Train reporting number

This article is about train reporting numbers in Great Britain. For train reporting numbers in Australia, see Train reporting number (Australia). For a similarly named rolling stock identification system in North America and elsewhere, see Reporting mark.
Class 47 displaying train reporting number 7M91 in June 1974
Class 45 showing train reporting number 1M86 departing Leeds station in 1974

A train reporting number in Great Britain identifies a particular train service. It consists of:

  • A single-digit number, indicating the class (type) of train, followed by
  • A letter, indicating the destination area, followed by
  • A two-digit number, identifying the individual train or indicating the route (the latter generally for suburban services).

The train reporting number is often called the headcode, a throwback to when the number was physically displayed at the head of a train.