British Rail Class 950
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| British Rail Class 950 | |
|---|---|
 Class 950 at Upton in January 2014 | |
| Manufacturer | British Rail Engineering Limited |
| Built at | Holgate Road Works, York |
| Family name | Sprinter |
| Constructed | 1987 |
| Number built | 1 |
| Number in service | 1 |
| Formation | 2 cars: DM-DM |
| Fleet numbers |
|
| Operators | Network Rail |
| Depots | Railway Technical Centre (Derby) |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Steel |
| Car length | 19.930 m (65 ft 4.6 in) |
| Width | 2.816 m (9 ft 2.9 in) |
| Height | 3.774 m (12 ft 4.6 in) |
| Maximum speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| Prime mover(s) | 2 × Cummins NT855-R5 (one per vehicle) |
| Engine type | Inline-6 4-stroke turbo-diesel |
| Displacement | 14 L (855 cu in) per engine |
| Power output | 213 kW (286 hp) per engine |
| Transmission | Voith T 211 r (hydrokinetic) |
| UIC classification | 2′B′+B′2′ |
| Braking system(s) | Electro-pneumatic (tread) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The British Rail Class 950 is a diesel multiple unit that was purpose-built by British Rail Engineering Limited's Holgate Road carriage works for the British Rail Research Division for use as a track assessment unit. It is currently operated by Network Rail.
Description
It was built in 1987 using the same bodyshell as the Class 150/1 Sprinters. It was originally classified as a Class 150, but was reclassified into the departmental series. As part of the privatisation of British Rail, it passed to Railtrack in 1994 and then Network Rail in 2002. The unit is formed of two driving motor vehicles, numbered 999600 and 999601.
Current operations
The unit is currently painted in a plain overall yellow livery with Network Rail branding. It mostly works on branch lines, where the track quality is not good enough for larger and heavier track assessment stock. It is able to operate over most railway lines around Great Britain. The unit is based at the Railway Technical Centre in Derby.
Future
In December 2024, Network Rail announced that the unit would be withdrawn and disposed of, to be replaced by additional (modified) Class 153s.
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | Qty. | Year built | Cars per unit | Unit nos. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 950 | Network Rail | 1 | 1987 | 2 | 950001 | Network Rail Test Train |
| British Rail Class 950 | |
|---|---|
Class 950 at Upton in January 2014 | |
| Manufacturer | British Rail Engineering Limited |
| Built at | Holgate Road Works, York |
| Family name | Sprinter |
| Constructed | 1987 |
| Number built | 1 |
| Number in service | 1 |
| Formation | 2 cars: DM-DM |
| Fleet numbers |
|
| Operators | Network Rail |
| Depots | Railway Technical Centre (Derby) |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Steel |
| Car length | 19.930 m (65 ft 4.6 in) |
| Width | 2.816 m (9 ft 2.9 in) |
| Height | 3.774 m (12 ft 4.6 in) |
| Maximum speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| Prime mover(s) | 2 × Cummins NT855-R5 (one per vehicle) |
| Engine type | Inline-6 4-stroke turbo-diesel |
| Displacement | 14 L (855 cu in) per engine |
| Power output | 213 kW (286 hp) per engine |
| Transmission | Voith T 211 r (hydrokinetic) |
| UIC classification | 2′B′+B′2′ |
| Braking system(s) | Electro-pneumatic (tread) |
| 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.