British Rail Class 158
Encyclopedia
British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter
is a diesel multiple-unit (DMU) train, built for British Rail
between 1989 and 1992 by BREL
at its Derby Works
. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs. Class 159
trains are almost identical to Class 158s, having been converted from Class 158 to Class 159 in two batches.
. The final ten units (158901—910) were built specifically for West Yorkshire PTE Metro
services around Leeds
.
There were three varieties of unit when built. The standard batch, two- and three-car units (158701—158814 and 158901—158910) had 350 hp Cummins
engines. The next batch (158815—158862) were built as non-standard to enable 350 hp Perkins engines to be fitted. The final batch (158863—158872) were given higher-powered Cummins engines of 400 hp as it was originally intended that these units would work the steeply graded Welsh Marches Line
. Another 22 of these higher-powered units were built, and became three-car Class 159 trains. Over time, the units have become mixed up as franchises changed, and higher- and lower-powered units can be seen working on the same routes. All units use P4-4A and T4-4A bogies.
described the Class 158 as bringing "new standards of comfort and quality to rail travel on Regional Railways
' key long-distance cross-country routes".
As built, interiors were described as fully carpeted, with "panoramic" windows and a variety of seats arranged both airline-style and in bays of four around tables. Unlike previous members of the Sprinter family, such as the Class 156
SuperSprinter, the Class 158 featured air conditioning, an on-board payphone, power-operated interior doors, a toilet in each carriage, and provision for a refreshment trolley service. Despite an increased top speed of 90 miles per hour (40.2 m/s), the train also promised a smoother, quieter ride than its predecessors.
Class 158 trains were expected to achieve 13,500 miles of operation between major services and a range of up to 1,600 miles from each refuelling.
family to use disc brakes, autumn leaf mulch
built up on wheel rims and prevented the trains from correctly operating signalling track circuit
s. Though later solved by installing scrubbing blocks to clean the wheels, temporary solutions were sought in October 1992, with some units split and formed into hybrid units with Class 156
coaches, as the latter had tread brakes which cleaned the wheels as a by-product of their operation.
The class has also suffered from unreliable air-conditioning systems since the outlawing of the CFC
gases with which they were originally designed to work. Following privatisation, many operators undertook to re-engineer or entirely replace such equipment. As a result, the systems in use and their effectiveness now vary across the fleet.
The lightweight aluminium body of the Class 158 leads to a good 'route availability' score, meaning that it is able to operate in parts of Britain where heavier units cannot. However, the trains were once blocked from operating between Manchester
and Buxton
due to the possibility of the large roof-mounted air vents striking low bridges and have also been refused permission by Network Rail
to operate on the Conwy Valley
and Borderlands
lines due to station dwell times and issues of platform clearance.
was the first part of British Rail to introduce the Class 158 to service, gaining a fleet of 46 units which entered squadron service in 1989. These were employed on to services, as well as services to and . The Class 158 then went on to be deployed elsewhere in Britain, primarily in the Midlands, northern England and Wales.
With the majority of the fleet coming under the control of the Regional Railways
division, the train became a mainstay of secondary express services between provincial towns and cities. Examples included long-distance trans-Pennine services in the north of England, as well as a range of upgraded regional services under the Alphaline
brand in the Midlands and Wales.
A small batch of units numbered 158747-158751 were used by InterCity
to supplement its core fleet on some cross-country services, mainly from the North West to Scotland, but also to Portsmouth.
, the Class 158 fleet was divided among several franchises. There is an ongoing fleet shuffle with many units being swapped between operators.
. This in turn allowed older trains in the company's fleet to be withdrawn.
In 2003, plans existed for part of the fleet to be swapped with Class 156
units operated by Central Trains
, as the latter were thought better suited to some of the short-distance routes now being operated by ScotRail's 158s. However, this failed to materialise and by the mid-2000s operations of the ScotRail 158s ranged from short hops (such as Glasgow Queen Street to ) to rural lines and long-distance expresses, supplementing other express units. In 2010 these units started to appear at Glasgow Central station to run on the Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Shotts line, and on to the Glasgow Central to Whifflet line. Some additional units have since been acquired from other operators to provide extra capacity.
Refurbishment and reliverying has also taken place since privatisation. The original ScotRail franchise applied its own livery to trains, followed by a further repaint by First Group after it took control of the franchise. The fleet has now gained a permanent blue-and-white livery based on the Scottish Saltire
, after Transport Scotland
announced in September 2008 that it was specifying a permanent livery for all Scottish trains, which will not be changed in the event of a change of franchisee. Interiors have also seen attention on more than one occasion. The most recent refurbishment of 25 units involved repainting, new seating, extra luggage space and new customer information systems. Toilet retention tanks were also fitted.
Several of the ScotRail units have had names attached - for example 158702 is named "BBC Scotland - 75 Years", 158707 is named "Far North Line - 125th Anniversary", 158715 is named "Haymarket" and 158720 is named "Inverness and Nairn Railway - 150 Years".
on its long-distance Alphaline
services from south Wales to north-west England, north Wales, Cornwall and London Waterloo, as well as on some Central Trains services to Cardiff
and along the Cambrian Line
. Successor companies Wales and Borders Trains
(2001) and Arriva Trains Wales
(2003) continued to use this type of unit on similar workings, with a total allocation of 40 trains also allowing Cambrian Line services to become entirely Class 158-operated. By the end of 2006, a total of 16 units (158815-158817 and 158842-158854) had returned to the leasing company as Arriva gained exclusive use of the entire Class 175 Coradia
fleet which had previously been shared with other train operators.
The remaining 24-strong Class 158 fleet became permanently based at a purpose-built depot in Machynlleth
during 2007. Despite initial problems in retro-fitting the necessary 'glass cockpit
'-style driver controls, Arriva's fleet of Class 158 units has become the first such fleet in the UK to be enabled for regular ERTMS operation. Accordingly, the units operate all Cambrian Line services between Mid Wales and Birmingham, as well as supplementing the Class 175s on other long-distance routes such as Holyhead to Birmingham. In 2009, Arriva also proposed using the fleet to provide direct service between Aberystwyth and London, although this proposal was later rejected by the Office of Rail Regulation.
A complete refurbishment programme to provide the trains with an 'as new' interior is taking place over an 18-month period from December 2010, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government at a cost of £7.5m. Until this refurbishment, the fleet had seen only minor attention to its interior since a refit by Wales and West
in the late 1990s, as well as having been only partially repainted into Arriva colours externally.
to replace the then-new Class 156s on the express services such as Norwich to Liverpool.
Regional Railways Central
used Class 158s to operate express, long-distance Alphaline
-branded services. Following privatisation, Central Trains
operated these services but quickly procured a large fleet of Class 170 Turbostar units for such services and displaced the Class 158 fleet to secondary routes such as to and to .
East Midlands Trains
(EMT) has a fleet of 25 units inherited from Central Trains, with some units transferred from First Great Western
and South West Trains
. EMT's 158s operate on secondary non-express workings such as Nottingham
to Skegness
, Nottingham to Matlock and to . The 158s also operate long-distance services such as to via .
The Norwich-to-Liverpool service has been criticised for overcrowding. Four additional Class 156 DMUs which will be leased from Angel Trains
(currently in operation with Northern
) to enable more route 2 services to run as four-coach trains are now overdue (this is due to London Midland
not yet releasing Class 150 units to Northern Rail to replace the Class 156s). From December 2012 when the sprinter refurbishment programme is complete, all route 2 services between Liverpool and Nottingham will be able to operate as four-coach trains. In addition, between May 2011 and December 2011 the 13:52 from Liverpool will operate through to Norwich.
The Wales and West
franchise (later named Wessex Trains
) originally operated twelve Class 158 trains on long-distance services on the Wessex main line. These units were extended into three-coach formations with the acquisition of further units. Unlike the purpose-built three-car Class 158s and Class 159s
, the centre car was a Driving Motor with the cab locked out of use and an adapter to connect the different-sized gangways.
In 2006, First Great Western
(FGW) inherited the Wessex Trains fleet following the merger of the Great Western and Wessex companies. FGW then swapped their Class 158s for former Transpennine examples; this was so that the fleet could be standarised with Porterbrook
owned units.During late 2007 and early 2008, the FGW Class 158 fleet was refurbished. Improvements included: re-upholstery of seats, and repainting or replacement of interior fittings, alterations to interior lighting and total replacement of toilets. Additionally the windows have been replaced with safer laminated glass and Halon fire extinguishers replaced with foam ones. Concurrent with the refurbishment was a scheduled engine overhaul. When released the units were reliveried in FGW's own lilac and blue colours.
The fleet is now used on the long-distance to /, and to / services.
Following privatisation Northern Spirit
(later renamed Arriva Trains Northern
, and subsequently Northern Rail
in 2004) was created from Regional Railways North East. Northern Spirit inherited a large fleet of Class 158 units, many of which were used on TransPennine Express services, the rest on West Yorkshire
Metro-sponsored services. First North Western
(descended from Regional Railways North West) had eight Class 158 trains, which were based at Newton Heath and used on various mid- to long-distance routes, which were transferred to Leeds Neville Hill depot at the start of the Northern Rail
franchise and are now exclusively used on former Arriva Trains Northern
routes. A number of 158s are currently sponsored by Merseytravel
despite the fact that they do not go near Merseyside. This sponsorship is to ensure that Class 156s
were cascaded from West Yorkshire to the busiest Merseyside services.
In late 2004, TransPennine Express obtained further units from Central Trains
, allowing the formation of six 3-car units, 158971-976.
In 2006 First TransPennine Express started to replace its Class 158 trains with newer Class 185 Pennine
and Class 170 Turbostar trains.
Virgin CrossCountry also operated a small number of Class 158 trains, numbers 158747-158751, before the introduction of the Class 220/221 Virgin Voyagers
. These were used on / to / services via the West Coast Main Line
as well as services through the Stroud Valley between Swindon and Birmingham New Street. Most of these units are now operated by First Great Western
.
Northern Rail has recently completed a refurbishment programme on the three-car Class 158 DMUs and is continuing to refurbish its fleet of two-car Class 158 DMUs.
operates Class 158s from to and on the Salisbury to via service, between Brockenhurst and Lymington on weekdays, and on a variety of local journeys within Hampshire.
, Virgin Cross Country operated a small number of Class 158 units, numbers 158747-158751. These were used on Manchester Piccadilly/Liverpool Lime Street to Glasgow/Edinburgh services via the West Coast Main Line
. One also did the Swindon-Stroud-Birmingham route. Most of these units are now operated by First Great Western
.
. These differ from the British units in being fitted to Thailand's metre gauge, featuring differently styled outer-end gangways, manually operated inward-opening hinged doors, and additional air-conditioning. They retain the original white, blue and black 'Regional Railways Express' livery. All units of Class 158 of State Railway of Thailand will be refurbished in 2011.
^ Reformed from 16 x 2 carriage trains.
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 (DMU) train, built for 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...
between 1989 and 1992 by BREL
BREL
British Rail Engineering Limited , was the railway systems engineering division of British Rail, until the design and building of trains in the UK was privatised in 1993. On 31 October 1969, the company was incorporated as British Rail Engineering Limited.-Main products:The vast majority of BREL's...
at its Derby Works
Derby Carriage and Wagon Works
Derby Carriage and Wagon Works was built by the Midland Railway in Derby, England. The plant has been through many changes of ownership and is currently owned by Bombardier Transportation, a subsidiary of Bombardier Inc. of Canada. As of 2011 it is the only remaining passenger rolling stock...
. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs. Class 159
British Rail Class 159
The British Rail Class 159 is a class of diesel multiple unit of the Sprinter family, built in 1989 - 1992 by BREL at the Derby Carriage and Wagon Works as Class 158...
trains are almost identical to Class 158s, having been converted from Class 158 to Class 159 in two batches.
Variants
A total of 182 units were built, numbered 158701—872 and 158901—910. The majority of units were built as two-car sets, with individual carriages numbered 52701—872/901—910 and 57701-872/901-910. Seventeen units (158798—814) were built as three-car units, with the centre carriages numbered 58701—717 - eight of these units have since had the centre car removed, while another eight have been upgraded to be Class 159sBritish Rail Class 159
The British Rail Class 159 is a class of diesel multiple unit of the Sprinter family, built in 1989 - 1992 by BREL at the Derby Carriage and Wagon Works as Class 158...
. The final ten units (158901—910) were built specifically for West Yorkshire PTE Metro
West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
The West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive for the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is the executive arm of the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority and was originally formed on 1 April 1974 as the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport...
services around Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
.
There were three varieties of unit when built. The standard batch, two- and three-car units (158701—158814 and 158901—158910) had 350 hp 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...
engines. The next batch (158815—158862) were built as non-standard to enable 350 hp Perkins engines to be fitted. The final batch (158863—158872) were given higher-powered Cummins engines of 400 hp as it was originally intended that these units would work the steeply graded Welsh Marches Line
Welsh Marches Line
The Welsh Marches Line , known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms, and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch...
. Another 22 of these higher-powered units were built, and became three-car Class 159 trains. Over time, the units have become mixed up as franchises changed, and higher- and lower-powered units can be seen working on the same routes. All units use P4-4A and T4-4A bogies.
Passenger facilities and performance
When introduced, British RailBritish 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...
described the Class 158 as bringing "new standards of comfort and quality to rail travel on 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....
' key long-distance cross-country routes".
As built, interiors were described as fully carpeted, with "panoramic" windows and a variety of seats arranged both airline-style and in bays of four around tables. Unlike previous members of the Sprinter family, such as the Class 156
British Rail Class 156
The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
SuperSprinter, the Class 158 featured air conditioning, an on-board payphone, power-operated interior doors, a toilet in each carriage, and provision for a refreshment trolley service. Despite an increased top speed of 90 miles per hour (40.2 m/s), the train also promised a smoother, quieter ride than its predecessors.
Class 158 trains were expected to achieve 13,500 miles of operation between major services and a range of up to 1,600 miles from each refuelling.
Technical problems
Despite the attention given to passenger facilities, the phrase "garden shed engineering" has been used to describe the build and technology of the Class 158. As a lightweight unit and the first members of the SprinterSprinter (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...
family to use disc brakes, autumn leaf mulch
Slippery rail
Slippery rail is a condition of railways caused by fallen moist leaves that lie on and cling to the top surface of the rails of railway tracks. The condition results in significant loss of friction between train wheels and rails, and in extreme cases can render the track temporarily unusable...
built up on wheel rims and prevented the trains from correctly operating signalling track circuit
Track circuit
A track circuit is a simple electrical device used to detect the absence of a train on rail tracks, used to inform signallers and control relevant signals.- Principles and operation :...
s. Though later solved by installing scrubbing blocks to clean the wheels, temporary solutions were sought in October 1992, with some units split and formed into hybrid units with Class 156
British Rail Class 156
The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
coaches, as the latter had tread brakes which cleaned the wheels as a by-product of their operation.
The class has also suffered from unreliable air-conditioning systems since the outlawing of the CFC
Chlorofluorocarbon
A chlorofluorocarbon is an organic compound that contains carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, produced as a volatile derivative of methane and ethane. A common subclass are the hydrochlorofluorocarbons , which contain hydrogen, as well. They are also commonly known by the DuPont trade name Freon...
gases with which they were originally designed to work. Following privatisation, many operators undertook to re-engineer or entirely replace such equipment. As a result, the systems in use and their effectiveness now vary across the fleet.
The lightweight aluminium body of the Class 158 leads to a good 'route availability' score, meaning that it is able to operate in parts of Britain where heavier units cannot. However, the trains were once blocked from operating between Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Buxton
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
due to the possibility of the large roof-mounted air vents striking low bridges and have also been refused permission by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
to operate on the Conwy Valley
Conwy Valley Line
The Conwy Valley Line is a railway line in north Wales. It runs from Llandudno via Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, and was originally part of the London and North Western Railway, being opened in stages to 1879...
and Borderlands
Borderlands Line
The Borderlands Line is the railway line between Wrexham, Wales, and Bidston, Wirral, England.Passenger train services are operated by Arriva Trains Wales between Wrexham Central and Bidston. Trains run every hour Monday to Saturday daytime, every two hours after 18:45 and on Sundays...
lines due to station dwell times and issues of platform clearance.
British Rail
ScotRailScotRail
ScotRail was a brand name used for all Scottish regional and commuter rail services, including some cross-border services, from 1997 to 2004....
was the first part of British Rail to introduce the Class 158 to service, gaining a fleet of 46 units which entered squadron service in 1989. These were employed on to services, as well as services to and . The Class 158 then went on to be deployed elsewhere in Britain, primarily in the Midlands, northern England and Wales.
With the majority of the fleet coming under the control of the 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....
division, the train became a mainstay of secondary express services between provincial towns and cities. Examples included long-distance trans-Pennine services in the north of England, as well as a range of upgraded regional services under the Alphaline
Alphaline
Alphaline was a 1990s brand used by British Rail to differentiate certain provincial express trains with enhanced passenger accommodation from general regional and middle-distance services operated by older rolling stock.-Origins:...
brand in the Midlands and Wales.
A small batch of units numbered 158747-158751 were used by InterCity
InterCity (British Rail)
InterCity was introduced by British Rail in 1966 as a brand-name for its long-haul express passenger services ....
to supplement its core fleet on some cross-country services, mainly from the North West to Scotland, but also to Portsmouth.
Original allocation
- Haymarket: 158701 - 746
- Newton Heath: 158747 - 751 (For IC Cross Country) and 158752 - 759 (For RRNW)
- Neville Hill: 158760 - 779, 781, 901 - 910
- Norwich Crown Point: 158780, 782 - 797, 844 - 862
- Heaton: 158798 - 814
- Cardiff Canton: 158815 - 843, 863 - 872
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 158 fleet was divided among several franchises. There is an ongoing fleet shuffle with many units being swapped between operators.
ScotRail
The first privatised incarnation of ScotRail inherited a 46-strong fleet which continued in service. Following the introduction of newly built Class 170 units on primary express services in 1999, the Class 158 fleet was reduced in number by six, with those remaining cascaded away to secondary routes such as the Far North LineFar North Line
The Far North Line is a rural railway line entirely within the Highland area of Scotland, extending from Inverness to Thurso and Wick.- Route :...
. This in turn allowed older trains in the company's fleet to be withdrawn.
In 2003, plans existed for part of the fleet to be swapped with Class 156
British Rail Class 156
The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
units operated by Central Trains
Central 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:...
, as the latter were thought better suited to some of the short-distance routes now being operated by ScotRail's 158s. However, this failed to materialise and by the mid-2000s operations of the ScotRail 158s ranged from short hops (such as Glasgow Queen Street to ) to rural lines and long-distance expresses, supplementing other express units. In 2010 these units started to appear at Glasgow Central station to run on the Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Shotts line, and on to the Glasgow Central to Whifflet line. Some additional units have since been acquired from other operators to provide extra capacity.
Refurbishment and reliverying has also taken place since privatisation. The original ScotRail franchise applied its own livery to trains, followed by a further repaint by First Group after it took control of the franchise. The fleet has now gained a permanent blue-and-white livery based on the Scottish 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....
, after 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 in September 2008 that it was specifying a permanent livery for all Scottish trains, which will not be changed in the event of a change of franchisee. Interiors have also seen attention on more than one occasion. The most recent refurbishment of 25 units involved repainting, new seating, extra luggage space and new customer information systems. Toilet retention tanks were also fitted.
Several of the ScotRail units have had names attached - for example 158702 is named "BBC Scotland - 75 Years", 158707 is named "Far North Line - 125th Anniversary", 158715 is named "Haymarket" and 158720 is named "Inverness and Nairn Railway - 150 Years".
Arriva Trains Wales
In the early days of privatisation, 158s were in regular use by Wales and WestWales and West
Wales & West was a British Train Operating Company that ran services from 1997 to 2001, and was one of the original 25 Train Operating Companies that were set up after the UK Rail Industry was privatised...
on its long-distance Alphaline
Alphaline
Alphaline was a 1990s brand used by British Rail to differentiate certain provincial express trains with enhanced passenger accommodation from general regional and middle-distance services operated by older rolling stock.-Origins:...
services from south Wales to north-west England, north Wales, Cornwall and London Waterloo, as well as on some Central Trains services to Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
and along the Cambrian Line
Cambrian Line
The 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....
. Successor companies Wales and Borders Trains
Wales and Borders
Wales and Borders is the name of a franchise of train services covering Wales, the Welsh Marches and bordering counties of England.-History:The franchise was initially formed from part of the former Wales and West franchise and the Cardiff Railway Company , together with the lines from Shrewsbury...
(2001) and Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
(2003) continued to use this type of unit on similar workings, with a total allocation of 40 trains also allowing Cambrian Line services to become entirely Class 158-operated. By the end of 2006, a total of 16 units (158815-158817 and 158842-158854) had returned to the leasing company as Arriva gained exclusive use of the entire Class 175 Coradia
British Rail Class 175
The Class 175 Coradia is a type of diesel multiple unit passenger train used in the United Kingdom. The fleet of 27 sets were built from 1999 to 2001 by Alstom at Washwood Heath in Birmingham. They are part of the Coradia family of trains along with the Class 180.The entire fleet is owned by the...
fleet which had previously been shared with other train operators.
The remaining 24-strong Class 158 fleet became permanently based at a purpose-built depot in Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
during 2007. Despite initial problems in retro-fitting the necessary 'glass cockpit
Glass cockpit
A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, as opposed to the traditional style of analog dials and gauges...
'-style driver controls, Arriva's fleet of Class 158 units has become the first such fleet in the UK to be enabled for regular ERTMS operation. Accordingly, the units operate all Cambrian Line services between Mid Wales and Birmingham, as well as supplementing the Class 175s on other long-distance routes such as Holyhead to Birmingham. In 2009, Arriva also proposed using the fleet to provide direct service between Aberystwyth and London, although this proposal was later rejected by the Office of Rail Regulation.
A complete refurbishment programme to provide the trains with an 'as new' interior is taking place over an 18-month period from December 2010, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government at a cost of £7.5m. Until this refurbishment, the fleet had seen only minor attention to its interior since a refit by Wales and West
Wales and West
Wales & West was a British Train Operating Company that ran services from 1997 to 2001, and was one of the original 25 Train Operating Companies that were set up after the UK Rail Industry was privatised...
in the late 1990s, as well as having been only partially repainted into Arriva colours externally.
East Midlands Trains
Class 158s were introduced to the East MidlandsEast Midlands
The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
to replace the then-new Class 156s on the express services such as Norwich to Liverpool.
Regional Railways Central
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....
used Class 158s to operate express, long-distance Alphaline
Alphaline
Alphaline was a 1990s brand used by British Rail to differentiate certain provincial express trains with enhanced passenger accommodation from general regional and middle-distance services operated by older rolling stock.-Origins:...
-branded services. Following privatisation, Central Trains
Central 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:...
operated these services but quickly procured a large fleet of Class 170 Turbostar units for such services and displaced the Class 158 fleet to secondary routes such as to and 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...
(EMT) has a fleet of 25 units inherited from Central Trains, with some units transferred from First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
and South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
. EMT's 158s operate on secondary non-express workings 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...
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....
, Nottingham to Matlock and to . The 158s also operate long-distance services such as to via .
The Norwich-to-Liverpool service has been criticised for overcrowding. Four additional Class 156 DMUs which will be leased from Angel Trains
Angel Trains
Angel Trains is an English Rolling Stock Operating Company created in 1994 as part of the privatisation of British Rail. It was one of three ROSCOs...
(currently in operation with Northern
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...
) to enable more route 2 services to run as four-coach trains are now overdue (this is due to London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
not yet releasing Class 150 units to Northern Rail to replace the Class 156s). From December 2012 when the sprinter refurbishment programme is complete, all route 2 services between Liverpool and Nottingham will be able to operate as four-coach trains. In addition, between May 2011 and December 2011 the 13:52 from Liverpool will operate through to Norwich.
First Great Western
Wales and West
Wales & West was a British Train Operating Company that ran services from 1997 to 2001, and was one of the original 25 Train Operating Companies that were set up after the UK Rail Industry was privatised...
franchise (later named Wessex Trains
Wessex Trains
Wessex Trains was the primary passenger rail operator in the South West of England. The company operated trains in the region bounded by Penzance, Cardiff, Gloucester, Worcester and Brighton...
) originally operated twelve Class 158 trains on long-distance services on the Wessex main line. These units were extended into three-coach formations with the acquisition of further units. Unlike the purpose-built three-car Class 158s and Class 159s
British Rail Class 159
The British Rail Class 159 is a class of diesel multiple unit of the Sprinter family, built in 1989 - 1992 by BREL at the Derby Carriage and Wagon Works as Class 158...
, the centre car was a Driving Motor with the cab locked out of use and an adapter to connect the different-sized gangways.
In 2006, First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
(FGW) inherited the Wessex Trains fleet following the merger of the Great Western and Wessex companies. FGW then swapped their Class 158s for former Transpennine examples; this was so that the fleet could be standarised with Porterbrook
Porterbrook
Porterbrook is one of the three major ROSCOs in the United Kingdom...
owned units.During late 2007 and early 2008, the FGW Class 158 fleet was refurbished. Improvements included: re-upholstery of seats, and repainting or replacement of interior fittings, alterations to interior lighting and total replacement of toilets. Additionally the windows have been replaced with safer laminated glass and Halon fire extinguishers replaced with foam ones. Concurrent with the refurbishment was a scheduled engine overhaul. When released the units were reliveried in FGW's own lilac and blue colours.
The fleet is now used on the long-distance to /, and to / services.
Northern/Transpennine
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...
(later renamed 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....
, and subsequently 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...
in 2004) was created from Regional Railways North East. Northern Spirit inherited a large fleet of Class 158 units, many of which were used on TransPennine Express services, the rest on West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
Metro-sponsored services. First North Western
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...
(descended from Regional Railways North West) had eight Class 158 trains, which were based at Newton Heath and used on various mid- to long-distance routes, which were transferred to Leeds Neville Hill depot at the start of the 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...
franchise and are now exclusively used on former 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....
routes. A number of 158s are currently sponsored by Merseytravel
Merseytravel
Merseytravel Merseytravel Merseytravel (MPTE, or Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive, is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
despite the fact that they do not go near Merseyside. This sponsorship is to ensure that Class 156s
British Rail Class 156
The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
were cascaded from West Yorkshire to the busiest Merseyside services.
In late 2004, TransPennine Express obtained further units from Central Trains
Central 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:...
, allowing the formation of six 3-car units, 158971-976.
In 2006 First TransPennine Express started to replace its Class 158 trains with newer Class 185 Pennine
British Rail Class 185
The Class 185 Pennine Desiro is a diesel multiple-unit passenger train of the Desiro type built by Siemens in Germany for the British train operating company First TransPennine Express.51 units were acquired, representing an investment of £250 million....
and Class 170 Turbostar trains.
Virgin CrossCountry also operated a small number of Class 158 trains, numbers 158747-158751, before the introduction of the Class 220/221 Virgin Voyagers
British Rail Class 220
The Class 220 Voyager are a class of diesel-electric high-speed multiple-unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation in 2000 and 2001....
. These were used on / to / services via the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
as well as services through the Stroud Valley between Swindon and Birmingham New Street. Most of these units are now operated by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
.
Northern Rail has recently completed a refurbishment programme on the three-car Class 158 DMUs and is continuing to refurbish its fleet of two-car Class 158 DMUs.
South West Trains
Currently South West TrainsSouth West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
operates Class 158s from to and on the Salisbury to via service, between Brockenhurst and Lymington on weekdays, and on a variety of local journeys within Hampshire.
Virgin Trains
Prior to the introduction of the Class 220/221 Virgin VoyagersBritish Rail Class 220
The Class 220 Voyager are a class of diesel-electric high-speed multiple-unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation in 2000 and 2001....
, Virgin Cross Country operated a small number of Class 158 units, numbers 158747-158751. These were used on Manchester Piccadilly/Liverpool Lime Street to Glasgow/Edinburgh services via the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
. One also did the Swindon-Stroud-Birmingham route. Most of these units are now operated by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
.
State Railway of Thailand
In 1990-91, BREL built twelve 3-car units based on the Class 158 for State Railway of ThailandState Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand is the state-owned rail operator in Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.-History:SRT was founded as the Royal State Railways of Siam in 1890...
. These differ from the British units in being fitted to Thailand's metre gauge, featuring differently styled outer-end gangways, manually operated inward-opening hinged doors, and additional air-conditioning. They retain the original white, blue and black 'Regional Railways Express' livery. All units of Class 158 of State Railway of Thailand will be refurbished in 2011.
Current fleet details
| Class | Operator | No. Built | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 158/0 | Arriva Trains Wales | 24 | 1989–1992 | 2 | 158818 - 158841 |
| East Midlands Trains | 25 | 158770/773/774/777/780/783/785/788/799 158806/810/812/813/846/847/852/854/856-858/862-866 |
|||
| First Great Western | 5 | 158748/763/766/767/769 | |||
| 1 | 3 | 158798 | |||
| First ScotRail | 48 | 2 | 158701- 158736, 158738 - 158741, 158782/786/789 158867 - 158871 |
||
| South West Trains | 11 | 158880 - 158890 | |||
| Northern Rail | 25 | 158784/787/790-797 158815-817/842-845/848-851/853/855/859-861/872 |
|||
| 8 | 3 | 158752 - 158759 | |||
| Class 158/9 | 10 | 2 | 158901 - 158910 | Built specifically for West Yorkshire PTE | |
| First Great Western | 10 ^ | 1989–1992 | 3 | 158950 - 158959 | Modified from Class 158/0 |
| Class 158/T | State Railway of Thailand | 20 | 1991 | 2501 - 2512 2113 - 2120 (Center) |
Built to metre gauge |
^ Reformed from 16 x 2 carriage trains.
External links
- Class 158 datasheet from Angel TrainsAngel TrainsAngel Trains is an English Rolling Stock Operating Company created in 1994 as part of the privatisation of British Rail. It was one of three ROSCOs...