Electric Multiple Units

An EMU or an electric multiple unit is an electrical train of multiple carriages (typically seen as a suburban electric train). An EMU does not have a separate locomotive but uses the external electrical traction supply to power each (one or more) motorised railcars (cars). Motorised cars ("M" cars) are usually semi-permanently coupled to non-motorised trailer cars ("T" cars) forming a "unit". Two or more units create a set.

e.g.  an MTM unit consists of a traction car, a trailer car and another traction car, all semi-permanently coupled.
        an MTMMTM set consists of two MTM units coupled together for a given period of time

A single electrically-powered railcar may generally be classed as an EMU (even though there is only one car).

See also DMU.

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