Railway coupling by country

Listed below are railway couplers as used on historic and modern industrial, mainline, mining, narrow gauge, plantation and transit railways.

Couplers are often known by more than one name. Compromise couplers or cars are used to transition between coupler types.

Coupler types

AAR couplers, also known as American, Alliance, Buckeye, Janney or Knuckle
Albert couplers
ABC (Automatic Buffing Contact) couplers ^[1]^[2]
Bell-and-hook couplers
BSI (Bergische Stahl Industrie) couplers
CB (Center Buffer) couplers^[3]^[4]
Center-buffer-and-chain(s) couplers
English couplers, also known as British, Euro, Screw+Buffers, Chain+Buffers, UIC.
GF couplers
H2C couplers
Johnston link-and-pin couplers
Link and Pin couplers
Miller couplers
Norwegian ('meatchopper') couplers
Pin and Cup couplers
Russian couplers, also known as Willison or SA3. Variants include the Unicoupler/AK69e and C-AKv.
Scharfenberg couplers
Ward couplers^[5]
Wedge Lock couplers, also known as London.
Willison couplers

Africa

Algeria

English, Russian couplers on 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge track^[6]
English couplers on 1,055 mm (3 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge track^[6]

Angola

AAR couplers^[6]

Benin

CBC couplers^[6]

Burkina Faso & Côte d'Ivoire

English couplers^[6]^[7]

Cameroon

Russian couplers^[6]

Congo~Brazzaville

SA3 coupler^[6]

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Egypt

English couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on modern stock^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]

Eritrea

CBC couplers^[12]

Ethiopia

AAR couplers^[13]

Gabon

Russian couplers

Ghana

Norwegian couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on modern stock

Liberia (Bong)

Link and pin couplers

Malawi

AAR couplers^[14]

Mali

like Senegal

Mauritania

AAR couplers

Morocco

English couplers^[15]

Mozambique

AAR couplers^[6]^[14]

Nigeria

AAR couplers

Senegal

English couplers on freight and passenger stock
Norwegian couplers on Indian Stock^[16]

South Africa

Buffers-and-chain from 1859 to 1873.^[17]
Johnston link-and-pin from 1873 to 1927 on Cape gauge, from 1906 on 2 feet (610 millimetres) narrow gauge in Natal.^[18]^[19]
Bell-and-hook from 1902 on 2 feet (610 millimetres) narrow gauge in the Cape of Good Hope.^[19]^[20]
AAR knuckle from 1927 on Cape gauge.^[21]^[22]
Willison from 1973 on 2 feet (610 millimetres) narrow gauge in the Cape Province.^[19]
Scharfenberg from 2012 on Gautrain, from 2016 on new PRASA commuter stock.

Sudan

AAR couplers^[23]^[24]

Tanzania

AAR couplers on 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge track
Norwegian couplers on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge track^[7]

Togo

Center buffer and side chain couplers
Norwegian couplers on Indian Stock

Tunisia

English 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^[6]

Cambodia

English couplers

China

AAR couplers on passenger and freight stock
Scharfenberg couplers on high speed (CRH) and subway trains

Hong Kong

BSI couplers on MTR passenger units
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^[25]
Norwegian couplers on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge track^[26]
ABC couplers on narrow gauge stock
Scharfenberg Couplers on Mass Transit systems (EMU/DEMU)

Indonesia

Norwegian couplers on traditional stock
AAR couplers and Shibata couplers on modern stock

Iran

English, 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^[27]^[28]

Israel

English couplers on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock

Japan

English couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on freight and passenger stock
Shibata couplers (based on Scharfenberg couplers) on passenger stock

Malaysia

Norwegian couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on modern stock
Scharfenberg couplers on ERL, LRT, MRT and Monorail.

Russia

Russian 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)

South Korea

English, link and pin couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on modern stock^[29]
Shibata couplers (based on Scharfenberg couplers) on Subways and metro car

Sri Lanka

Buffers and AAR couplers

Thailand

AAR couplers on all SRT rolling stock
Norwegian couplers on historic stock
Scharfenberg couplers on mass-transit trains
Wedge Lock, Ward couplers on London Underground stock
Narrow gauge lines use a mixture of couplings.

Vietnam

AAR couplers on both 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) rolling stock

Australia and New Zealand

Australia

English, Norwegian couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock

New Zealand

English, Norwegian couplers on historic stock
AAR couplers on modern stock
Scharfenberg on EMU classes (AM, FP classes)

Europe

Austria

English couplers on standard gauge stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger units
Bosna or Scharfenberg couplers on narrow gauge stock

Finland

English (UIC) couplers on passenger cars and most freight cars and on historical locomotives
Russian SA3 couplers on Russian cars and some heavy-duty freight cars
"Unilink" (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 (some made by Dellner) couplers or Secheron GF couplers on passenger multiple-unit stock

France

English couplers on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock (multiple units and high speed trains only)
Russian couplers on unit ore trains

Germany

English couplers on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
AK69e and C-AKv couplers on unit ore trains
AK69e and Russian SA-3 mixed in trains via Mukran ferry terminal
Scharfenberg or central buffer couplers on narrow gauge stock

Greece

English on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg on passenger stock
Center buffer and side chains on narrow gauge stock

Hungary

English on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg on multiple units (in some cases jointly with side buffers)
BSI with side buffers on BDVmot electric multiple units
Link-and-pin on narrow gauge stock

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, Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
Russian couplers on unit ore 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

Romania

English on freight and passenger stock
Scharfenberg on Desiro multiple units and some ex-German rail buses
Link-and-pin on narrow gauge stock

Russia

Russian 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)

Spain

English couplers on freight and loco hauled passenger stock
Scharfenberg couplers on multiple unit passenger stock

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 on meter and narrow gauge stock

Turkey

English couplers on traditional stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock
Russian couplers on mining stock

Ukraine

Russian (SA3) couplers on broad gauge rolling stock
Combined Russian/English couplers on SUW2000 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 1990s electric multiple units
Scharfenberg-type coupling heads (often Dellner) on most new electric multiple units, with a variety of electrical connection systems
English couplings, AAR couplers on some freight stock, most locomotive-hauled passenger stock has a 2⁄3rd size Janney/Buckeye coupler^{[citation needed]}
Wedgelock, Ward couplers on London Underground stock
Narrow gauge lines use a mixture of couplings

North and Central America

Canada

AAR couplers on traditional stock
Scharfenberg, Wedge Lock, H2C couplers on transit stock

Mexico

AAR couplers on traditional stock
Scharfenberg couplers on passenger stock

United States

AAR couplers on mainline freight and passenger stock
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 Subway revenue 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

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^[6]
AAR couplers on at least some Buenos Aires passenger equipment (observed 1997)
AAR couplers on 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge^[6]

Brazil

AAR couplers^[30]^[31]

Chile

AAR couplers^[6]
English couplers in coaches and locomotives bought from Spain
Scharfemberg couplers in passenger units bought from Spain

Paraguay

English couplers^[32]

Uruguay

English couplers^[32]

Gallery

Sri Lankan train with both buffers and centre couplers.

References

^ "ABC Couplers". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
^ ABC Couplers
^ "Coupler conversion". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
^ "Centre Buffer Coupler of AAR type". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
^ "Ward coupler". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Jane's World Railways 2002–2003 p5
^ ^a ^b http://www.steam.dial.pipex.com/africa.htm
^ "Rail pictures". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
^ "Rail pictures". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
^ http://www.besco.in/clients.htm
^ "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.
^ ^a ^b "trans zambesia locomotive, AEI, malawi locomotive, nigeria locomotive". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
^ "IN NORTHERN AFRICA". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
^ "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.
^ ^a ^b ^c 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.
^ Locopage
^ "The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : Rs. 80-crore target for railway spares export". 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
^ http://www.ajg41.clara.co.uk/iraq/links.html
^ Railway Gazette International Aug 2008 p517
^ Jane's World Railways 1969/1970 pp 501 thru 504
^ Railway Gazette International April 2009, p61
^ ^a ^b "trains-worldexpresses.com". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

External links

Media related to Rolling stock by country at Wikimedia Commons

[ABC-1] "ABC Couplers". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[2] ABC Couplers

[3] "Coupler conversion". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[4] "Centre Buffer Coupler of AAR type". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[5] "Ward coupler". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[Jane-6] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Jane's World Railways 2002–2003 p5

[steam.dial.pipex.com-7] ttp://www.steam.dial.pipex.com/africa.htm

[8] "Rail pictures". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[9] "Rail pictures". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[10] ttp://www.besco.in/clients.htm

[11] "RailPictures.Net Photo: 3864 Egyptian railways (ENR) EMD G22W-AC at Kafr el Shiekh, Egypt by mohamed". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[12] "Il Materiale Rotabile". Retrieved 16 October 2011.

[13] "The Franco-Ethiopian Railway — Djibouti to Addis-Ababa". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[Sulzer-14] "trans zambesia locomotive, AEI, malawi locomotive, nigeria locomotive". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[15] "IN NORTHERN AFRICA". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[16] "The Railways of Mali and Senegal 2007". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[SAR&H_Jun_1943-17] 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.

[SAR&H_Sep_1944-18] 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.

[Trokhandboek-19] 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.

[SAR&H_Apr_1944-20] 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_2-21] 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.

[Diagram-book_2-22] 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.

[23] Locopage

[24] "The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Tiruchi News : Rs. 80-crore target for railway spares export". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[25] "Centre Buffer coupler of AAR type". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[26] "[IRFCA] Indian Railways FAQ: Rolling Stock – II". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

[Jane_69/70_pp_594/595-27] Jane's World Railways 1969/1970 pp 594/595

[28] ttp://www.ajg41.clara.co.uk/iraq/links.html

[29] Railway Gazette International Aug 2008 p517

[Jane_69/70_pp_501-30] Jane's World Railways 1969/1970 pp 501 thru 504

[31] Railway Gazette International April 2009, p61

[trains-worldexpresses.com-32] "trains-worldexpresses.com". Retrieved 4 November 2014.

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v t e Railway coupling
General	Railway coupling by country Railway coupling conversion
Systems	Buffers and chain Janney / AAR coupler Type F & H : Tightlock coupling SA3 coupler C-AKv coupler Unicoupler/Intermat Scharfenberg coupler Norwegian coupling Dual coupling Drawbar Draft gear
Categories	Couplers

Coupler types

Africa

Algeria

Angola

Benin

Burkina Faso & Côte d'Ivoire

Cameroon

Congo~Brazzaville

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Egypt

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Ghana

Liberia (Bong)

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Morocco

Mozambique

Nigeria

Senegal

South Africa

Sudan

Tanzania

Togo

Tunisia

Asia

Bangladesh

Cambodia

China

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Japan

Malaysia

Russia

South Korea

Sri Lanka

Thailand

Vietnam

Australia and New Zealand

Australia

New Zealand

Europe

Austria

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Italy

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Romania

Russia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom

North and Central America

Canada

Mexico

United States

South America

Argentina

Brazil

Chile

Paraguay

Uruguay

Gallery

See also

References

External links