International Loading Gauge
Semi trailers which are to be transported on railway wagons must be built according to the UIC-596-5 requirements with regard to external dimensions. An example of loading a semitrailer on a railway wagon.
The height of a standard wagon (top of rail – floor of wheel recess) is 33 cm. The distance ”a” between the floor of the wheel recess and the king pin on a standard wagon is 113 cm.
The gauge is ”rectangular” and specifies a static width of 260 cm from 33 cm to 440 cm above the top of the rail. This is shown below.
The semi trailer in the above exampel is labelled P 77 if max. width is 2,50 m. It is labelled P 407 if the width is between 2,50 m and 2,60 m.
The following maps shown the international loading gauges of semi trailers and containers that are specified for the national railway network.