Class 158

The Class 158 Express Sprinter is a type of DMU passenger train. It is a member of the Sprinter series of regional trains, produced as a replacement for British Rail's first generation of DMUs. The Class 159 is almost identical to the Class 158, having been converted from Class 158 to Class 159 in two batches to operate express services from London Waterloo to the West of England.

 

 

The Class 158 was constructed between 1989 and 1992 by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) at its Derby Litchurch Lane Works. The majority were built as two-car sets, but some three-car sets were also produced.

 

As a result of British Rail's privatisation in the mid 1990s, the Class 158s were divided amongst various newly-created operators broadly along their existing routes. Due to their relatively young age at that time, most operators elected to retain them for the following decades. Several, such as Northern Rail and Arriva Trains Wales, had their Class 158 fleets modernised and refitted with various new facilities, such modifications often including greater accessibility, onboard passenger information systems, Wi-Fi connectivity, and toilet retention tanks.

 

 

As of the 2020s, many Class 158 operators have started to or have replaced the type with newer rolling stock, such as the Class 170 Turbostar, Class 185 Desiro, and Class 197 Civity units.

 

Description

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A total of 182 Class 158 units were constructed, the majority as two-car sets. 17 units were produced as three-car units; eight of these units have since had the centre car transferred to different units of the class, whilst another eight have been upgraded and redesignated as the Class 159.The final ten units were built specifically for West Yorkshire PTE Metro services around Leeds.

 

The majority of units, as originally built, were configured with standard-class accommodation only; a number of Scottish-based sets were fitted with a small first-class section in one vehicle. Later on, several other sets were retrofitted with first-class accommodation. Furthermore, the passenger saloons are air-conditioned, which was a first for regional trains in the UK.

 

 

Facilities

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Around the time of its introduction, British Rail was keen to promote the qualities of the Class 158, on one occasion publicly describing it as having brought "new standards of comfort and quality to rail travel on Regional Railways' key long-distance cross-country routes".

 

As originally built, the interiors were fully carpeted throughout, large panoramic windows lined the sides, and a variety of seating arrangements were present, including airline-style and bays of four set around tables. Unlike the previous members of the Sprinter family, such as the Class 156 Super Sprinter, the Class 158 was outfitted with air conditioning units, an on-board payphone, power-operated interior doors, a toilet in each carriage, and provision for a refreshment trolley service.

 

 

Despite an increased top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h), the Class 158 reportedly promised a smoother and quieter ride in comparison to its predecessors. Toilets were fitted to both vehicles; one was wheelchair-accessible (as defined at the time of construction) and one standard. A wheelchair space was provided in the passenger section closest to the accessible toilet. Luggage racks were fitted at each end of the saloon, one of which is capable of being locked for mail and parcels.

 

In terms of serviceability, the Class 158 was anticipated to achieve 13,500 miles (21,700 km) of operation between major services, and to have a range of up to 1,600 miles (2,600 km) from each refuelling.

 

Technical problems

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Despite the attention given to its passenger facilities, the construction and engineering technology used on the Class 158s contributed to some issues during its service life. As a lightweight unit and the first members of the Sprinter family to use disc brakes, autumn leaf mulch built up on wheel rims and prevented the units from correctly operating signalling track circuits. Though this was later solved by installing scrubbing blocks to clean the wheels, temporary solutions were sought during October 1992, with some units split and formed into hybrid units with Class 156 coaches, the latter possessing tread brakes which cleaned the wheels as a by-product of their standard operation.

 

The air conditioning systems of the Class 158 also proved to be unreliable in service, particularly following the outlawing of the CFC gases with which they had been originally designed to work. In the privatisation era, many operators elected either to re-engineer or entirely replace such equipment. As a result, the systems in use and their effectiveness vary considerably across the fleet.

 

The lightweight aluminium body of the Class 158 leads to a good 'route availability' score, meaning that it is able to operate in areas of Britain's railways that heavier units cannot. However, the units were refused permission by Network Rail to operate on the Conwy Valley and Borderlands lines due to station dwell times and issues of platform clearance.

 

 

Operations

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ScotRail was the first part of British Rail to introduce the Class 158s to public service in September 1990. These were employed on Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley services, as well as services to Aberdeen and Inverness. The Class 158s then went on to be deployed elsewhere in Britain, primarily in the Midlands, Northern England, Wales and the South West

 

Post privatisation

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After the privatisation of British Rail, the Class 158 fleet was divided among several franchises: ScotRail, Transport for Wales, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, South Western Railway, and Virgin CrossCountry.

 

 

Accidents & Incidents

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• On 6 February 2024, unit 158856 collided with a fallen tree and was derailed between Thetford and Harling Road stations. One of the 31 passengers on board was injured. The RAIB opened an investigation into the accident.
• On 31 October 2021, a South Western Railway Class 159 unit, 159102, collided with Great Western Railway class 158 coupled units, 158762 and 158763, at Salisbury tunnel junction, immediately before Fisherton tunnel. A preliminary RAIB report found the cause was poor adhesion conditions which led to the SWR train over-running a signal set at danger. Unit 158763 was written off in the accident.
• On 1 April 2017, unit 158758 collided with the buffer stops at Preston at a speed of 6 mph (10 km/h). Fifteen people were injured. The cause was driver error.
• On 21 July 2013, unit 158774 was parked empty at Norwich when it was run into by 156402. Eight passengers were injured. The cause was driver error.
• On 22 January 2010, unit 158701 was derailed at Dingwall due to faulty points. One person sustained minor injuries
• On 1 February 2008, the same unit 158856 collided with debris from an overline footbridge, which had just been accidentally demolished by a tipper lorry, near Barrow-upon-Soar. The lorry driver had forgotten to fully lower the tipper body after delivering materials to a site next to the railway, and drove into the footbridge, knocking its superstructure onto the track. The DMU hit the footbridge debris approximately one minute later. Three people including the driver were taken to hospital
• On 3 December 2005, unit 158856 was involved in an accident at Elsenham in which two passengers were killed whilst crossing the line. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) criticised the risk assessment at the crossing as inadequate.