British Rail Class 172
Encyclopedia
The Class 172 is a type of diesel multiple unit
(DMU) of the Turbostar
family, similar to the Class 168
, Class 170 and Class 171
.
The 172/0s and 172/1s resemble the existing Turbostar trains in not having end gangways. Class 172/0s have a top speed of 75 mph (33.5 m/s) due to their use on the high volume/short distance services, such as those on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line
. Class 172/1s have a maximum speed of 100mph.
The Class 172/2s and 172/3s used by London Midland resemble the Class 375
, Class 377
and Class 379
Electrostars by having end gangways to allow access between units. These trains have a maximum speed of 100 mph (44.7 m/s).
The Class 172 trains are lighter than other Turbostars thanks to the addition of lightweight bogies similar to those on the Class 220 Voyager
trains. They also differ from earlier Turbostars in having mechanical transmission rather than hydraulic
- gear changes can be distinctly heard as the trains accelerate and decelerate.
they replace, but greater overall capacity due to the increased room for standing passengers as well as wider aisles intended to speed boarding and alighting and reduce waiting time in stations. The trains are air conditioned and have no openable windows, unlike the Class 150s.
operates eight two-car Class 172s on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line
, replacing the old stock. The units were originally meant to be in service from February 2010, but due to production issues and then what were thought to be exhaust problems (which proved to be a false alarm), the trains entered service only in July 2010; and then at reduced capacity due to staff training problems. By December 2010 the whole fleet was in service, allowing the Class 150s to be cascaded to First Great Western
and other operators. The units are leased by London Overground Rail Operations Ltd (LOROL), the London Overground concession operator, from a rolling stock leasing company rather than them being purchased directly by Transport for London
.
will operate a total of 27 two-car and three-car units, originally planning for them to enter service by the end of 2010 on services to and from Birmingham Snow Hill
, again replacing Class 150s. The London Midland sets have end gangways which make the trains look like the Electrostar
Classes 375, 377 and 379.
As of 31 August 2011 the following sets are at Tyseley and Worcester for mileage running and driver training.
172331, 332, 333, 337, 338, 339, 340, 341, 343, 344, 345. 3-car units.
172211, 172213, 214, 215, 217 2-car units.
331 and 332 are currently at Derby having interiors fitted.
From 1 September 2011, the first two diagrams began to be operated by the new Class 172 units.
has obtained four two-car trains in the same order as that of London Overground to supplement the current Class 165 Networker Turbos
on its routes from London Marylebone
, originally due to be delivered from late 2010. These trains differ from the London Overground units with the addition of the ATP
safety system, to make them compatible with the rest of the Chiltern fleet. They do not have the tripcock
safety system installed—unlike the rest of the Chiltern Railways fleet—as the design of the bogie being used (based on the B5005 found on Class 220 Voyager
and Class 222 Meridian
trains) means there is no place for the brackets to be mounted. Thus, they are not be able to operate on the Aylesbury via Amersham line
whilst the current signalling system is in place unless running in multiple with other units on both the front and rear ends, which are fitted with a tripcock.
ordered 15 three-car and 12 two-car trains for London Midland for delivery in 2010. In January 2008, Angel Trains
, on behalf of London Overground and Chiltern Railways, ordered 12 two-car trains for delivery, which would have been delivered during 2009. However, difficulties encountered by Bombardier over the deliveries by its suppliers led to delays in filling the Class 377
and 378
Electrostar orders, with subsequent knock-on delays for building the Class 172 sets. Work began at the end of 2009 after the freeing-up of one of Bombardier's production lines following completion of the Class 377 order for First Capital Connect
.
Eight 172/0 units have been built for London Overground. Testing of the first batch of new units, the 172/0 sets for London Overground, commenced in March 2010, with two sets (anonymous as they did not have unit numbers on them) being tested on the Old Dalby Test Track. All units have subsequently been delivered to Willesden Train Maintenance Depot (TMD).
All eight 172/0 units have entered service for London Overground. These were originally restricted to a top speed of 40 miles per hour (64.4 km/h) as opposed to their intended design speed of 75 miles per hour (120.7 km/h), as it was thought there was a fault with the exhaust system requiring modifications to the original design and the already procured units. It was expected that units for London Midland and Chiltern would be delayed by a further 6–12 months. However, it transpired that the exhaust emission testing had been flawed and that there were no major problems with the units or the original design. Production therefore continued as planned with a slight delay.
The four Chiltern Railways units entered service during summer 2011.
In 2008, First Great Western
applied to the Department for Transport
to re-equip its Cardiff
to Portsmouth
via Bristol
services with 11 new four-car DMUs which would potentially allow the existing Class 158 Express Sprinter
trains to be transferred to other services. According to the West of England Partnership, these were likely to be "similar to Class 170s", suggesting that they might be Class 172 Turbostars.
The Government announced in December 2008 that Bombardier, with its Turbostar design, was one of the pre-qualified bidders (along with CSR
of China, CAF
of Spain and Rotem
of South Korea) for the first 200 DMU vehicles of its planned 1300 new carriages. These new trains were intended for use on suburban and inter-urban services operated by First Great Western
, First TransPennine Express
and Northern Rail
. However, with the announcement of the electrification schemes in the North West and on the Great Western Main Line
, the DMU order was cancelled, with the needs of the train operating companies
planned to be met by transfers of existing stock.
Bombardier offered the Class 172 Turbostar to NI Railways for its "New Trains Two" specification, eventually losing out to CAF and a variation of NIR's existing Class 3000.
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
(DMU) of the Turbostar
Turbostar
Turbostar is the name given to a family of diesel multiple units built by Bombardier Transportation at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England...
family, similar to the Class 168
British Rail Class 168
The Class 168 Clubman is a diesel multiple-unit train used on services between London and the Midlands.-Description:The units were built in several batches from 1997 onwards. The first batch of units was classified 168/0 under TOPS and resembled the Class 165 units previously built by BREL at York...
, Class 170 and Class 171
British Rail Class 171
The Class 171 Turbostar is a type of diesel multiple unit built by Bombardier Transportation at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England which is identical to the Class 170, except for the replacement of the BSI coupler with a Dellner coupler...
.
Technical details and variants
There will be four sub-types:- Class 172/0 - two-car units in operation with London OvergroundLondon OvergroundLondon Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
- Class 172/1 - two-car units to be operated by Chiltern RailwaysChiltern RailwaysChiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
- Class 172/2 - two-car units in operation with London MidlandLondon MidlandLondon 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....
- Class 172/3 - three-car units in operation with London MidlandLondon MidlandLondon 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....
The 172/0s and 172/1s resemble the existing Turbostar trains in not having end gangways. Class 172/0s have a top speed of 75 mph (33.5 m/s) due to their use on the high volume/short distance services, such as those on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line
Gospel Oak to Barking line
The Gospel Oak – Barking Line is a railway line in north and east London which connects Gospel Oak in North London and Barking in East London as part of the London Overground network. It is sometimes known as the Goblin , although this is a nickname rather than an official title...
. Class 172/1s have a maximum speed of 100mph.
The Class 172/2s and 172/3s used by London Midland resemble the Class 375
British Rail Class 375
The British Rail Class 375 Electrostar electric multiple unit train was built by Bombardier Transportation at their Derby Works, from 1999 to 2005...
, Class 377
British Rail Class 377
The Class 377 Electrostar is an electric multiple unit type built by Bombardier Transportation at their Derby Works, from 2001 to present. The Electrostar family, which also includes Classes 357, 375, 376, 378, and 379, is the most numerous type of EMU built in the post-privatisation period of...
and Class 379
British Rail Class 379
The Class 379 Electrostar is a British electric multiple-unit train type ordered in April 2009 for Stansted Express services operated by National Express East Anglia . The trains will also be used on services between , and...
Electrostars by having end gangways to allow access between units. These trains have a maximum speed of 100 mph (44.7 m/s).
The Class 172 trains are lighter than other Turbostars thanks to the addition of lightweight bogies similar to those on the Class 220 Voyager
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....
trains. They also differ from earlier Turbostars in having mechanical transmission rather than hydraulic
Hydraulic transmission
Hydraulic transmission may refer to:* Hydrostatic transmission, see Hydraulic drive system and Hydraulic machinery* Hydrokinetic transmission, see Torque converter...
- gear changes can be distinctly heard as the trains accelerate and decelerate.
Differences from Class 150
Class 172s have fewer seats than the Class 150sBritish 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 :...
they replace, but greater overall capacity due to the increased room for standing passengers as well as wider aisles intended to speed boarding and alighting and reduce waiting time in stations. The trains are air conditioned and have no openable windows, unlike the Class 150s.
London Overground
London OvergroundLondon Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
operates eight two-car Class 172s on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line
Gospel Oak to Barking line
The Gospel Oak – Barking Line is a railway line in north and east London which connects Gospel Oak in North London and Barking in East London as part of the London Overground network. It is sometimes known as the Goblin , although this is a nickname rather than an official title...
, replacing the old stock. The units were originally meant to be in service from February 2010, but due to production issues and then what were thought to be exhaust problems (which proved to be a false alarm), the trains entered service only in July 2010; and then at reduced capacity due to staff training problems. By December 2010 the whole fleet was in service, allowing the Class 150s to be cascaded to 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 other operators. The units are leased by London Overground Rail Operations Ltd (LOROL), the London Overground concession operator, from a rolling stock leasing company rather than them being purchased directly by Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
.
London Midland
London MidlandLondon 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....
will operate a total of 27 two-car and three-car units, originally planning for them to enter service by the end of 2010 on services to and from Birmingham Snow Hill
Birmingham Snow Hill station
Birmingham Snow Hill is a railway station and tram stop in the centre of Birmingham, England, on the site of an earlier, much larger station built by the former Great Western Railway . It is the second most important railway station in the city, after Birmingham New Street station...
, again replacing Class 150s. The London Midland sets have end gangways which make the trains look like the Electrostar
Electrostar
Electrostar is the name given to a series of related electric multiple-unit passenger trains manufactured by Bombardier Transportation at their Litchurch Lane Works in Derby, England...
Classes 375, 377 and 379.
As of 31 August 2011 the following sets are at Tyseley and Worcester for mileage running and driver training.
172331, 332, 333, 337, 338, 339, 340, 341, 343, 344, 345. 3-car units.
172211, 172213, 214, 215, 217 2-car units.
331 and 332 are currently at Derby having interiors fitted.
From 1 September 2011, the first two diagrams began to be operated by the new Class 172 units.
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern RailwaysChiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
has obtained four two-car trains in the same order as that of London Overground to supplement the current Class 165 Networker Turbos
British Rail Class 165
The British Rail Class 165 Turbo is a fleet of suburban diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by BREL at York Works between 1990 and 1992...
on its routes from London Marylebone
Marylebone station
Marylebone station , also known as London Marylebone, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It stands midway between the mainline stations at Euston and Paddington, about 1 mile from each...
, originally due to be delivered from late 2010. These trains differ from the London Overground units with the addition of the ATP
Automatic Train Protection
Automatic Train Protection in Great Britain refers to either of two implementations of a train protection system installed in some trains in order to help prevent collisions through a driver's failure to observe a signal or speed restriction...
safety system, to make them compatible with the rest of the Chiltern fleet. They do not have the tripcock
Train stop
Part of a railway signalling system, a train stop or trip stop is a train protection device that automatically stops a train if it attempts to pass a signal when the signal aspect and operating rules prohibit such movement, or if it attempts to pass at an excessive speed.- Basic operation :The...
safety system installed—unlike the rest of the Chiltern Railways fleet—as the design of the bogie being used (based on the B5005 found on Class 220 Voyager
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....
and Class 222 Meridian
British Rail Class 222
The British Rail Class 222 is a diesel-electric multiple unit high-speed train capable of . Twenty-seven units have been built by Bombardier Transportation....
trains) means there is no place for the brackets to be mounted. Thus, they are not be able to operate on the Aylesbury via Amersham line
London to Aylesbury Line
The London to Aylesbury Line is the main railway line between London and Aylesbury, going via the Chiltern Hills; it is operated by Chiltern Railways. The line includes the only route where National Rail trains use track that is utilized by London Underground services...
whilst the current signalling system is in place unless running in multiple with other units on both the front and rear ends, which are fitted with a tripcock.
Introduction into service
In late 2007 and early 2008, orders were placed with Bombardier by two rolling-stock leasing companies to purchase a number of Class 172 Turbostar trains. In December 2007, PorterbrookPorterbrook
Porterbrook is one of the three major ROSCOs in the United Kingdom...
ordered 15 three-car and 12 two-car trains for London Midland for delivery in 2010. In January 2008, 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...
, on behalf of London Overground and Chiltern Railways, ordered 12 two-car trains for delivery, which would have been delivered during 2009. However, difficulties encountered by Bombardier over the deliveries by its suppliers led to delays in filling the Class 377
British Rail Class 377
The Class 377 Electrostar is an electric multiple unit type built by Bombardier Transportation at their Derby Works, from 2001 to present. The Electrostar family, which also includes Classes 357, 375, 376, 378, and 379, is the most numerous type of EMU built in the post-privatisation period of...
and 378
British Rail Class 378
The Class 378 Capitalstar is a type of electric multiple-unit train, part of Bombardier Transportation's Electrostar family. These trains are operating on the new London Overground network...
Electrostar orders, with subsequent knock-on delays for building the Class 172 sets. Work began at the end of 2009 after the freeing-up of one of Bombardier's production lines following completion of the Class 377 order for First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
.
Eight 172/0 units have been built for London Overground. Testing of the first batch of new units, the 172/0 sets for London Overground, commenced in March 2010, with two sets (anonymous as they did not have unit numbers on them) being tested on the Old Dalby Test Track. All units have subsequently been delivered to Willesden Train Maintenance Depot (TMD).
All eight 172/0 units have entered service for London Overground. These were originally restricted to a top speed of 40 miles per hour (64.4 km/h) as opposed to their intended design speed of 75 miles per hour (120.7 km/h), as it was thought there was a fault with the exhaust system requiring modifications to the original design and the already procured units. It was expected that units for London Midland and Chiltern would be delayed by a further 6–12 months. However, it transpired that the exhaust emission testing had been flawed and that there were no major problems with the units or the original design. Production therefore continued as planned with a slight delay.
The four Chiltern Railways units entered service during summer 2011.
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | Number built | Year built | Cars per set | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 172/0 | London Overground | 8 | 2010 | 2 | 172001-172008 |
| Class 172/1 | Chiltern Railways | 4 | 2011 | 172101-172104 | |
| Class 172/2 | London Midland | 12 | 2011 - | 172211-172222 | |
| Class 172/3 | 15 | 3 | 172331-172345 |
Further potential orders
As part of its franchise agreement, London Midland has an option to purchase an additional 26 Class 172 vehicles which could potentially allow further cascade of its existing rolling stock.In 2008, 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....
applied to the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
to re-equip its Cardiff
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
to Portsmouth
Portsmouth Harbour railway station
Portsmouth Harbour railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England. It is situated beside Gunwharf Quays in the city's harbour, and is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The station currently has four platforms:...
via Bristol
Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important transport hub for public transport in Bristol, with bus services to various parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry service to the city centre in addition to the...
services with 11 new four-car DMUs which would potentially allow the existing Class 158 Express Sprinter
British Rail Class 158
British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit 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...
trains to be transferred to other services. According to the West of England Partnership, these were likely to be "similar to Class 170s", suggesting that they might be Class 172 Turbostars.
The Government announced in December 2008 that Bombardier, with its Turbostar design, was one of the pre-qualified bidders (along with CSR
CSR
CSR may refer to:In business:* CSR Limited, an Australian industrial company, formerly known as Colonial Sugar Refining Company* CSR plc, or Cambridge Silicon Radio, a British silicon chip designer and software company...
of China, CAF
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles is a rail equipment manufacturer based in Beasain in the Basque Country, Spain. Equipment manufactured by CAF includes light rail vehicles, rapid transit trains, railroad cars and locomotives, as well as variable gauge axles that can be fitted on any...
of Spain and Rotem
Rotem
Hyundai Rotem is a South Korean company manufacturing rolling stock, defense products and plant equipment. It is part of the Hyundai Motor Group...
of South Korea) for the first 200 DMU vehicles of its planned 1300 new carriages. These new trains were intended for use on suburban and inter-urban services 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....
, First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express
First TransPennine Express is a British train operating company. It is a joint operation between First Group and Keolis . It operates regular passenger services in northern England, including services linking the west and east coasts across the Pennines...
and 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...
. However, with the announcement of the electrification schemes in the North West and on the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
, the DMU order was cancelled, with the needs of the train operating companies
Train operating company
The term train operating company is used in the United Kingdom to describe the various businesses operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand...
planned to be met by transfers of existing stock.
Bombardier offered the Class 172 Turbostar to NI Railways for its "New Trains Two" specification, eventually losing out to CAF and a variation of NIR's existing Class 3000.