British Rail Class 153
The British Rail Class 153 "Sprinter" is a single-car diesel multiple unit train.
| British Rail Class 153 "Sprinter" | |
|---|---|
 Class 153, no. 153335 'Michael Palin' at Cambridge on 11th July 2003. | |
| In service | 1991 - present |
| Manufacturer | Leyland Motors |
| Family name | Sprinter |
| Refurbishment | Converted by Leyland Bus[1][2][3] |
| Number built | 70 (35 as Class 155s) |
| Formation | 1 car |
| Capacity | 75 |
| Operator | Arriva Trains Wales East Midlands Trains First Great Western London Midland National Express East Anglia Northern Rail |
| Line(s) served | Many including Bletchley-Bedford, Nuneaton-Coventry, Birmingham-Walsall-Rugeley Trent Valley (in multiple with Class 170), Nottingham-Matlock, Heart of Wales Line, Truro-Falmouth |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 23.2 metres |
| Width | 2.7 metres |
| Maximum speed | 75mph |
| Weight | 41.2 tonnes |
| Engine(s) | Cummins NT855R5 of 213kW (285h.p.) at 2100 rpm |
| Safety system(s) | AWS, TPWS |
| Coupling system | BSI Compact |
| Gauge | 1435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) |
In the early 1990s, British Rail took the decision that running 2-car trains on rural routes was inefficient, and identified the need for single-carriage trains. Initially consideration was given to splitting the Met-Cam Class 156 units to form class 152 units, however due to various problems with the Class 155 units, the decision was taken to split these units instead.
British Rail Class 153 Media
Arriva Trains Wales Class 153 at Cardiff Central in 2014
ScotRail 'Highland Explorer' on the West Highland Line
Regional Railways Class 153 at Severn Beach in 1994
Wessex Trains Class 153 at Bristol Temple Meads in 2006
First Great Western Class 153 at Starcross in 2013
Class 153 No. 153306 at Ipswich
East Midlands Trains Class 153 at Alsager in 2015
First North Western Class 153 at Carlisle in 2004
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References
- ↑ "Class 153 - Arriva Trains Wales, Great Western Railway, East Midlands Trains, Arriva Rail North". Angel Trains. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ↑ Barclay, Kenny (November 2017). British Rail in the 1980s and 1990s: Diesel Locomotives and DMUs. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1445670058.
- ↑ Thomson, Gordon (July 2016). Railways of Ayrshire. Marlborough: Crowood Press. ISBN 978-1785001482.
