2 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. BVG Zug A3 SchlesischesTor: Amiden· CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2. 19870605g Krumme Lanke: Roehrensee· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The BVG Class A3 is a type of Kleinprofil train that was built after World War II. The smallest operationally mobile unit is the double-rail car, which consists of a control car (S-car) with a straight carriage number and a compressor car (K-car) with an odd car number. Both vehicles are motorized and each is equipped with a cab, the term "control car" refers to the local facilities for electrical control. The K-wagon contains the compressed air system, the converter system and the lighting equipment.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 66 years ago, in 1960.
- Weighs about as much as 5 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 25.7 m long: about 6 cars parked nose to tail.
- Still in service after 66 years.
carriage / wagon: Unpowered passenger coaches or freight wagons, pulled by a locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1960
- in service from
- 1960
- status
- in service
- number built
- —
- kind
- carriage / wagon
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- builders
- Henschel & Sohn, AEG, Orenstein & Koppel, Siemens, Waggon Union, ABB Henschel
- operators
- Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe
- top speed
- 62 km/h
- power
- —
- electric system
- 750 V DC third rail
- formation
- Double units
- length
- 25.7 m
- weight
- 32 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q797117, Wikipedia: BVG Class A3 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.