British Rail Class 156
Encyclopedia
The British Rail
Class 156 Super Sprinter
is a diesel multiple-unit train (DMU). 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell (now owned by Alstom
) at its Washwood Heath
Works in Birmingham
. They were built to replace elderly First Generation "Heritage" DMUs and locomotive-hauled passenger trains.
design. The bodyshell was made of steel instead of aluminium, and the cab design was deliberately similar to the BREL Class 150 to ease union acceptance.
The units were all built as two-car sets, numbered 156401-514. Each unit was formed of two driving motors, one of which contained a toilet. Individual carriages numbered as follows:
The vehicles are powered by 6-cylinder Cummins
NT855-R5 diesel engines through Voith
T211r hydraulic automatic transmissions and Gmeinder
final drive units. They have a top speed of 75 mph (120.7 km/h), although in practice speeds of up to 90 mi/h have been observed on level track, though not in regular service.
Unlike the Class 150
units, the 156s have a single-leaf sliding door at either end of each coach. This reflected the expected longer journeys with fewer stops that the Class 156 was supposed to operate. As with the Class 150, only the doors closest to the cabs have passenger door control panels and they require to be armed from within the cab itself, so that the guard can operate the door controls only from a vacant cab. Units operated by First Scotrail
have been fitted with door-control panels in the centre sets of doors for ease of the guard.
The first 100 units were all ordered by the Provincial Sector of British Rail
, and carried the sector's livery of blue and beige with light blue stripe. Twenty units, numbers 156401-419/422 based at Tyseley
depot, were later repainted into Regional Railways Express livery after the rebranding of Provincial.
The last fourteen units, numbers 156501-514, were ordered by Strathclyde PTE, and carried a distinctive orange black livery. This was later replaced by a carmine and cream livery, reminiscent of the 1950s livery carried by Mk.1 coaching stock.
units instead.
(NS, the Dutch Railways), British Rail was invited to send a selection of its most modern rolling stock to be exhibited at Utrecht
for two weeks in the summer. Class 156 unit number 156502 from Glasgow was finally selected; it was unusual as it carried Strathclyde Passenger Executive (SPE) orange and black livery. On 16 June 1989, the unit was driven under its own power from the Railway Technical Centre
by a Derby train crew all the way to the Netherlands
. As the Channel Tunnel
was still under construction, the SNCF
train ferry was utilised to cross from Dover Western Docks to Dunkirk, from where the unit was driven through France
and Belgium
to the Dutch border at Essen
and on to Utrecht with help from SNCF, SNCB and NS train crews. The unit was exhibited along with various items of rolling stock from across Europe
for around two weeks, after which it returned to the UK.
, the Class 156 fleet was split between several franchises, which are described below.
Their initial introduction was controversial as they replaced locomotive hauled stock (particularly Class 37
hauled) on longer routes. Various issues such as limited toilet facilities were cited as criticisms, but they proved to have much lower operating costs. It is reported they are the worst fleet in Scotland getting wheel lathe duties as a result of flats.
At privatisation the Scottish fleet passed to the National Express
-owned ScotRail
franchise, which used them until 2004 when the franchise was won by FirstGroup. First ScotRail
, as the franchise currently trades, operates the largest fleet of Class 156 units. They operate on both short distance commuter routes and services of up to five and a half hours, such as Glasgow
to Fort William
and Mallaig
.
They currently operate on many core routes including:
Units nos. 156500-514, which are operated by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
and are currently painted in Scotrail's new Saltire livery are used on Glasgow local services (in reality any of the 48 First ScotRail units can be used regardless of livery):
Additionally, these units in particular are often seen working through to Newcastle
on three services per day from as these services are jointly operated by First ScotRail and Northern Rail.
Generally, both local and long distance workings are interchangeable; however, only Radio Electronic Token Block
(RETB) fitted units can operate the West Highland Line.
Class 156s also operate trains from to Stirling
, Dunblane
, Cumbernauld
and Falkirk
, as well as Edinburgh Waverley to West Calder
, Perth
, Kirkcaldy
and Fife Circle.
In September 2008 the Scottish Government's agency Transport Scotland
announced that all ScotRail trains (including those of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport) would be repainted in a new livery of blue with white Saltire
markings on the carriage ends. 156433 was the first 156 to be repainted in this livery and departed RailCare Springburn on 11 February 2009. All SPT units are now in Saltire Livery. All Scotrail Barbie livered trains are being left for the time being.
Class 156 units, which were exchanged for Class 150
units. The newer Class 156 units are more suitable for several of the longer-distance routes, and also provide extra passenger accommodation and complement Class 153
units.
The units are used on the following local services:
as well as the longer distance to and to Cambridge/ services.
National Express East Anglia currently have a fleet of nine 156s.
On 21 October 1993, 156405 became the first Sprinter to pass 1 million miles, whilst working the 10:10 to Norwich service.
On 17 August 2010, 156417 was involved in a collision
with a slurry
tanker at a user-operated level crossing
. 21 people were injured, one of them seriously.
Following privatisation both First North Western
and Arriva Trains Northern
(the successor to Northern Spirit
) operated Class 156s on their respective routes. The majority of these workings were inherited by Northern Rail
along with their 156s at the change of franchise. The vehicles inherited from the different companies have different interiors.
Six former Arriva Trains Northern Class 156 units were transferred from Yorkshire to the North West by Merseyrail
, to replace some overcrowded Class 142
Pacer
units in the Merseyside
area, after more than 20 extra Class 158s were introduced in Yorkshire. The franchise's units, split between depots at Heaton (Newcastle) and Newton Heath (Manchester), operate as 'common user' on a day-to-day basis, and are liable to appear working well away from their supposed home depot's routes (the opposite of what used to happen under British Rail, when units rarely strayed from their home depot's locality). Within the Northern region, Class 156s are concentrated in the north-west and also the north-east especially between Middlesbrough & Whitby where fourteen 156 units are being fitted with GPS as a trial for Northern Rail, but are uncommon now in Yorkshire / Humberside, where Class 158s and others are used instead.
Northern Rail has so far introduced three new liveries. The first, carried by 156451, is mainly mauve
, but with white bands. The second livery, as carried by 156425/460/464 is the inverse of the first livery. The final livery, first applied to 156461, is similar to the second livery, but with the white replaced by blue.
inherited twenty units from Regional Railways
for use mainly on long-distance trains such as:
In an attempt at fleet standardisation, preparations were made during 2003 to exchange the entire Class 156 fleet for an equal number of ScotRail
Class 158s. and unit 156402 was partially repainted in ScotRail colours in readiness. The transfer was ultimately cancelled, however, and reliverying of the bulk of the fleet into Central Trains' own green-and-yellow livery took place between 2003 and 2005. A total of nine units were later transferred away to 'one' Railway during early 2005, in exchange for Class 150
units.
At the end of the Central Trains franchise, the remaining eleven units were transferred to East Midlands Trains
, who went on to repaint the fleet during 2008 and then carry out a £5m refurbishment programme from autumn 2010 onwards. The refurbishment, carried out at Neville Hill depot in Leeds, includes interior refurbishment work, improvements to driving cabs and installation of CCTV. These trains are now used on slower medium-distance services such as Nottingham
/Derby
to Matlock, Nottingham to Skegness
, Leicester
to Lincoln
and Nottingham to Worksop
. From May 2011, four additional units currently in use by Northern Rail
will be added to East Midlands Trains' fleet.
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Class 156 Super Sprinter
Sprinter (train)
The Sprinter is a family of diesel multiple unit trains in use on the UK railway system. They were built in the 1980s and early 1990s by BREL, Metro Cammell and Leyland. Most are based around a Cummins engine with Voith hydraulic transmission, although some class 158s have a Perkins engine...
is a diesel multiple-unit train (DMU). 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell (now owned by Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
) at its Washwood Heath
Washwood Heath
Washwood Heath is a ward in Birmingham, within the formal district of Hodge Hill, roughly two miles north-east of Birmingham city centre, England...
Works in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. They were built to replace elderly First Generation "Heritage" DMUs and locomotive-hauled passenger trains.
Description
The design of the Class 156 was more conservative than Metro Cammell's earlier Class 151British Rail Class 151
The British Rail Class 151 was a prototype class of DMU built by Metro Cammell in the mid-1980s.Only two 3-car units were built and they were introduced into service in the spring and summer of 1985. The vehicles were aluminum bodied and each one was equipped with Cummins NT855 diesel engines with...
design. The bodyshell was made of steel instead of aluminium, and the cab design was deliberately similar to the BREL Class 150 to ease union acceptance.
The units were all built as two-car sets, numbered 156401-514. Each unit was formed of two driving motors, one of which contained a toilet. Individual carriages numbered as follows:
- 52401-52514 - Driving Motor Standard Lavatory (DMSL)
- 57401-57514 - Driving Motor Standard (DMS), containing an area for storing wheelchairs, bicycles, bulky luggage etc.
The vehicles are powered by 6-cylinder Cummins
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems...
NT855-R5 diesel engines through Voith
Voith
The Voith GmbH, which is headquartered in Germany, is a family-run corporation in the mechanical engineering sector with worldwide operations....
T211r hydraulic automatic transmissions and Gmeinder
Gmeinder
Gmeinder GmbH was a German locomotive and engineering company based in Mosbach. Its products included diesel engines, small locomotives and other railway locomotive parts...
final drive units. They have a top speed of 75 mph (120.7 km/h), although in practice speeds of up to 90 mi/h have been observed on level track, though not in regular service.
Unlike the Class 150
British Rail Class 150
The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" diesel multiple units were built by BREL from 1984-87. A total of 137 units were built in three main subclasses, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs.- Background :...
units, the 156s have a single-leaf sliding door at either end of each coach. This reflected the expected longer journeys with fewer stops that the Class 156 was supposed to operate. As with the Class 150, only the doors closest to the cabs have passenger door control panels and they require to be armed from within the cab itself, so that the guard can operate the door controls only from a vacant cab. Units operated by First Scotrail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
have been fitted with door-control panels in the centre sets of doors for ease of the guard.
The first 100 units were all ordered by the Provincial Sector of British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, and carried the sector's livery of blue and beige with light blue stripe. Twenty units, numbers 156401-419/422 based at Tyseley
Tyseley
Tyseley is a district in the southern half of the city of Birmingham, England, near the Coventry Road and the districts of Small Heath and Yardley...
depot, were later repainted into Regional Railways Express livery after the rebranding of Provincial.
The last fourteen units, numbers 156501-514, were ordered by Strathclyde PTE, and carried a distinctive orange black livery. This was later replaced by a carmine and cream livery, reminiscent of the 1950s livery carried by Mk.1 coaching stock.
British Rail
In the early 1990s, British Rail was looking to save costs on rural routes, and decided that operating two-car trains was too expensive. The company planned to convert a number of Class 156 units into single-car vehicles as Class 152. In the event, the decision was taken to do this with the Class 155British Rail Class 155
The British Rail Class 155 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple unit. These DMUs were built by British Leyland at Workington between 1987 and 1988 as part of British Rail's replacement of its ageing diesel fleet which were First-Generation.- History and description :The Class 155 train is made up...
units instead.
Operations outside the United Kingdom
In the summer of 1989, in connection with celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Nederlandse SpoorwegenNederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003...
(NS, the Dutch Railways), British Rail was invited to send a selection of its most modern rolling stock to be exhibited at Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
for two weeks in the summer. Class 156 unit number 156502 from Glasgow was finally selected; it was unusual as it carried Strathclyde Passenger Executive (SPE) orange and black livery. On 16 June 1989, the unit was driven under its own power from the Railway Technical Centre
Railway Technical Centre
The Railway Technical Centre in London Road, Derby, UK, was built by the British Railways Board in the early 1960s to be its technical headquarters....
by a Derby train crew all the way to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. As the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
was still under construction, the SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
train ferry was utilised to cross from Dover Western Docks to Dunkirk, from where the unit was driven through France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to the Dutch border at Essen
Essen, Belgium
Essen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Essen Centrum, Heikant, Horendonk, Wildert, Statie en Hoek. On January 1, 2007 Essen had a total population of 17,143. The total area is 47.48 km² which gives a population density of 358...
and on to Utrecht with help from SNCF, SNCB and NS train crews. The unit was exhibited along with various items of rolling stock from across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for around two weeks, after which it returned to the UK.
Post privatisation
After the privatisation of British RailPrivatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
, the Class 156 fleet was split between several franchises, which are described below.
Scotland
British Rail Class 37
The British Rail Class 37 is a diesel-electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the Class was ordered as part of the British Rail modernisation plan....
hauled) on longer routes. Various issues such as limited toilet facilities were cited as criticisms, but they proved to have much lower operating costs. It is reported they are the worst fleet in Scotland getting wheel lathe duties as a result of flats.
At privatisation the Scottish fleet passed to the National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
-owned ScotRail
ScotRail
ScotRail was a brand name used for all Scottish regional and commuter rail services, including some cross-border services, from 1997 to 2004....
franchise, which used them until 2004 when the franchise was won by FirstGroup. First ScotRail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
, as the franchise currently trades, operates the largest fleet of Class 156 units. They operate on both short distance commuter routes and services of up to five and a half hours, such as Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
to Fort William
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
and Mallaig
Mallaig
Mallaig ; is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. The local railway station, Mallaig, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line , completed in 1901, and the town is linked to Fort William by the A830 road – the "Road to the Isles".The village of Mallaig...
.
They currently operate on many core routes including:
- Glasgow South Western LineGlasgow South Western LineThe Glasgow South Western Line is a mainline railway in Scotland that runs from Glasgow to Kilmarnock, and then either via Dumfries, or Stranraer via Ayr, with a branch to East Kilbride.- History :...
- Glasgow to Stranraer / Carlisle via Kilmarnock - West Highland LineWest Highland LineThe West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
- Glasgow to Oban and Fort William / Mallaig - Shotts LineShotts LineThe Shotts Line is a suburban railway line linking Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley via Shotts in Scotland. The route from Glasgow to Shotts is part of the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport network...
- Glasgow Central to Edinburgh Waverley via , and .
Units nos. 156500-514, which are operated by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is a public body which is responsible for planning and co-ordinating regional transport, and especially the public transport system, in the Strathclyde area of western Scotland...
and are currently painted in Scotrail's new Saltire livery are used on Glasgow local services (in reality any of the 48 First ScotRail units can be used regardless of livery):
- Glasgow to
- Glasgow to
- Glasgow to via
- Glasgow to to
Additionally, these units in particular are often seen working through to Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
on three services per day from as these services are jointly operated by First ScotRail and Northern Rail.
Generally, both local and long distance workings are interchangeable; however, only Radio Electronic Token Block
Radio Electronic Token Block
Radio Electronic Token Block is a system of railway signalling used in the United Kingdom. It is a development of the physical token system for controlling traffic on single lines.- How it works :...
(RETB) fitted units can operate the West Highland Line.
Class 156s also operate trains from to Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
, Dunblane
Dunblane
Dunblane is a small cathedral city and former burgh north of Stirling in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The town is situated off the A9 road, on the way north to Perth. Its main landmark is Dunblane Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre, with the Cathedral and the High...
, Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld is a Scottish new town in North Lanarkshire. It was created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow City. It is the eighth most populous settlement in Scotland and the largest in North Lanarkshire...
and Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
, as well as Edinburgh Waverley to West Calder
West Calder
West Calder is a village in West Lothian, Scotland, located 4 miles west of Livingston. The village was an important centre for the oil shale economy in the 19th and 20th Centuries. West Calder has its own railway station. It is also has the most northerly centre of the Dogs Trust, closely followed...
, Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
, Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy
Kirkcaldy is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. The town lies on a shallow bay on the northern shore of the Firth of Forth; SSE of Glenrothes, ENE of Dunfermline, WSW of Dundee and NNE of Edinburgh...
and Fife Circle.
In September 2008 the Scottish Government's agency Transport Scotland
Transport Scotland
Transport Scotland was created on 1 January 2006 as the national transport agency of Scotland. It is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government's Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department and accountable to Scottish Ministers...
announced that all ScotRail trains (including those of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport) would be repainted in a new livery of blue with white Saltire
Saltire
A saltire, or Saint Andrew's Cross, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross or letter ex . Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred on such a cross....
markings on the carriage ends. 156433 was the first 156 to be repainted in this livery and departed RailCare Springburn on 11 February 2009. All SPT units are now in Saltire Livery. All Scotrail Barbie livered trains are being left for the time being.
East Anglia
In early 2005, one started to receive several former Central TrainsCentral Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
Class 156 units, which were exchanged for Class 150
British Rail Class 150
The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" diesel multiple units were built by BREL from 1984-87. A total of 137 units were built in three main subclasses, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs.- Background :...
units. The newer Class 156 units are more suitable for several of the longer-distance routes, and also provide extra passenger accommodation and complement Class 153
British Rail Class 153
The British Rail Class 153 Super Sprinter is a single car diesel multiple unit converted from British Rail Class 155s.-Description:These units were originally built as two-car Class 155 units by British Leyland from 1987–88, but were converted by Hunslet-Barclay at Kilmarnock from 1991-92...
units.
The units are used on the following local services:
- Bittern LineBittern LineThe Bittern Line is a railway line from Norwich to Cromer then Sheringham in Norfolk, England. It is one of the most scenic in the East of England traversing the Norfolk Broads on its route to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the North Norfolk Coast. The line is part of the Network Rail...
- to via - Wherry LinesWherry LinesThe Wherry Lines are railway lines in England, from Norwich to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. These lines pass through The Broads. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 7, SRS 07.11 and is classified as a rural line...
- to / - East Suffolk LineEast Suffolk LineThe East Suffolk Line is an un-electrified secondary railway line running between Ipswich and Lowestoft in Suffolk, England. The traffic along the route consists of passenger services operated by National Express East Anglia, while nuclear flask trains for the Sizewell nuclear power stations are...
- to / - Sudbury Branch LineSudbury Branch LineThe Gainsborough Line is the marketing name of the Sudbury Branch Line, a single track railway line running through the rural area between Sudbury and Marks Tey in England with connecting trains from Marks Tey station to London, Colchester and other destinations...
- to
as well as the longer distance to and to Cambridge/ services.
National Express East Anglia currently have a fleet of nine 156s.
On 21 October 1993, 156405 became the first Sprinter to pass 1 million miles, whilst working the 10:10 to Norwich service.
On 17 August 2010, 156417 was involved in a collision
2010 Little Cornard derailment
The Little Cornard derailment occurred on 17 August 2010 when a Class 156 diesel multiple unit collided with a road vehicle on a level crossing at Little Cornard, Suffolk and then derailed. The train driver and 22 passengers were injured, five of them seriously...
with a slurry
Slurry
A slurry is, in general, a thick suspension of solids in a liquid.-Examples of slurries:Examples of slurries include:* Lahars* A mixture of water and cement to form concrete* A mixture of water, gelling agent, and oxidizers used as an explosive...
tanker at a user-operated level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
. 21 people were injured, one of them seriously.
Northern England
First North Western
First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom serving North West England. It operated from 1997 to 2004.The company when first privatised was known as North Western Trains and was owned by Great Western Holdings, a partnership between Great Western's management, First...
and Arriva Trains Northern
Arriva Trains Northern
Arriva Trains Northern was a train operating company that operated passenger trains in Yorkshire and the North East of England. The company had previously been known as Northern Spirit before being taken over by Arriva....
(the successor to Northern Spirit
Northern Spirit
This article is about the railway company Northern Spirit. For the Australian football club of the same name, see Northern Spirit FC.Northern Spirit was a UK train operating company which ran local and regional train services in the north east of England during the late 1990s.-Operations:Created...
) operated Class 156s on their respective routes. The majority of these workings were inherited by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
along with their 156s at the change of franchise. The vehicles inherited from the different companies have different interiors.
Six former Arriva Trains Northern Class 156 units were transferred from Yorkshire to the North West by Merseyrail
Merseyrail
Merseyrail is a train operating company and commuter rail network in the United Kingdom, centred on Liverpool, Merseyside. The network is predominantly electric with diesel trains running on the City Line. Two City Line branches are currently being electrified on the overhead wire AC system with...
, to replace some overcrowded Class 142
British Rail Class 142
The British Rail Class 142 is a class of Pacer diesel multiple units used in the United Kingdom. 96 units were built by BREL in Derby between 1985 and 1987. They were a development of the earlier Class 141 which were introduced in 1984....
Pacer
Pacer (train)
Pacer is the operational name of the British Rail Classes 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144 diesel multiple unit railbuses, built between 1984 and 1987...
units in the Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
area, after more than 20 extra Class 158s were introduced in Yorkshire. The franchise's units, split between depots at Heaton (Newcastle) and Newton Heath (Manchester), operate as 'common user' on a day-to-day basis, and are liable to appear working well away from their supposed home depot's routes (the opposite of what used to happen under British Rail, when units rarely strayed from their home depot's locality). Within the Northern region, Class 156s are concentrated in the north-west and also the north-east especially between Middlesbrough & Whitby where fourteen 156 units are being fitted with GPS as a trial for Northern Rail, but are uncommon now in Yorkshire / Humberside, where Class 158s and others are used instead.
Northern Rail has so far introduced three new liveries. The first, carried by 156451, is mainly mauve
Mauve
Mauve is a pale lavender-lilac color, one of many in the range of purples. The color mauve is named after the mallow flower....
, but with white bands. The second livery, as carried by 156425/460/464 is the inverse of the first livery. The final livery, first applied to 156461, is similar to the second livery, but with the white replaced by blue.
Midlands
In 1997, newly-privatised Central TrainsCentral Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
inherited twenty units from Regional Railways
Regional Railways
Regional Railways was one of the three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982 that existed until 1996, 3 years after privatisation. The sector was originally called Provincial....
for use mainly on long-distance trains such as:
- Birmingham to Nottingham via Derby or Leicester
- Birmingham to Hereford
- Birmingham to Shrewsbury and the Cambrian LineCambrian LineThe Cambrian Line is a railway from Shrewsbury to Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. The railway runs first through the central part of Wales and then along the coast of Cardigan Bay....
- Nottingham to Skegness or Lincoln.
In an attempt at fleet standardisation, preparations were made during 2003 to exchange the entire Class 156 fleet for an equal number of ScotRail
ScotRail
ScotRail was a brand name used for all Scottish regional and commuter rail services, including some cross-border services, from 1997 to 2004....
Class 158s. and unit 156402 was partially repainted in ScotRail colours in readiness. The transfer was ultimately cancelled, however, and reliverying of the bulk of the fleet into Central Trains' own green-and-yellow livery took place between 2003 and 2005. A total of nine units were later transferred away to 'one' Railway during early 2005, in exchange for Class 150
British Rail Class 150
The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" diesel multiple units were built by BREL from 1984-87. A total of 137 units were built in three main subclasses, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs.- Background :...
units.
At the end of the Central Trains franchise, the remaining eleven units were transferred to East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
, who went on to repaint the fleet during 2008 and then carry out a £5m refurbishment programme from autumn 2010 onwards. The refurbishment, carried out at Neville Hill depot in Leeds, includes interior refurbishment work, improvements to driving cabs and installation of CCTV. These trains are now used on slower medium-distance services such as Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
/Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
to Matlock, Nottingham to Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
to Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
and Nottingham to Worksop
Worksop
Worksop is the largest town in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the River Ryton at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. It is about east-south-east of the City of Sheffield and its population is estimated to be 39,800...
. From May 2011, four additional units currently in use by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
will be added to East Midlands Trains' fleet.
Models
- HornbyHornby RailwaysHornby Railways is the leading brand of model railway in the United Kingdom. Its roots date back to 1901, when founder Frank Hornby received a patent for his Meccano construction toy. The first clockwork train was produced in 1920. In 1938, Hornby launched its first 00 gauge train...
produces a version of the 156 in OO although it does not have bidirectional lights - Oovee Entertainment produces a Class 156 for the computer game Railworks 2RailWorksRailWorks is a train simulation game. Developed by Rail Simulator Developments. It is a successor to Rail Simulator, and was released online on 12 June 2009 and in stores on 3 July 2009....
(from 15 April) - Dapol make a N model with bidirectional lights
External links
- Metro-Cammell class 156 Super-Sprinter - Information about current and past Class 156 operation, including technical details, liveries and accident reports.
- The story in pictures of 156502's visit to Holland
- British Photo Database - Class 156 Super-Sprinter