#4765

British Rail Class 158

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by British Rail Engineering Limited· from 1990· British diesel multiple unit train

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. 20230929 Northern 158784 Brough: Alex Noble· CC0
2. British Rail Class 158 158774, Peterborough (1): BWard 1997· CC BY 4.0
3. Class 158 DMU 158819 to Portsmouth, Bristol Temple Meads 27.2.1993. (9922352786): Gillett's Crossing from Bristol, United Kingdom· CC BY 2.0
4. Class 158 Express Sprinter: IDMacpherson1964· CC BY-SA 4.0
5. FGW-158855-04: Chris McKenna ( Thryduulf )· CC BY-SA 4.0
6. FGW-158855-06: Chris McKenna ( Thryduulf )· CC BY-SA 4.0
7. Ian Dewhurst 158860: Ian Kirk· CC BY-SA 4.0
8. 158747 "Richard Trevithick" 02: Thryduulf· CC BY-SA 4.0
9. Wessex Alphaline 158860 2006-01-19 04: Thryduulf· CC BY-SA 4.0
10. Wessex Alphaline 158860 2006-01-19 05: Thryduulf· CC BY-SA 4.0

what is it?

The British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a type of diesel multiple unit (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; of the other members, 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.

who runs it

East Midlands Railway Great Western Railway Northern Trains ScotRail Trains (2022-)South Western Railway Transport for Wales Rail First ScotRail (2004-2015)Regional Railways National Express ScotRail Abellio ScotRail (2015-2022)

base stats

speed 145 km/htop speed
power 298 kWpower output
weight 38.5 tin working order
seats 207passengers
built 180made in total

Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.

fun facts

First built 36 years ago, in 1990.
Top speed is 1.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
Weighs about as much as 6 African elephants (~6 t each).
22.6 m long: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
Seats 207: 4 full city buses (~50 seats each).
Still in service after 36 years.

multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.

spec sheet

built: 1990
in service from: 1990
status: in service
number built: 180
kind: Diesel multiple unit
traction: diesel
origin: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders: British Rail Engineering Limited
operators: East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, ScotRail Trains (2022-), South Western Railway, Transport for Wales Rail, First ScotRail (2004-2015), Regional Railways, National Express ScotRail, Abellio ScotRail (2015-2022)
top speed: 145 km/h
power: 298 kW
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge
wheel arrangement: 2-car: 2′B′+B′2′
formation: 2 or 3 cars per unit
length: 22.6 m
weight: 38.5 t
capacity: 207 passengers

From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.

family

Sources: Wikidata Q844331, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 158 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.