British Rail Class 196
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| British Rail Class 196 Civity | |
|---|---|
 A Class 196 at Shrewsbury in October 2024 | |
 Interior of a Class 196 unit | |
| In service | 17 October 2022 – present |
| Manufacturer | CAF |
| Built at | Newport, Wales (final assembly) |
| Family name | Civity |
| Replaced | Class 170/5 |
| Constructed | 2019–2022 |
| Number built |
|
| Formation |
|
| Fleet numbers |
|
| Capacity |
|
| Owners | Corelink Rail |
| Operators | West Midlands Railway Chiltern Railways (from end of 2025) |
| Depots |
|
| Lines served | |
| Specifications | |
| Doors |
|
| Maximum speed | 100 mph (160 km/h) |
| Prime mover(s) |
|
| Engine type | Inline-6 turbo-diesel |
| Displacement | 12.8 L (780 cu in) per engine |
| Power output |
|
| Safety system(s) | |
| Coupling system | Dellner |
| Multiple working | Within class (max. 8 cars) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The British Rail Class 196 Civity is a class of diesel multiple unit built for West Midlands Trains by Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF. A total of 26 units have been built; 12 two-car units and 14 four-car units.
They are the first train of the Civity family to feature end gangways.
History
Shortly after the announcement that a consortium of Abellio, Mitsui and JR East had been awarded the West Midlands franchise, West Midlands Trains confirmed they had placed an order for 26 diesel multiple units based on CAF's Civity platform.
The first completed unit started testing at the Velim railway test circuit in December 2019.
The first vehicle arrived at Tyseley TMD in Birmingham on 17 April 2020, having travelled by ship from Cuxhaven to Hull. Revenue services using the new fleet began on 17 October 2022, on services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham.
Operators
West Midlands Trains
West Midlands Trains use the Class 196 fleet to replace their 23 Class 170/5 Turbostar units on services between Birmingham and Shrewsbury via Telford. They also run on Birmingham to Hereford services from 2023, with occasional appearances on the Snow Hill Lines (Dorridge & Stratford-upon-Avon to Worcester).
Chiltern Railways
Six 2-car units will be allocated to the initial services operated on the East West Rail route between Oxford and Milton Keynes in 2025.
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | Qty. | Year built | Cars per unit | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 196/0 | West Midlands Trains | 12 | 2019–2022 | 2 | 196001–196012 |
| 196/1 | 14 | 4 | 196101–196114 |
Named units
Some units have received names:
- 196001: Graiseley Wolves
- 196004: Sir Edward Elgar
- 196101: Charles Darwin
- 196102: The Shropshire Flyer
| British Rail Class 196 Civity | |
|---|---|
A Class 196 at Shrewsbury in October 2024 | |
Interior of a Class 196 unit | |
| In service | 17 October 2022 – present |
| Manufacturer | CAF |
| Built at | Newport, Wales (final assembly) |
| Family name | Civity |
| Replaced | Class 170/5 |
| Constructed | 2019–2022 |
| Number built |
|
| Formation |
|
| Fleet numbers |
|
| Capacity |
|
| Owners | Corelink Rail |
| Operators | West Midlands Railway Chiltern Railways (from end of 2025) |
| Depots |
|
| Lines served | |
| Specifications | |
| Doors |
|
| Maximum speed | 100 mph (160 km/h) |
| Prime mover(s) |
|
| Engine type | Inline-6 turbo-diesel |
| Displacement | 12.8 L (780 cu in) per engine |
| Power output |
|
| Safety system(s) | |
| Coupling system | Dellner |
| Multiple working | Within class (max. 8 cars) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
Last updated 24 June 2025. All information and images sourced from the relevant Wikipedia article(s) unless stated otherwise. If any information is incorrect, please let us know by emailing us: [email protected]. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0; additional terms apply.