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Sprinter 6 classes

British Rail's Sprinter family of diesel trains from the 1980s: the Class 150 Sprinter, the 153, 155 and 156 Super Sprinters, the 158 Express Sprinter and its 159 derivative.

6classes
465trains
1984first in service
7lines and operators

unverified Some of these figures haven’t yet been checked against an official source or a published history. What’s in doubt ↓

The classes side by side

Whole trains at one scale. Each name links to its class page.

Class 159 South Western Turbo indicative: some dimensions are estimated, from photographs and published figures.about 227 ft (69 m) · 3 cars · 169 seats South Western Railway · since 1993
Class 155 Super Sprinterabout 152 ft (46 m) · 2 cars Northern · since 1988
Class 158 Express Sprinterabout 151 ft (46 m) · 2 cars GWR, EMR, ScotRail, South Western Railway, Transport for Wales, Northern · since 1990
Class 156 Super Sprinterabout 151 ft (46 m) · 2 cars ScotRail, Northern · since 1987
Class 150 Sprinter132 ft (40.1 m) · 2 cars GWR, LNR, Transport for Wales, Northern · since 1984
Class 153 Super Sprinterabout 76 ft (23 m) · 1 car ScotRail, Transport for Wales · since 1991

Schematic side elevations from each train's recorded dimensions, standing on the same rail. Choose 1× to see them at the stated 10 px per metre, or 2× or 4× to look closer, and scroll or drag sideways; Full screen shows the line-up alone. Drawings labelled indicative are estimates, from photographs and published figures, where no dimensioned drawing has been published. Lengths are over couplers where published; “about” marks one added up from the cars and the couplers between them, as drawn. People are seats plus standing at five per square metre, where both are published; otherwise seats are shown where published, so sorting by capacity puts a seats-only figure among the people figures, and trains with neither come last. Compare any two or three trains →

Compare three of them in full →

The classes

ClassLines and operatorsSinceTrainsFormationPowerCar lengthDoors per sideSeats
Class 150 SprinterGWR, LNR, Transport for Wales, Northern19841162 or 3 carsDiesel: a Cummins NT855-R5 engine under each car, Voith T211r hydraulic transmission64 ft 9 in19.74 m2
Class 156 Super SprinterScotRail, Northern19871092 cars (DMSL-DMS), each 75 ft 7 in (23.03 m) longDiesel: a Cummins NT855-R5 engine in each car, with Voith T211r hydraulic transmission and a Gmeinder GM190 final drive75 ft 7 in23.03 m2
Class 155 Super SprinterNorthern198872 cars (DMSL-DMS), each 76 ft 2 in (23.21 m) longDiesel76 ft 2 in23.208 m2
Class 158 Express SprinterGWR, EMR, ScotRail, South Western Railway, Transport for Wales, Northern19901692 or 3 cars (a three-car unit has a middle car between its two DMSLs, not drawn: Northern has 8)Diesel74 ft 1 in22.57 m2
Class 153 Super SprinterScotRail, Transport for Wales1991351 car, 76 ft 2 in (23.21 m) long, run attached to another unitDiesel76 ft 2 in23.208 m2
Class 159 South Western TurboSouth Western Railway1993293 carsDiesel-hydraulic: a Cummins NTA855R3 engine (400 hp) with Voith transmission under each car72 ft 8 in22.16 m2169

What they share, and how they differ

Shared

  • Bogies: Sprinter and Networker family bogies, outside-framed and air-sprung, drawn from the Class 150's BP38/BT38, one drawing of them on all 6 classes.
  • Doors per side: 2 on every class.

Different

  • Car width: 8 ft 10 in (2.70 m) to 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m).
  • Car length: from 64 ft 9 in (19.74 m) (Class 150) to 76 ft 2 in (23.208 m) (Class 153).

Sources

How we source figures →  ·  Spotted a mistake? Tell us → (opens in a new tab)

Each class's own page lists the sources for its figures.

unverified the Class 155, 158 and 159 are placed by Wikipedia alone: no owner's or operator's page read names the Sprinter family for them (Angel Trains' 158 page could not be read and Eversholt's names no family)
Know a source for this? Send it to us → (opens in a new tab)

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