Class 153s

British Rail Class 153 – ‘Super Sprinter’

The British Rail Class 153 ‘Super Sprinter’ is a single-coach diesel multiple unit (DMU) that has its origins in the two-coach Class 155 units built in the late 1980s. Conceived to serve rural branch lines where passenger numbers were too low to justify longer trains, the Class 153 also proved useful as an additional vehicle on busy services requiring extra capacity. Two examples are at the Great Central Railway and are primarily used as part of the railway’s Testing and Training department.

This department has, for some years, supported local train operating companies by providing facilities to train their train crews. Until now, this work has been carried out using older diesel railcars. While these have served well, their outdated technology limited their suitability for training drivers of contemporary mainline rolling stock. The arrival of the Class 153s changed that. More modern and closely aligned with equipment in use across today’s railway network, these units allow the GCR to deliver more relevant training and expand its services to the industry.

The origins of the Class 153 date back to 1987–1989, when British Rail’s Regional Railways division took delivery of 35 Class 155 two-coach units, constructed by Leyland Bus at its Workington factory. These replaced older first-generation DMUs. A further batch of seven units was built for the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive in 1989, although these were not part of later conversions.

By the early 1990s, a need arose to replace ageing single-car railcars, such as the Class 121 and Class 122, on rural lines. The solution was to split each of the 35 two-coach Class 155 units into two separate single-coach units. This work was carried out by Hunslet-Barclay at their Kilmarnock plant between 1991 and 1992, producing 70 new Class 153 vehicles. The original vehicles were renumbered in the process: DMSL(A) vehicles became 153301–153335, while the DMSL(B) vehicles became 153351–153385.

The conversion involved fitting a new cab into the former inner end of each coach, where luggage racks had been located. Space constraints meant the new cab was smaller than the original at the opposite end, producing a noticeable asymmetry. The headlight arrangement on the new cab end also differed from the original.

Mechanically, the Class 153s retained their diesel-hydraulic transmission and maximum speed of 75 mph. They were fitted with BSI automatic couplers and compatible wiring, allowing them to operate in multiple with a range of other DMUs including Classes 142, 143, 144, 150, 155, 156, 158, 159, 170 and 172. Gangway connections allow passengers and crew to move between coupled units.

In service, Class 153s could be found across the Midlands, Wales and Northern England, operating both singly and coupled to other units. Typical routes included Newcastle–Carlisle, Peterborough–Lincoln, Nottingham–Birmingham, Crewe–Derby, Ipswich–Lowestoft and Norwich–Great Yarmouth. Their arrival at the GCR marked a new chapter, ensuring the railway remained equipped to meet modern training and testing demands while continuing its heritage mission.