British Rail Class 158
During September 1990, the first Express Sprinters were operated by ScotRail; the type was promptly introduced to secondary routes across the Midlands, Northern England, Wales and the South West.The Class 158 enabled the replacement of large numbers of elderly DMUs but also several locomotive-hauled trains as well; this was partially accomplished via the cascading of existing Sprinter units onto other routes.[17] To capitalise on the Class 158's improved onboard amenities in comparison to other rolling stock in use for regional services, the Alphaline branding was launched during the mid-1990s; it was also used for a time in the post-privatisation era.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.[18] While formulating its long-term strategy for this sector of its operations, British Rail planners recognised that there would be considerable costs incurred by undertaking refurbishment programmes necessary for the continued use of these ageing multiple units, particularly due to the necessity of handling and removing hazardous materials such as asbestos.[19] In the concept stage, two separate approaches were devised, one involving a so-called railbus that prioritised the minimisation of both initial (procurement) and ongoing (maintenance and operational) costs, while the second was a more substantial DMU that could deliver superior performance than the existing fleet, particularly when it came to long-distance services.However, it was found that relatively expensive equipment was needed for the performance specified, particularly to provide sufficient speed, acceleration, and through-passenger access; maintainability also suffered due to space limitations.[19] Specifically, it was decided to drop the top speed from 90 to 75 mph (145 to 121 km/h), as testing had revealed the higher rate to deliver no perceivable improvement in journey times due to the typically short spacing of the stations the type was intended to serve.[19] The bid submitted by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) was heavily based on its successful Class 455 EMU, sharing its body and the majority of its running gear, albeit equipped with two different power trains.The railway engineering company Metro-Cammell also bid, offered its own design that employed rivetted aluminium construction; this approach produced a meaningful weight reduction over conventional methods.[19] It was also determined that both types achieved adequate noise levels for its intended service sector, but were also noted that this area would likely pose an issue if they were ever directed towards the higher end of the market.[19] Even prior to the introduction of the Class 150, there was a recognised interest within BR at potentially tasking the new DMU with the replacement of other services, targeting not only first-generation DMUs but a number of locomotive-hauled trains as well.One early solution for reducing internal noise levels was the discarding of openable windows in favour of fully-sealed units, along with the relocation of the external doors into vestibules located at either ends of each coach.[19] Studies determined that the performance of the proposed DMU showed only minor change, and would achieve similar journey times across the intended cross-country routes to the Class 150.[23][24] The majority of units, as originally built by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL), were configured with standard-class accommodation only; a number of Scottish-based sets were fitted with a small first-class section in one vehicle.[25] 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.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.[25] The majority of the Class 158 fleet was directed towards the Regional Railways division; accordingly, it rapidly became the dominant platform on the numerous secondary express services between provincial towns and cities across Great Britain.These were routinely promoted as possessing premium passenger amenities that traditional regional rolling stock had lacked, such as the presence of British Telecom card phones and air conditioning.[46] By the end of 2006, a total of 16 units (158815-158817 and 158842-158854) had returned to the leasing company,[47] as Arriva gained exclusive use of the entire Class 175 Coradia fleet which had previously been shared with other train operators.[49] Despite initial problems in retro-fitting the necessary 'glass cockpit'-style driver controls,[50] Arriva's Class 158 Express Sprinter units became the first fleet in the UK to be equipped for regular use with the ETCS Level 2 signalling system.[55][56] This work, which was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government at a cost of £7.5m, included both interior and exterior repainting, the installation of replacement seating, wall coverings, carpets, lighting, luggage racks and toilet fittings.[57] Prior to the early 2010s refurbishment, the fleet had been subject to only minor attention to its interior since a refit by Wales & West during the late 1990s (little more than the fabric on the older seats changed and CCTV fitted) as well as having been only partially repainted into Arriva colours externally.[66] The fleet is now used on long-distance services between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth / Penzance, Cardiff Central and Taunton / Portsmouth Harbour, and Great Malvern / Worcester Shrub Hill and Weymouth.
ScotscalderBritish Rail Engineering LimitedDerby Litchurch Lane WorksSprinterCl. 159/1OwnersAngel TrainsPorterbrookEast Midlands RailwayGreat Western RailwayNorthern TrainsScotRailSouth Western RailwayTransport for Wales RailCorkerhillExeterHeatonInvernessMachynllethNeville HillNottingham EastcroftSt Philip's MarshSalisburyWeldedaluminiumAxle loadRoute AvailabilityPrime mover(s)CumminsPerkinsInline-64-stroketurbo-dieselDisplacementhydrokineticAccelerationUIC classificationBogiesBraking system(s)PneumaticCoupling systemMultiple workingTrack gaugestandard gaugeExpress Sprinterdiesel multiple unitBritish RailClass 159London Waterloo to the West of EnglandMidlandsNorthern EnglandSouth WestlocomotiveAlphalinepost-privatisation eraNorthern RailArriva Trains WalesClass 170 TurbostarClass 185 DesiroClass 197 CivityasbestosBritish Rail Class 210diesel-electric multiple unittoiletsClass 455Metro-CammellrivettedClass 150Class 151hydrokinetic transmissionGmeinderTranspennineWest Yorkshire PTE MetroRegional RailwaysClass 156 SuperSprinterair conditioningpayphonedisc brakesautumn leaf mulchtrack circuitsClass 156Network RailConwy ValleyBorderlandsBristol Temple MeadsGlasgow Queen StreetEdinburgh WaverleyAberdeenBritish Telecomprivatisation of British RailFirst ScotRailClass 170Far North LineCentral TrainsAnnieslandSaltireTransport ScotlandBarmouthCambrian LineTransport for WalesERTMS signallingShrewsbury stationWales & WestLondon WaterlooCardiff CentralWales & BordersClass 175 Coradiaglass cockpitETCS Level 2AberystwythPersons with Reduced MobilityClass 197East MidlandsRegional Railways CentralClass 156 Super SprinterNorwichLiverpool Lime StreetNottinghamBirmingham New StreetHerefordMatlockEast Midlands TrainsFirst Great WesternSouth West TrainsSkegnessLeicester