List of British Rail diesel multiple unit classes

This is a list of British Rail diesel multiple-unit train classes.

For a historical overview of diesel multiple-unit train development in Great Britain, see British railcars and diesel multiple units.

Pre-nationalisation designs

• GWR railcars
• LMS railcars

Early BR DMUs (79xxx series)

Manufacturer	Engines (per motor car)	Transmission	Type	Image
BR Derby 'Lightweight'	2 × Leyland 125 bhp (93 kW) or 2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	hydraulic (2 car) or mechanical (single car)	low density
Metro-Cammell 'Lightweight'	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density	100px
AC Cars Railbuses	1 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	railbus
Bristol-ECW Railbuses	1 × Gardner 112 bhp (84 kW)	mechanical	railbus	[1]
Park Royal Railbuses	1 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	railbus	[2]
Waggon und Maschinenbau Railbuses	1 × Buessing 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	railbus
Wickham Railbuses	1 × Meadows 105 bhp (78 kW)	mechanical	railbus

First generation

TOPS classes

Class	Manufacturer	Engines (per motor car)	Transmission	Type	Image
Class 100	Gloucester RC&W	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 101	Metro-Cammell	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density	100px
Class 102	Metro-Cammell	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density	100px
Class 103	Park Royal	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density	100px
Class 104	Birmingham RC&W	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density	100px
Class 105	Cravens	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density	100px
Class 106	Cravens	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 107	BR Derby 'Heavyweight'	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density	100px
Class 108	BR Derby 'Lightweight'	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 109	Wickham	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density	100px
Class 110	Birmingham RC&W 'Calder Valley'	2 × Rolls-Royce C6NFLH 180 bhp (134 kW)	mechanical	low density	100px
Class 111	Metro-Cammell	2 × Rolls-Royce C6NFLH 180 bhp (134 kW)	mechanical	low density	100px
Class 112	Cravens	1 × Rolls-Royce C8NFLH 238 bhp (177 kW)	mechanical	low density	100px
Class 113	Cravens	1 × Rolls-Royce C8NFLH 238 bhp (177 kW)	hydraulic	low density	[3]
Class 114	BR Derby 'Heavyweight'	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density
Class 115	BR Derby 'Suburban'	2 × Albion 230 bhp (172 kW)	mechanical	high density	100px
Class 116	BR Derby 'Suburban'	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	high density
Class 117	Pressed Steel 'Suburban'	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	high density
Class 118	Birmingham RC&W 'Suburban'	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	high density
Class 119	Gloucester RC&W 'Cross-Country'	2 × Leyland 180 bhp (134 kW)	mechanical	cross country
Class 120	BR Swindon 'Cross-Country'	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	cross country	100px
Class 121	Pressed Steel 'Bubble Car'	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	high density	100px
Class 122	Gloucester RC&W 'Bubble Car'	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	high density
Class 123	BR Swindon 'Intercity'	2 × Albion 230 bhp (172 kW)	mechanical	intercity	100px
Class 124	BR Swindon 'Trans-Pennine'	2 × Albion 230 bhp (172 kW)	mechanical	intercity	100px
Class 125	BR Derby 'Lea Valley'	2 × Rolls-Royce C8NFLH 238 bhp (177 kW)	hydraulic	high density
Class 126	BR Swindon 'Intercity'	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	intercity
Class 127	BR Derby 'Bed-Pan'	2 × Rolls-Royce C8NFLH 238 bhp (177 kW)	hydraulic	high density	100px
Class 128	Gloucester RC&W 'Parcels'	2 × Albion 230 bhp (172 kW)	mechanical	parcels	100px
Class 129	Cravens 'Parcels'	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	parcels	[4]
Class 130	Parcels conversion from Class 116	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	parcels
Class 131	Parcels conversion from Class 122	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	parcels	[5]

Second generation

Lightweight railcars

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image
Class 139	Parry People Movers	2008	2 × single cars	still in use

Pacers

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image
Leyland Railbus Prototypes	BREL-Leyland	1978-84	4 × single cars	1980s
Class 140	BREL-Leyland	1980	1 × 2-car set	1981	100px
Class 141	BREL-Leyland	1984	20 × 2-car sets	Britain 1997, Iran 2005	100px
Class 142	BREL-Leyland	1985-87	96 × 2-car sets	still in use (to be withdrawn by 2020)	100px
Class 143	Barclay-Alexander	1985-86	25 × 2-car sets	still in use (to be withdrawn by 2020 unless proposed refurbishment)	100px
Class 144	BREL-Alexander	1986-87	13 × 2-car and 10 × 3-car sets	still in use (to be withdrawn by 2020 unless proposed refurbishment)	100px

Sprinters

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image
Class 150	BREL Sprinter	1984-87	135 × 2-car and 2 × 3-car sets	still in use
Class 151	Metro-Cammell prototypes	1985	2 × 3-car units	1989	100px
Class 152	Proposed single car conversion of Class 156	Never built	0	Never Built
Class 153	BREL-Leyland Super-Sprinter (rebuilt from Class 155)	1991-92	70 single cars	still in use	100px
Class 154	BREL Sprinter	1985	3 car unit converted from class 150	Converted back to class 150	100px
Class 155	BREL-Leyland Super-Sprinter	1987-88	42 × 2-car sets, 7 still in original form	still in use
Class 156	Metro-Cammell Super-Sprinter	1987-89	114 × 2-car sets	still in use
Class 157	Proposed Strathclyde PTE Sprinter	Never Built	0	Never Built
Class 158	BREL Express	1989-92	165 × 2-car and 17 × 3-car sets	still in use	100px
Class 159	BREL Express	1992-93	22 × 3-car sets	still in use	100px

Turbos

Networker

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Image
Class 165	BREL Network Turbo	1990-92	48 × 2-car and 28 × 3-car sets
Class 166	BREL Network Express Turbo	1992-93	21 × 3-car sets

Turbostar

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Image
Class 168	Adtranz/Bombardier Clubman	1998–2004	9 × 3-car and 10 × 4-car sets	100px
Class 170	Adtranz/Bombardier Turbostar	1998–2005	44 × 2-car and 89 × 3-car sets (to date)	100px
Class 171	Bombardier Turbostar	2003-2004	9 × 2-car and 6 × 4-car sets
Class 172	Bombardier Turbostar	2010-2011	24 × 2-car and 15 × 3-car

Coradias

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Image
Class 175	Alstom Coradia 1000	1999–2001	11 × 2-car and 16 × 3-car sets
Class 180	Alstom Coradia Adelante	2000–2001	14 × 5-car sets	100px

Desiro

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Image
Class 185	Siemens Desiro UK	2005-06	51 × 3-car sets

Diesel-electric multiple units (DEMUs)

Southern Region DEMUs

Class	SR code	Built	Quantity (sets)	Withdrawn	Image
Class 201	6S	1957-58	7 × 6-car sets	1986
Class 202	6L	1957-58	9 × 6-car sets	1986-87	100px
Class 203	6B	1958	7 × 6-car sets	1990	[6]
Class 204	2H/3T	1979 (formed using class 205 and 206 cars)	4 × 3-car sets	1980s	100px
Class 205	2H/3H	1957-62	4 × 2-car and 29 × 3-car sets	1992–2004	100px
Class 206	3R	1964	6 × 3-car sets (formed using class 201 and 416 cars)	1979	100px
Class 207	3D	1962	19 × 3-car sets	1990–2004

Second Generation

Class	Name	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Image	Notes
Class 210		BREL, Derby	1981	1 × 3-car and 1 × 4-car set
Class 230	D Train	Metro-Cammell (original builders) Vivarail (conversion)	Prototype 2015	75 × 2 or 3-car sets		Intended as a low cost replacement for the Pacers by converting retired London Underground D78 Stock.

Voyager-style express DEMUs

Class	Name	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Image
Class 220	Voyager	Bombardier	2000-01	34 × 4-car sets
Class 221	Super Voyager	Bombardier	2001-02	4 × 4-car and 40 × 5-car sets
Class 222	Meridian/Pioneer	Bombardier	2003–05	4 × 4-car, 17 × 5-car and 6 × 7-car sets	150px

High-speed trains

Class	Manufacturer	Information	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image
Class 251	Metro-Cammell	Blue Pullman	1959-60	2 × 6-car 3 × 8-car	1973	120px
Class 252	BREL	Prototype HST	1972	1 × 10-car plus 2 spare coaches	1980s
Class 253 & 254	BREL	HST / InterCity 125 (driving motors reclassified as Class 43 and trailers as Mk.3 hauled stock)	1976–1982	58 × 9-car (253) 36 × 10-car (254)	still in use
Class 255	BREL	HST Challenger	Never built	0	Never built
Class 800	Hitachi	Electro-diesel units designed with both pantograph for OHLE use and internal diesel powerplant for non-electrified lines	2016-2019 (planned)	13 × 9-car 46 × 5-car	Building
Class 802	Hitachi	Electro-diesel units designed with both pantograph for OHLE use and internal diesel powerplant for non-electrified lines	2016-2018 (planned)	22 x 5-car 7 x 9-car	Building

See also

• British Rail locomotive and multiple unit numbering and classification
• British Rail coach designations

External links

• The Railway Centre
• departmentals.com