#3399
British Rail Class 203
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Eastleigh Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Works· from 1958· class of 7 six-car diesel-electric multiple units
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3 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. BR SR Thumper 4L 203001 and 6L1001 DEMUs - Uckfield Line 10: Lamberhurst· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2. Class 203 TRB Walthamstow Pump House Museum (1): Matthew Black from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 3. Class 203 TRB Walthamstow Pump House Museum: Matthew Black from London, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
what is it?
The British Rail Class 203, initially classified 6B, was a type of diesel-electric train. Seven units, numbered 1031-1037, were constructed in 1958 for use on the Southern Region. They were similar to the earlier Class 202 units, differing only in the substitution of a trailer buffet car for one of the three trailer second opens.
who runs it
base stats
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 68 years ago, in 1958.
- 373 kW is about 4 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Served for 32 years (1958–1990).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1958
- in service from
- 1958
- retired
- 1990
- status
- retired
- number built
- 7
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- diesel
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- Eastleigh Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Works, Ashford Works
- operators
- Southern Region of British Railways
- top speed
- 121 km/h
- power
- 373 kW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- formation
- DMBSO-TSOL-TBU-TFK-TSOL-DMBSO
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q4970748, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 203 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.