skip to content
stan runge

#3337

British Rail Class 116

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Derby Litchurch Lane Works· from 1957· class of 108 two- and three-car suburban diesel multiple units built by Derby

🚆 multiple unit diesel retired
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. BR (Derby) Suburban 3car dmu M50094, M59020, M50074 (8264970618): Hugh Llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0
  2. 2. DMU Kenilworth 11-04-76 (23175903890): Rob Hodgkins· CC BY-SA 2.0
  3. 3. British Rail Class 116 TS: Tutenkhamun Sleeping· CC BY 2.0
  4. 4. BR (Derby) Class 116 W50862, W59370, W50915 (8228164318): Hugh Llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0
  5. 5. 04.04.86 Merthyr Tydfil Class 116 set C318 (6924741422): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
  6. 6. 18.07.84 Stratford-on-Avon Class 116 (48831247551): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
  7. 7. 23.08.86 Milngavie Class 116 and 120 DMUs (49020700228): Phil Richards from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
  8. 8. Class 116 at Betws-y-Coed in July 1980: The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
  9. 9. Class 116 DMU W51147, Avonmouth station, 18.9.1992. (9922334075): Gillett's Crossing from Bristol, United Kingdom· CC BY 2.0
  10. 10. Class 116 DMU W51147, Avonmouth station, 18.9.1992. (9922495713): Gillett's Crossing from Bristol, United Kingdom· CC BY 2.0
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
British Rail Class 116, photo 1 of 10
1/10 Hugh Llewelyn· CC BY-SA 2.0

what is it?

The British Rail Class 116 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1957 to 1961. Introduced as part of the British Railways Modernisation Plan in the mid-1950s, as with other first generation DMUs the 116 was intended to replace steam trains and reduce costs across the rail network. Alongside Metro-Cammell, BR Derby had prior experience with DMUs, having developed a Lightweight Unit, and so was awarded a contract for a new design.

who runs it

British RailEastern Region of British RailwaysLondon Midland Region of British RailwaysScottish Region of British RailwaysWestern Region of British Railways

base stats

  • speed 113 km/htop speed
  • power 447 kWpower output
  • weight 36.6 tin working order
  • seats 180passengers
  • built 108made 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 69 years ago, in 1957.
  • 447 kW is about 5 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
  • Weighs about as much as 6 African elephants (~6 t each).
  • 19.5 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
  • Seats 180: 4 full city buses (~50 seats each).
  • Served for 33 years (1957–1990).

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

spec sheet

built
1957
in service from
1957
retired
1990
status
retired
number built
108
kind
multiple unit
traction
diesel
origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders
Derby Litchurch Lane Works
operators
British Rail, Eastern Region of British Railways, London Midland Region of British Railways, Scottish Region of British Railways, Western Region of British Railways
top speed
113 km/h
power
447 kW
gauge
1,435 mm standard gauge
formation
2 or 3 cars per trainset
length
19.5 m
weight
36.6 t
capacity
180 passengers

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

Sources: Wikidata Q4970716, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 116 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.

stan runge 7396d23 source