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British Rail Class 153
The British Rail Class 153 Super Sprinter are a type of diesel-hydraulic railcars, which were converted from two-coach Class 155 diesel multiple units in the early 1990s. The class was intended for service on rural branch lines, either where passenger numbers do not justify longer trains or to boost the capacity on services with high passenger volume.
In 1987 and 1988, Regional Railways took delivery of 35 two-coach Class 155 units, built by Leyland Bus at its Workington factory, to replace older DMUs. After the Class 155s entered service, a further requirement emerged for the replacement of ageing railcars on rural lines, mostly of Class 121 and Class 122. British Rail decided to meet this need by dividing each unit in the Regional Railways Class 155 fleet into two separate railcars that could then be converted for use independently, which would create a fleet of 70 vehicles. The seven further Class 155 units that had been delivered to the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE) in 1989 were not included in this plan.
In 1990, British Rail awarded a contract for the work to Hunslet-Barclay and it was undertaken at the firm's Kilmarnock plant in 1991 and 1992. The Class 155 units had been numbered from 155301 to 155335 and consisted of DMSL(A) vehicles 52301 to 52335 and DMSL(B) vehicles 57301 to 57335. After separation, the DMSL(A) vehicles were given new unit numbers from 153301 to 153335, while the DMSL(B) vehicles were renumbered 57351 to 57385 (incrementing each by 50) and given matching 'unit' numbers from 153351 to 153385.
The conversion involved retrofitting a driver's cab into the spaces previously used for luggage racks at the "inside" end (B-end) of each vehicle, where each vehicle had previously been coupled back-to-back with its matching opposite in a Class 155 formation. This new cab is notably smaller than the original one at the A-end, as the positions of the exterior doors were not changed during the conversion, and it was necessary to reduce the size of the vestibule slightly in order to provide enough space for the driver. The difference in cab sizes is visible from the outside of the vehicle, which appears unsymmetrical when viewed from the sides. The arrangement of headlights on the new cab end is also different to that on the original cab end.
They are fitted with BSI automatic couplers and are able to work in tandem with other multiple units with BSI couplers and compatible coupler electrical wiring; these are Classes 142, 143, 144, 150, 155, 156, 158, 159, 170 and 172. Gangway connections are provided at either end to allow passengers and staff to walk between units working in multiple, in-class as well as Classes 150/2, 155, 156, 158 and 159. The maximum speed of 75 mph (121 km/h) was unchanged.
Transport for Wales Rail has a fleet of 24 Class 153s in active service. They are normally used on rural branch lines, such as the Heart of Wales Line from Shrewsbury to Swansea, and on local stopping services from Crewe to Shrewsbury via Nantwich; they are also used on some main line services. One is used daily on the short Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay shuttle.
Following a timetable change in December 2006, Arriva Trains Wales had lost three of its then-11 Class 153 units, leaving it with eight. Two were transferred to East Midlands Trains, with the other going to First Great Western. In October 2018, all eight passed with the franchise to Transport for Wales (KeolisAmey Wales), which acquired a further five from Great Western Railway in April 2019, five from Abellio Greater Anglia in December 2019, four from East Midlands Railway in January 2020 and another two from EMR in November 2020, which brought the total number up to 24 until a further two units were acquired.
As at February 2020, Transport for Wales was the only train operating company to have modified Class 153s to comply with the requirements of the Persons with Reduced Mobility Technical Specification for Interoperability (PRM-TSI), which came into effect on 1 January 2020. In June 2021, the new state-owned Transport for Wales Rail purchased eight outright for continued use on the Heart of Wales line, after plans to replace them with Class 170 units were cancelled. In July 2022, the refurbishment of the 26 units was completed.
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British Rail Class 153
The British Rail Class 153 Super Sprinter are a type of diesel-hydraulic railcars, which were converted from two-coach Class 155 diesel multiple units in the early 1990s. The class was intended for service on rural branch lines, either where passenger numbers do not justify longer trains or to boost the capacity on services with high passenger volume.
In 1987 and 1988, Regional Railways took delivery of 35 two-coach Class 155 units, built by Leyland Bus at its Workington factory, to replace older DMUs. After the Class 155s entered service, a further requirement emerged for the replacement of ageing railcars on rural lines, mostly of Class 121 and Class 122. British Rail decided to meet this need by dividing each unit in the Regional Railways Class 155 fleet into two separate railcars that could then be converted for use independently, which would create a fleet of 70 vehicles. The seven further Class 155 units that had been delivered to the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE) in 1989 were not included in this plan.
In 1990, British Rail awarded a contract for the work to Hunslet-Barclay and it was undertaken at the firm's Kilmarnock plant in 1991 and 1992. The Class 155 units had been numbered from 155301 to 155335 and consisted of DMSL(A) vehicles 52301 to 52335 and DMSL(B) vehicles 57301 to 57335. After separation, the DMSL(A) vehicles were given new unit numbers from 153301 to 153335, while the DMSL(B) vehicles were renumbered 57351 to 57385 (incrementing each by 50) and given matching 'unit' numbers from 153351 to 153385.
The conversion involved retrofitting a driver's cab into the spaces previously used for luggage racks at the "inside" end (B-end) of each vehicle, where each vehicle had previously been coupled back-to-back with its matching opposite in a Class 155 formation. This new cab is notably smaller than the original one at the A-end, as the positions of the exterior doors were not changed during the conversion, and it was necessary to reduce the size of the vestibule slightly in order to provide enough space for the driver. The difference in cab sizes is visible from the outside of the vehicle, which appears unsymmetrical when viewed from the sides. The arrangement of headlights on the new cab end is also different to that on the original cab end.
They are fitted with BSI automatic couplers and are able to work in tandem with other multiple units with BSI couplers and compatible coupler electrical wiring; these are Classes 142, 143, 144, 150, 155, 156, 158, 159, 170 and 172. Gangway connections are provided at either end to allow passengers and staff to walk between units working in multiple, in-class as well as Classes 150/2, 155, 156, 158 and 159. The maximum speed of 75 mph (121 km/h) was unchanged.
Transport for Wales Rail has a fleet of 24 Class 153s in active service. They are normally used on rural branch lines, such as the Heart of Wales Line from Shrewsbury to Swansea, and on local stopping services from Crewe to Shrewsbury via Nantwich; they are also used on some main line services. One is used daily on the short Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay shuttle.
Following a timetable change in December 2006, Arriva Trains Wales had lost three of its then-11 Class 153 units, leaving it with eight. Two were transferred to East Midlands Trains, with the other going to First Great Western. In October 2018, all eight passed with the franchise to Transport for Wales (KeolisAmey Wales), which acquired a further five from Great Western Railway in April 2019, five from Abellio Greater Anglia in December 2019, four from East Midlands Railway in January 2020 and another two from EMR in November 2020, which brought the total number up to 24 until a further two units were acquired.
As at February 2020, Transport for Wales was the only train operating company to have modified Class 153s to comply with the requirements of the Persons with Reduced Mobility Technical Specification for Interoperability (PRM-TSI), which came into effect on 1 January 2020. In June 2021, the new state-owned Transport for Wales Rail purchased eight outright for continued use on the Heart of Wales line, after plans to replace them with Class 170 units were cancelled. In July 2022, the refurbishment of the 26 units was completed.