Class 153

The Class 153 Super Sprinter are single-coach DMUs 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.

A Class 153 at Ty Glas, Wales, in 2019

Description

In 1987 and 1988, Regional Railways received 35 two-coach Class 155 units, constructed by Leyland Bus at its Workington factory, to replace older DMUs. After the introduction of the Class 155 units, a further need arose to replace aging railcars on rural lines, primarily Class 121 and Class 122 units. British Rail decided to address this requirement by splitting each unit in the Regional Railways Class 155 fleet into two separate railcars, thus creating a fleet of 70 vehicles. The seven additional Class 155 units delivered to the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE) in 1989 were excluded from this plan.

In 1990, British Rail awarded a contract to Hunslet-Barclay for the conversion work, which was carried out at the firm's Kilmarnock plant in 1991 and 1992. The Class 155 units, originally numbered from 155301 to 155335, consisted of DMSL(A) vehicles numbered 52301 to 52335 and DMSL(B) vehicles numbered 57301 to 57335. Following the separation, the DMSL(A) vehicles received new unit numbers from 153301 to 153335, while the DMSL(B) vehicles were renumbered 57351 to 57385 (incrementing each by 50) and assigned corresponding unit numbers from 153351 to 153385.

The conversion process included retrofitting a driver's cab into the spaces previously used for luggage racks at the "inside" end (B-end) of each vehicle, where the vehicles had been coupled back-to-back in a Class 155 formation. The new cab is notably smaller than the original one at the A-end because the exterior door positions remained unchanged, necessitating a slight reduction in the size of the vestibule to provide sufficient space for the driver. This difference in cab sizes is evident from the exterior, giving the vehicle an asymmetrical appearance when viewed from the sides. The arrangement of headlights on the new cab end also differs from that on the original cab end.

The Class 153 units are equipped with BSI automatic couplers, enabling them to operate in tandem with other multiple units featuring BSI couplers and compatible electrical wiring, including 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 move between units working in multiple, including within-class and with Classes 150/2, 155, 156, 158, and 159. The maximum speed of 75 mph (121 km/h) remained unchanged after the conversion.

Current operations

Wales & Borders

Transport for Wales Rail operates a fleet of 26 Class 153 units. These trains are typically deployed on rural branch lines, such as the Heart of Wales Line from Shrewsbury to Swansea and local stopping services from Crewe to Shrewsbury via Nantwich. Additionally, they serve some mainline routes and one unit is used daily on the Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay shuttle.

In December 2006, following a timetable change, Arriva Trains Wales lost three of its 11 Class 153 units, reducing the fleet to eight. Two units were transferred to East Midlands Trains and one to First Great Western. In October 2018, all eight units transitioned to Transport for Wales (KeolisAmey Wales) with the franchise. Transport for Wales subsequently acquired five units from Great Western Railway in April 2019, five from Abellio Greater Anglia in December 2019, and six from East Midlands Railway between January and November 2020, increasing the total fleet to 26 units.

As of February 2020, Transport for Wales was the only train operating company that had modified its Class 153 units to meet the requirements of the Persons with Reduced Mobility Technical Specification for Interoperability (PRM-TSI), effective from 1 January 2020. In June 2021, the state-owned Transport for Wales Rail purchased eight units outright for continued use on the Heart of Wales line after canceling plans to replace them with Class 170 units. The refurbishment of all 26 units was completed by July 2022.

Scotland

In 2019 and 2020, five former Great Western Railway Class 153 units were transferred from Northern to Abellio ScotRail. These units are used on the West Highland Line services between Glasgow and Oban, complementing ScotRail's existing Class 156 fleet. The first refurbished carriage was unveiled in late 2020, and the first unit began service on 19 July 2021.

The refurbished trains feature free Wi-Fi, plug and USB sockets, and maps of the West Highland Line on the tables. ScotRail markets this service as Highland Explorer, with a £10 upgrade fee for passengers. Due to a local agreement with the drivers' union ASLEF, ScotRail's Class 153 units can only be driven from the A-end cab, as the B-end cab is considered too cramped for long-distance driving.

Network Rail

In May 2021, Network Rail acquired three Class 153 units (153311, 153376, and 153385) for use in infrastructure monitoring services.

Previous operations

Regional Railways

Class 153 units were extensively used by Regional Railways on branch lines throughout the Midlands, Wales, and Northern England, both individually and in conjunction with other Sprinter units. Initially, the Class 153s were allocated to Heaton (15 units), Cardiff Canton (9 units), Plymouth Laira (10 units), Crown Point (16 units), and Tyseley (20 units). These units commonly operated services including Newcastle to Carlisle, Peterborough to Lincoln, Nottingham to Birmingham New Street via Leicester, Crewe to Derby, Ipswich to Lowestoft and Felixstowe, and Norwich to Great Yarmouth and Sheringham.

Post-Privatisation

Ownership of the fleet was transferred to Angel Trains (30 units) and Porterbrook (40 units) in April 1994, in the lead-up to the privatisation of British Rail. Upon privatisation, Class 153 units were initially operated by Anglia Railways, Central Trains, First North Western, North Spirit, and Wales & West.

Southwest England

First Great Western inherited the Wessex Trains fleet following the merger of the two franchises. Wessex Trains had previously inherited 13 units from Wales & West. These units were used for local services in Cornwall, Devon, and around Bristol, including routes from Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth, Southampton Central, Worcester Foregate Street, and the Swindon via Melksham to Southampton Central service. In mid-2004, Wessex Trains received two additional units from Central Trains to lengthen some services.

After a timetable change in December 2006, four units were taken off lease and stored at Eastleigh Works, later re-entering service with East Midlands Trains. In December 2007, First Great Western received an additional Class 153 from Arriva Trains Wales, bringing its total to 12 units. During the summer of 2011, two London Midland Class 153s were allocated to the South West for strengthening purposes and based at Exeter TMD, a move which became permanent. This increased First Great Western's fleet to 14 units, nine of which later left the fleet, with the remaining five transferred to Transport for Wales in April 2019.

East Anglia

Anglia Railways operated a small fleet of seven units for local services in Suffolk and Norfolk, including routes from Ipswich to Cambridge, Peterborough, Felixstowe, and Lowestoft, as well as Norwich to Lowestoft, Great Yarmouth, and Cromer. One set was also hired to First Great Eastern for use on the Gainsborough line. Following the integration of Anglia Railways into the Greater Anglia franchise in 2004, two units were transferred to East Midlands Trains. During 2012, Porterbrook refurbished and repainted these units. A rolling refurbishment of Abellio Greater Anglia's Class 153s began in 2014, including new interior panels, tables, carpets, and lighting. All units were replaced by Class 755s in late 2019, then moved to Transport for Wales in December 2019 to cover delays in new rolling stock.

West Midlands

West Midlands Trains used eight Class 153 DMUs on commuter lines, including the Leamington Spa to Nuneaton line and the Marston Vale line between Bedford and Bletchley. Following the deployment of Class 172 units and Class 230 units on these lines, Class 153s were used with Class 170s and Class 172s on the Birmingham-Hereford and Snow Hill Lines. All units were inherited from Central Trains and repainted into London Midland city lines livery after refurbishment. The Class 153s on the Stourbridge Town branch line were replaced by Class 139 railcars, with the final Class 153s withdrawn from service in December 2020 and placed in long-term storage. Before withdrawal, they mostly operated on the Birmingham-Hereford line.

East Midlands

East Midlands Trains inherited many Class 153 units, including six from Central Trains, three from National Express East Anglia, and four from First Great Western. In December 2007, East Midlands Trains received two units from Arriva Trains Wales and two from Northern Rail. All units transitioned to East Midlands Railway in August 2019. In January 2020, four units were transferred to Transport for Wales. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only three units were in service as of April 2020, with the rest in storage. By July 2020, two more units returned to service, while five had their leases terminated. East Midlands Railway's Class 153 units were repainted into the company's local lines livery. The fleet was used on rural routes such as Nottingham to Worksop, Nottingham to Matlock via Derby, Nottingham to Skegness, Leicester to Lincoln, Peterborough to Lincoln and Doncaster, Newark North Gate to Grimsby Town, Derby to Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent, and Cleethorpes to Barton-on-Humber. The last of the East Midlands Railway Class 153 units were withdrawn in December 2021 due to non-compliance with PRM-TSI regulations, replaced by Class 156 units on the Barton-on-Humber route.

Northern England

The Northern Rail franchise began operations in December 2004, inheriting fleets from Arriva Trains Northern (ATN) and First North Western (FNW). Northern Rail's successor, Arriva Rail North, operated the largest fleet of Class 153 units at one point. Northern Rail inherited eight units from FNW, used on local services around Manchester and Chester, as well as Lancaster and Barrow-in-Furness to Carlisle and Preston to Ormskirk services. A larger fleet of 12 units was inherited from ATN, used on various local services around Leeds, Doncaster, and Sheffield. In December 2007, two units were transferred to East Midlands Trains. In 2018, five units were temporarily transferred from Great Western Railway to boost capacity until the new Class 195 units entered service. By 2020, these units were transferred to Abellio ScotRail. Arriva Rail North's Class 153 units were transferred to Northern Trains on 1 March 2020, with all units sent to storage by December 2021.

Preservation and further use

The stripped-out bodyshell of unit 153374 has been donated to the Llanelli and Mynydd Mawr Railway for static use as a community café at Cynheidre.

Two Class 153 units have been purchased by the Great Central Railway, primarily for use in training staff from East Midlands Railway and CrossCountry.