knuckle wide use from 1927 on Cape gauge. The first application of these couplers in what is now South Africa was in 1904 by the ultra-progressive Central South African Railways (CSAR) on their rolling stock for the "Limited Expresses" between Johannesburg and Pretoria.[26][27][28][29]
- Willison from 1973 on 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge in the Cape Province.[24]
- WABCO N-Type from 1984 on 6M EMU rolling stock. Also used on class 8M EMU rolling stock built from 1988.
- Scharfenberg from 2012 on Gautrain, from 2016 on new PRASA EM01 commuter stock.
Sudan
Tanzania
- Norwegian couplers on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge track[9]
- AAR couplers on 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge track
- AAR couplers on 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge track.
Togo
- Center buffer and side chain couplers
- Norwegian couplers on Indian Stock
Tunisia
Uganda
- narrow gauge : Norwegian couplers
- standard gauge : AAR couplers.
Asia
Bangladesh
- AAR couplers on 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) Stock
- Norwegian couplers on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) Stock[7]
Cambodia
- English couplers on older stock
- AAR couplers on newer stock
China
- AAR couplers on passenger and freight stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on high speed (CRH) and subway trains
Hong Kong
- BSI couplers on ex-MTR passenger units and maintenance stock
- Tightlock couplers on ex-KCR passenger units
- Dellner couplers on light rail stock
- AAR couplers on freight stock
India
- English couplers on historic stock
- AAR couplers on modern stock[32]
- Norwegian couplers on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge track[33]
- ABC couplers on narrow gauge stock
- Schaku Couplers in Suburban EMU and DEMU trains
- Scharfenberg couplers are also used in rapid transit transports like metros
Indonesia
- English couplers on 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge historic stock of Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij (Dutch East Indies Railway Company)
- Norwegian couplers on 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge historic stock of The Dutch East Indies National Railway Company and the majority of the Dutch East Indies Private Railway and Tramway Companies
- AAR couplers and Shibata couplers on modern stock
- Scharfenberg couplers for the future Jakarta - Bandung high speed rail and Soekarno Hatta Airport skytrain.
- Shibata couplers (based on Scharfenberg couplers) for Jakarta LRT
- Dellner coupler for Greater Jakarta LRT
Iran
- English couplers, Russian (C-AKv) combo couplers on freight and passenger stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
Iraq
- English couplers on historic stock
- English, Russian (C-AKv) combo couplers on modern stock[34][35]
Israel
- English couplers on freight and passenger stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
Japan
- English couplers on historic stock
- AAR couplers on locomotives, freight and passenger stock
- Shibata couplers (based on Scharfenberg couplers) on passenger stock
North Korea
- AAR couplers on standard gauge stock
- Reduced-size Janney couplers (AAR) on narrow gauge stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on Pyongyang Metro stock
South Korea
- English couplers, link and pin couplers on historic stock
- AAR couplers on modern stock[36]
- Shibata couplers (based on Scharfenberg couplers) on Subways and metro car
- Scharfenberg couplers on KTX and imported light metro car
Malaysia
- Norwegian couplers on historic stock
- AAR couplers on modern stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on ERL, LRT, MRT and Monorail.
Pakistan
- English couplers on historic stock
- AAR couplers on modern stock[32]
Philippines
- English couplers on Manila Railway Company (MRC) rolling stock, as well as historic Manila Railroad (MRR) stock before 1932.
- AAR couplers on MRR stock built after 1928 and on all Philippine National Railways narrow-gauge rolling stock.
- Type E on historic stock and on the PNR 5000 class.
- Type F interlocking couplers on upcoming PNR narrow-gauge flatcars.[37]
- Type H tightlock coupling on most PNR rolling stock starting with the 900 class.
- Link and pin couplers on the Hawaiian Philippine Company of Negros Island.[38] Older Manila Railroad stock also use link and pin alongside English couplers.
- Scharfenberg couplers on the MRT Line 3.
- Shibata couplers on high-capacity rapid transit lines and on the North–South Commuter Railway.
- Type 10 on PNR 8800 class passenger trains for the PNR South Long Haul project.[39]
Russia
- Russian SA3 couplers on domestic stock (with side buffers on passenger coaches)
- English couplers on Euro Stock (exchanged on the border)
- Scharfenberg couplers on some passenger unit trains (Velaro, Desiro) and on all subway systems
Singapore
- Scharfenberg couplers for the Mass Rapid Transit[40]
- Bergische Stahl Industrie couplers for Bukit Panjang LRT
- Compact tight couplers by Japan Steel Works for Sengkang and Punggol LRT[41]
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
- AAR couplers for TRA rolling stock, including multiple units[42]
- Shibata couplerx for THSR
- Tomlinson couplers for heavy-capacity Taipei Metro rolling stock[43]
- Scharfenberg couplers for all other urban transit systems such as Kaohsiung MRT, Taoyuan Airport MRT, Taichung Metro and medium capacity Taipei Metro rolling stock
- Link and pin couplers for Alishan Forest Railway and Taiwan Sugar Railways[42]
Thailand
- AAR couplers on all SRT rolling stock
- Norwegian couplers on historic stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on mass-transit trains
- Wedglock couplers, Ward couplers on London Underground stock
- Narrow gauge lines use a mixture of couplings.
Turkey
- English couplers on older stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
- Russian couplers (C-AKv) on newer stock
Vietnam
- AAR couplers on both 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge rolling stock
Europe
Austria
- English couplers on standard gauge stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on passenger units
- Bosna couplers or Scharfenberg couplers on narrow gauge stock
Belgium
- GF coupler on most multiple units
- Henricot semi automatic couplers on some EMU's
- English couplers on locomotives, passenger carriages and goods waggons
- Scharfenberg couplers on high speed trains
Finland
- English couplers (UIC) on passenger cars and most freight cars and on historical locomotives
- Russian SA3 couplers on Russian cars and some heavy-duty freight cars
- "Unilink couplers" (SA3 clone with UIC-style screw link) or "Vapiti" (SA3 clone with movable link arm for English couplers) couplers on the majority of locomotives; compatible with SA3 and English (UIC) center hook
- Scharfenberg couplers (some made by Dellner) on multiple unit passenger stock
France
- English couplers on freight and passenger stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock (multiple units and high speed trains only)
- Russian couplers on ore unit trains
Germany
- English couplers on freight and passenger stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
- AK69es and C-AKv couplers on unit ore trains
- AK69e and SA3 couplers mixed in trains via Mukran ferry terminal
- Scharfenberg or central buffer couplers on narrow gauge stock
Greece
- English couplers on freight and passenger stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
- Center buffer and side chains on narrow gauge stock
Hungary
- English couplers on freight and passenger stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on multiple units (in some cases jointly with side buffers)
- BSI couplers with side buffers on BDVmot electric multiple units
- Link and pin on narrow gauge stock
Ireland
Italy
- English couplers on standard gauge stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on some EMU/DMU and FS Class E.464
Netherlands
- English couplers on freight and passenger stock
- BSI couplers, Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
- Russian couplers on ore unit trains
Norway
- English couplers on freight and passenger stock
- Norwegian couplers on historic stock, narrow gauge only
- Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock (multiple units)
- Russian SA3 couplers on unit ore trains (Ofoten Line)
Poland
- English couplers on freight and passenger stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
- Russian couplers on unit ore trains and Russian interchange stock
Portugal
- English couplers on freight and loco hauled passenger stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on multiple unit passenger stock
Romania
- English couplers on freight and passenger stock
- Scharfenberg coupler on Siemens Desiro multiple units and some ex-German railbuses
- Link-and-pin couplers on narrow gauge stock
Russia
- Russian SA3 couplers on domestic stock (with side buffers on passenger coaches)
- English couplers on Euro Stock (exchanged on the border)
- Scharfenberg couplers on some passenger unit trains (Velaro, Desiro) and on all subway systems
Spain
- English couplers on freight and loco hauled passenger stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on multiple unit passenger stock
- AAR couplers on locomotive hauled stock in narrow gauge
- BSI couplers on multiple unit passenger stock (only in Catalonian Railways: FGC)
Sweden
- English couplers on freight and passenger stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
- Russian couplers on iron ore trains (Iron Ore Line)
- Variant of Norwegian couplers on historic (museum) narrow-gauge stock
Switzerland
- English couplers on standard gauge stock
- GFV, Schwab, Scharfenberg or BSI couplers on passenger units
- AK69e couplers within BLS EW III sets
- GF, GFV or center buffer couplers/Balance lever couplings on meter and narrow gauge stock
Ukraine
- SA3 couplers on 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) gauge rolling stock
- Combined SA3 coupler/English couplers on SUW 2000 gauge-changing coaches
- Scharfenberg couplers on some EMU trains
- Central buffer and chain couplers on narrow gauge rolling stock
United Kingdom
- BSI couplers on most diesel multiple unit types, but also Dellner and Scharfenberg on some more recent types
- AAR Type H "Tightlock coupling" heads on 1970s to early 2000s electric multiple units
- Scharfenberg type heads (often Dellner) on most new electric multiple units, with a variety of electrical connection systems
- English coupler, AAR couplers on some freight stock, most locomotive-hauled passenger stock has a 2⁄3rd size Janney/Buckeye coupler
- Wedglock couplers, Ward couplers on London Underground stock
- Narrow gauge lines use various couplings
Isle of Man
Central America
Belize
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
North America
Canada
- AAR couplers on traditional stock
- Scharfenberg couplers, Wedglock coupler, H2C couplers on transit stock
- 3⁄4 size AAR couplers on the White Pass and Yukon Route
Mexico
- AAR couplers on traditional stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on new passenger stock
United States
- AAR couplers on mainline freight and passenger stock in the United States and Alaska
- Link Pin, Miller couplers on historic stock. Converted to AAR couplers 1893~1900 per Safety Appliance Act
- Older city systems have unique coupler designs for transit stock, e.g. H2C couplers on New York City Subway rolling stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on newer light rail and transit systems
- Pin Cup coupler on multiple unit transit stock
- Russian couplers on industrial and mining Stock
Alaska
- AAR couplers on mainline freight and passenger stock in Alaska
- 3⁄4 size AAR couplers on the White Pass and Yukon Route
Puerto Rico
Oceania
Australia
- English couplers, Norwegian couplers on historic stock
- AAR couplers on freight and passenger stock
- Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
New Zealand
- Norwegian couplers on legacy stock
- Janney couplers on modern freight and locomotives
- Scharfenberg couplers on modern EMUs
South America
Argentina
- English couplers on 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) and on 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge[7]
- AAR couplers on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge[7] and some passenger (FIAT 7131 DMUs) and freight rolling stock on standard and broad gauge.
- Small knuckle coupler with slot in knuckle for link and pin couplers on 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
- Shibata semi-automatic couplers on EMUs made by Toshiba - Marubeni Corp. (1956 D.F. Sarmiento Railway, 1962 General Bartolomé Mitre Railway, 1973 General Urquiza Railway and 1983 General Roca Railway EMUs).
- Scharfenberg-type semi-automatic couplers (Dellner) on modern EMUs, DMUs and some passenger rolling stock In General San Martín Railway.
- Bell-and-hook couplers on various narrow-gauge tourist railways (Ferrocarril Pierda Baya,[46] Austral Fueguino Railway and Económico Sud Railway).
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
- AAR couplers on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge[7]
- English couplers (UIC)in coaches and locomotives bought from Spain
- Scharfenberg couplers in passenger units bought from Spain
Colombia
Ecuador
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
- English couplers[49] (Main stock)
- Janney Coupler (Brill 60 motorcar)
Venezuela
See also
- Barrier vehicle
- Jane's World Railways, lists the coupler(s) used on any railway system
- Rail transport by country
References
- "ABC Couplers". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- ABC couplers Archived 2009-05-21 at the Wayback Machine
- DAC
- "Coupler conversion". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- "Centre Buffer Coupler of AAR type". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- "Ward coupler". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- Jane's World Railways 2002–2003 p5
- "Angola's railways back on track". BBC News. 16 September 2010.
- "Steam in Africa". Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
- "Rail pictures". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- "Rail pictures". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- ":: Besco Limited :: Clients". Archived from the original on 2009-01-27. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
- "RailPictures.Net Photo: 3864 Egyptian railways (ENR) EMD G22W-AC at Kafr el Shiekh, Egypt by mohamed". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- "Il Materiale Rotabile". Retrieved 16 October 2011.
- "The Franco-Ethiopian Railway — Djibouti to Addis-Ababa". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- "trans zambesia locomotive, AEI, malawi locomotive, nigeria locomotive". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- "IN NORTHERN AFRICA". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- "Standard Gauge: Work begins on Ebute Meta ultra-modern railway station – NRC – the Eagle Online". 8 August 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-07-06.
- "Nigerian Railway Corporation - Locomotives". www.topforge.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 June 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- "ABC Couplers". www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 21 May 2009. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- "The Railways of Mali and Senegal 2007". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1943). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter I - The Period of the 4 ft. 8½ in. Gauge. South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, June 1943. pp. 437-440.
- Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1944). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter III - Natal Government Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, September 1944. p. 669.
- Suid-Afrikaanse Vervoerdienste (South African Transport Services) (1983). Passassierswa- en Trokhandboek (Passenger Carriage and Truck Manual), Vol 1, Hoofstukke 1-15 (Chapters 1-15). South African Transport Services, 1983. Chapter 13.
- Espitalier, T.J.; Day, W.A.J. (1944). The Locomotive in South Africa - A Brief History of Railway Development. Chapter II - The Cape Government Railways (Continued). South African Railways and Harbours Magazine, April 1944. pp. 253-257.
- Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 51–52, 117–118. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
- South African Railways & Harbours/Suid Afrikaanse Spoorweë en Hawens (15 Aug 1941). Locomotive Diagram Book/Lokomotiefdiagramboek, 2'0" & 3'6" Gauge/Spoorwydte, Steam Locomotives/Stoomlokomotiewe. SAR/SAS Mechanical Department/Werktuigkundige Dept. Drawing Office/Tekenkantoor, Pretoria. pp. 6a-7a, 25.
- At least some versions of the automatic couplers used in South Africa follows the Henricot coupler patent and not the AAR version. The following note is given on drawing CME10719-478/68 "Automatic Coupler, type MS (127 mm x 140 mm)", also referred to as SASKOP (Suid-Afrikaanse Spoorweë Koppelaar - South African Railways Coupler): "The copyright in this drawing vests in "Société Anonyme Usines Emile Henricot of Court-Saint-Étienne", Belgium. The said company is also the owner of the patent in respect of the automatic coupler covered by this drawing."
- Pivnic, Les. "Soul of A Railway, System 7, Natalspruit to Vereeniging – Part 1". Archived from the original on 2020-10-24. Retrieved 2018-09-01.
- Locopage
- "Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : Rs. 80-crore target for railway spares export". The Hindu. 2004-11-11. Archived from the original on 12 March 2005. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- "Centre Buffer coupler of AAR type". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- "[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: Rolling Stock – II". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- Jane's World Railways 1969/1970 pp 594/595
- "Links to information about railways in Iraq". Archived from the original on 2008-10-01. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
- Railway Gazette International Aug 2008 p517
- Procurement of Eight (8) Units Flats Cars (Re-bid) (Report). Philippine National Railways. 30 June 2021.
- "Steam Locomotives Operated by Hawaiian-Philippine Company". www.internationalsteam.co.uk. 13 May 2003. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- 中国首列出口菲律宾动车组亮相 "储能"加"智能" 定义未来城市轨道交通 [China's first EMU exported to the Philippines debuts with "energy storage" and "intelligence" to define future urban rail transit]. MangoTV. Hunan Happy Sunshine Interactive Entertainment Media. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
- "Connect and Protect. Coupler and Front End Systems" (PDF). Voith.
- Aida, Teruyuki; Nishimi, Yusuke; Yamaguchi, Atsunori; Oonuma, Noriaki. "History and Future Prospects of Rolling Stock Parts" (PDF). Japan Steel Works Industrial Machinery Dept., Hiroshima Plant.
JSW began to consider coupler device for overseas, and delivered our products to Singapore for new transportation systems in 2000.
- 蘇, 昭旭 (2017). 世界鐵道與火車百科. Taiwan: 人人出版. ISBN 9789864610884.
- OTIS Wang. "臺北捷運C381型高運量電聯車". 雪花台灣.
- File:08-130 Esclusas de Miraflores (23).jpg
- File:TrenUrbano.jpg
- [Ferrocarril Pierda Baya
- Jane's World Railways 1969/1970 pp 501 thru 504
- Railway Gazette International April 2009, p61
- "trains-worldexpresses.com". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
External links
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