Rolling stock › In serviceData updated
Class 139 (Parry People Mover) unverified
Two small single-car railcars built by Parry People Movers of Cradley Heath, which have run the Stourbridge Town branch, one of Europe's shortest branch lines, since 2009. Pre Metro Operations runs and maintains them for West Midlands Railway. 139002 was named George the Station Cat in August 2025.
Drawing to come
- Type
- Lightweight railcar (flywheel hybrid)
- Builder
- Parry People Movers, Cradley Heath
- Built
- 2008
- In service
- since 2009
- Operators
- WMR
- Formation
- 1 car
- Trains in fleet
- 2
- Fleets
- West Midlands Railway: 2
- Power
- Flywheel hybrid: a small Ford 2.3-litre gas engine spins a 500 kg flywheel, which drives the wheels through a hydrostatic transmission; braking puts energy back into the flywheel
- Car height
- 3.20 m
- Car width
- 2.40 m
- Profile
- main-line
- Total capacity
- Parry People Movers gives a typical PPM60 capacity of 20 to 25 seated and 30 to 35 standing; the Stourbridge cars' own figures haven't been found
- Status
- In service: 139001 and 139002, on the Stourbridge Town branch.
This page is marked unverified: its figures haven’t yet been confirmed by an official source or a published history. The foot of the page says what’s in doubt.
Car types
| Code | Car | Length | Doors per side |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPM60 | PPM60 railcar, with a cab at each end | 9.60 m |
Sources
- PPM 50 / PPM 60 specification (archived), Parry People Movers, 16 May 2007 (PPM60: 9.6 m long, 2.4 m wide, 3.2 m high (high floor); 20-25 seated and 30-35 standing; Ford DSG423 engine; 500 kg flywheel; hydrostatic transmission; regenerative braking into the flywheel; 65 km/h maximum)
- West Midlands Railway names Stourbridge Shuttle after famous feline for International Cat Day (archived), West Midlands Railway, 7 August 2025 (Class 139 fleet in service since 2009, run and maintained by Pre Metro Operations; 139002 named George the Station Cat; one of Europe's shortest branch lines)
- West Midlands Trains' new rolling stock and depots, Rail Engineer, 19 August 2024 (the Stourbridge Town branch, run with the Parry People Movers)
- British Rail Class 139, Wikipedia (build and service dates, LPG fuel, unit numbers, names (cross-check only))
unverified dimensions are Parry People Movers' typical PPM60 figures (9.6 m long, 2.4 m wide, 3.2 m high for a high-floor car), not measured on the Stourbridge cars, top speed: Parry People Movers gives 65 km/h (40 mph) for the type on suitable track; Wikipedia gives 32 km/h (20 mph) for the Stourbridge cars, citing the DfT. Neither is shown, fuel: Parry People Movers says the Ford DSG423 runs on propane or diesel; LPG for the Stourbridge cars is Wikipedia's, built 2008 and first in passenger service in 2009, in full service from June 2009 (Wikipedia); West Midlands Railway says the fleet came into service in 2009, ownership: ordered by London Midland through Porterbrook (Wikipedia); not confirmed, 139001's name, The Stourbridge Lion (October 2025, Wikipedia), not confirmed by West Midlands Railway