List of British Rail diesel multiple unit classes facts for kids

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

First Generation

Early BR DMUs (79xxx series)

Manufacturer	Engines (per motor car)	Transmission	Type	Built	Quantity (sets)	Withdrawn	Notes	Image	Scrapped
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	1954-1959	217 vehicles	1967-1969	7 vehicles survived in departmental stock until 1977-1994		215
Metro-Cammell 'Lightweight'	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical		1955-1956	36 sets		79047 + 79053 survived in departmental stock until 1981.		All
AC Cars Railbuses	1 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)		railbus	1958	5	1968			3 (1 in preservation)
Bristol-ECW Railbuses	1 × Gardner 112 bhp (84 kW)				2	1966			All
Park Royal Railbuses	1 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)				5	1966-1968
Waggon and Maschinenbau Railbuses	1 × Büssing 150 bhp (112 kW)					1966-1967			1
Wickham Railbuses	1 × Meadows 105 bhp (78 kW)				6	1966	Elliot Track Recorder survived in departmental use until 1997		5

TOPS classes

Class	Manufacturer	Engines (per motor car)	Transmission	Type	Built	Quantity (sets)	Withdrawn	Notes	Image	Scrapped
Class 100	Gloucester RC&W	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	low density	1957–1958	40 sets (80 cars)	1969–1988	56315 used by Fisons as a Weedkiller Vehicle until 1988		About 79 (3 in preservation)
Class 101	Metro-Cammell				1956–1960	527 sets	1957 (1) 1978–2003	2 survived in departmental stock until 2009–2012		About 502 (9 in preservation)
Class 102		2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)				106 sets
Class 103	Park Royal	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)			1957	20 sets (40 cars)	1972–1983	3 vehicles survived in departmental stock until 1985-1990		About 19 (3 in preservation)
Class 104	Birmingham RC&W	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)			1957–1959	302 cars	1980–1995			About 63
Class 105	Cravens	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)			1956–1959	302 cars	1976–1988	6 vehicles survived in departmental stock until 1989–1990.		About 300
Class 106		2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)
Class 107	BR Derby 'Heavyweight'	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)			1960	26 sets (78 cars)	1973 (1) 1983–1992	6 vehicles survived in sandite use until 1995		About 19 sets (66 cars)
Class 108		2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)			1958–1961	333 cars	1964 (1) 1974 (1) 1990–1993			About 138
Class 109	D Wickham & Co				1957–1958	5 sets	1971			4
Class 110	Birmingham RC&W 'Calder Valley'	2 × Rolls-Royce C6NFLH 180 bhp (134 kW)			1961–1962	30 sets	1963 (3) 1971–1972 (3) 1983 (3) 1986–1991			About 28 sets (85 vehicles)
Class 111	Metro-Cammell				1957–1960	23 train sets	1989	Last unpowered car went in 2000		About 23 (50 vehicles)
Class 112	Cravens	1 × Rolls-Royce C8NFLH 238 bhp (177 kW)			1959–1960	25 sets (50 cars)	1968–1969			All
Class 113		1 × Rolls-Royce C8NFLH 238 bhp (177 kW)	hydraulic			25 sets (50 cars)
Class 114	BR Derby 'Heavyweight'	2 × Leyland 230 bhp (172 kW)	mechanical		1956–1957 (entered service 1960)	50 sets (100 cars)	1962 (1) 1965 (1) 1967 (prototype) 1970–1971 (6) 1984 (2) 1986–1992	54904 and 55929 survived as an ATP Test Unit (ADB 977775/6) until 2004.		About 48 sets (95 vehicles)
Class 115	BR Derby 'Suburban'	2 × Albion 230 bhp (172 kW)		high density	1960	41 four-car sets	1991–1994			About 30 sets (149 vehicles; 3 in preservation)
Class 116		2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)			1957–1961	310 cars	1961 (1) 1983 (32) 1987–1995	2 converted to Class 130		About (304 vehicles; 5 in preservation)
Class 117	Pressed Steel 'Suburban'				1959–1961	123 cars	1993–2000			30
Class 118	Birmingham RC&W 'Suburban'				1960	15 sets (45 cars)	1994			About 14 sets (44 cars)
Class 119	Gloucester RC&W 'Cross-Country'			cross country	1958	84 cars	1992–1995			About 28 sets (81 cars)
Class 120	BR Swindon 'Cross-Country'	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)				194 cars	1989			About 64 sets (193 cars)
Class 121	Pressed Steel 'Bubble Car'	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)		high density	1960–1961	26	1978 (2) 1991–2017	Last first-generation DMU in service, 55022 still in departmental use		12 (2 in preservation)
Class 122	Gloucester RC&W 'Bubble Car'	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)			1959	29	1979–1995	4 survived in departmental stock until 1998–2011.		8
Class 123	BR Swindon 'Intercity'	2 × Albion 230 bhp (172 kW)		intercity	1963	40 (Ten 4-car units)	1984	Buffets withdrawn in 1970 and a DMBS and DMSK withdrawn in 1977 and 1979 respectively.		All
Class 124	BR Swindon 'Trans-Pennine'	2 × Albion 230 bhp (172 kW)	mechanical		1960	Eight 6-car sets, plus 3 spare cars	1972 (3) 1975 1979–1984
Class 125	BR Derby 'Lea Valley'	2 × Rolls-Royce C8NFLH 238 bhp (177 kW)	hydraulic	high density	1958	20 three-car sets	1971 (1) 1976–1977	59458/66 survived as fire test vehicles 975993/4 until 1986–1988.
Class 126	BR Swindon 'Intercity'	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)	mechanical	intercity	1959	22	1970 (1) 1973 (3) 1979–1982			About 21 (62 cars; 3 in preservation)
Class 127	BR Derby 'Bed-Pan'	2 × Rolls-Royce C8NFLH 238 bhp (177 kW)	hydraulic	high density	1959	30 sets (120 vehicles)	1964 (1) 1966 (1) 1968 (1) 1972 (1) 1975–1977 (8) 1982–1993	22 rebuilt in 1985		About 27 vehicles (112 vehicles; 3 in preservation)
Class 128	Gloucester RC&W 'Parcels'	2 × Albion 230 bhp (172 kW)	mechanical	parcels	1959–1960	10	1971 (1) 1979–1980 (2) 1982 (2) 1990			All
Class 129	Cravens 'Parcels'	2 × Leyland 150 bhp (112 kW)			1955 (entered service 1958)	3	1972–1973	M55997 survived in departmental stock until 1986
Class 130	Parcels conversion from Class 116				1957–1961 (converted 1969)	2	1972	Parcels conversion from Class 116
Class 131	Parcels conversion from Class 122	2 × AEC 150 bhp (112 kW)			1959 (converted 1966, 1969 and 1971)	3	1976	Parcels conversion from Class 122

Second generation

Lightweight railcars

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image	Scrapped
Class 139	Parry People Movers	2008	2 × single cars	still in use		None

Pacers

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image	Scrapped
Leyland Prototypes	BREL-Leyland	1978-84	4 × single cars	1978-1997		None
Class 140		1980	1 × 2-car set	1981
Class 141		1984	20 × 2-car sets	Britain 1997, Iran 2005		4 (2 in preservation)
Class 142		1985-87	96 × 2-car sets	2019–2021		52
Class 143	Barclay-Alexander	1985-86	25 × 2-car sets	2020		5
Class 144	BREL-Alexander	1986-87	13 × 2-car and 10 × 3-car sets			1

Sprinters

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image	Scrapped
Class 150 Sprinter	BREL	1984–7	135 × 2-car and 2 × 3-car sets	Still in use		1
Class 151	Metro-Cammell	1985	2 × 3-car units	1989		Both
Class 152	N/A	Never built	Proposed single car conversion of Class 156	Never built		Never built
Class 153 Super Sprinter	BREL-Leyland	1991–2	70 × single cars (Converted from Class 155)	Still in use		None
Class 154	BREL	1985	1 × 3 car unit converted from Class 150	Converted back to Class 150
Class 155 Super Sprinter	BREL-Leyland	1987–8	42 × 2-car sets 7 × 2-car sets still in original form	Still in use
Class 156 Super Sprinter	Metro-Cammell	1987–9	114 × 2-car sets
Class 157 Strathclyde Sprinter	N/A	Never built	Proposed Strathclyde PTE Sprinter	Never built		Never built
Class 158 Express Sprinter	BREL	1989–92	165 × 2-car and 17 × 3-car sets	Still in use		None
Class 159 South Western Turbo		1992–3	22 × 3-car sets

Turbos

Networker

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image	Scrapped
Class 165 Networker Turbo	BREL/ABB York	1990–2	49 × 2-car and 26 × 3-car sets	Still in use		1
Class 166 Networker Turbo Express		1992–3	21 × 3-car sets			None

Turbostar

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image	Scrapped
Class 168 Clubman	Adtranz/Bombardier, Derby	1998–2004	9 × 3-car and 10 × 4-car sets	Still in use		None
Class 170 Turbostar		1998–2005	44 × 2-car and 89 × 3-car sets
Class 171 Turbostar	Bombardier, Derby	2003–04	9 × 2-car and 6 × 4-car sets
Class 172 Turbostar		2010–11	24 × 2-car and 15 × 3-car

Coradias

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image	Scrapped
Class 175 Coradia	Alstom, Washwood Heath	1999–2001	11 × 2-car and 16 × 3-car sets	2023		None
Class 180 Adelante		2000–01	13 x 5-car sets and 1 x 4-car set (180 110)	Still in use

Desiro

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image	Scrapped
Class 185 Desiro	Siemens	2005–06	51 × 3-car sets	Still in use		None

Civity

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image	Scrapped
Class 195 Civity	CAF	2017–20	25 × 2-car sets 33 × 3-car sets	still in use		None
Class 196 Civity		2019–	12 x 2-car sets 14 x 4-car sets
Class 197 Civity		2021–	51 x 2-car sets 26 x 3-car sets

Diesel-electric multiple units (DEMUs)

Southern Region DEMUs

Class	SR code	Built	Quantity (sets)	Withdrawn	Image	Scrapped
Class 201	6S	1957-58	7 × 6-car sets	1986		About 5
Class 202	6L		9 × 6-car sets			About 8 (46 cars)
Class 203	6B	1958	7 × 6-car sets	1990		5
Class 204	2H/3T	1957	4 × 3-car sets (formed using Class 205 and 206 cars)	1987		About 3 (19 vehicles)
Class 205	2H/3H	1957-62	4 × 2-car and 29 × 3-car sets	1992–2004		About 21
Class 206	3R	1964	6 × 3-car sets (formed using Class 201 and 416 cars)	1979		All
Class 207	3D	1962	19 × 3-car sets	1990–2004		About 16

Second Generation

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Notes	Image	Scrapped
Class 210	BREL, Derby	1982	1 × 3-car and 1 × 4-car set	1987	mostly scrapped, with 1 carriage preserved and 2 carriages converted to Class 455		4 carriages
Class 230 D-Train	Metro-Cammell (original builders) Vivarail (conversion)	2015 (prototype)	1 × 3-car set (prototype) 3 × 2-car 5 × 3-car	still in use	Converted from former London Underground D78 Stock		None
Class 231 FLIRT	Stadler	2021-22	11 × 4-car sets	still in use
Class 769 Flex	BREL, York Brush Traction (conversion)	2017	35 × 4-car sets	still in use	Converted from Class 319 EMUs ||

Voyager-style express DEMUs

Class	Manufacturer	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image	Scrapped
Class 220 Voyager	Bombardier, Bruges, Belgium	2000-01	34 × 4-car sets	still in use		None
Class 221 Super Voyager		2001-02	4 × 4-car and 40 × 5-car sets
Class 222 Meridian/Pioneer		2003–05	4 × 4-car, 7 × 9-car and 17 × 5-car sets

High-speed trains

Class	Manufacturer	Information	Date Built	Number Built	Withdrawn	Image	Scrapped
Class 251	Metro-Cammell	Blue Pullman	1959-1960	2 × 6-car 3 × 8-car	1973		All
Class 252	BREL	Prototype HST	1972	1 × 10-car plus 2 spare coaches	1982		2 vehicles
Class 253		HST	1975–1982	58 × 9-car	still in use		4
Class 254				36 × 10-car
Class 255	BREL	HST Challenger	2002 (planned refurbishment)	14 (planned)	Never built		Never built
Class 800	Hitachi Kudamatsu & Newton Aycliffe	Electro-diesel units designed with both pantograph for OHLE use and internal diesel powerplant for non-electrified lines	2014-2019	46 × 5-car 13 × 9-car	still in use		None
Class 802	Hitachi Kudamatsu & Pistoia		2017-2020	27 x 5-car 7 x 9-car
Class 805	Hitachi Newton Aycliffe		TBC	13 x 5-car	Not In service Yet
Class 810				33 × 5-car

See also

• List of British Rail electric multiple unit classes
• British Rail locomotive and multiple unit numbering and classification
• British Rail coach type codes