#2598
New Zealand DM class electric multiple unit
🇳🇿 New Zealand ·built by English Electric· from 1938· Type of train
1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. NZR DM class EMU 06: Matthew25187 ( talk )· CC BY-SA 3.0
what is it?
The New Zealand DM/D class electric multiple unit (also known as English Electrics) are a type of electric multiple units used on the suburban rail network of Wellington, New Zealand. Formed of DM power cars and D trailer cars, the first units were ordered from English Electric in 1936 and introduced on 2 July 1938 operating the electrified Johnsonville Line service. Additional units were ordered in 1942 for the line, and in 1946 as the other Wellington suburban lines were to be electrified.
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 88 years ago, in 1938.
- 447 kW is about 5 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 7 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 19.2 m long: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
- Seats 124: 2 full city buses (~50 seats each).
- Served for 74 years (1938–2012).
multiple unit: A self-propelled train: motors are spread under the passenger cars, so no separate locomotive.
spec sheet
- built
- 1938
- in service from
- 1938
- retired
- 2012
- status
- retired
- number built
- 49
- kind
- multiple unit
- traction
- electric
- origin
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- builders
- English Electric
- operators
- Tranz Metro
- top speed
- 97 km/h
- power
- 447 kW
- gauge
- 1,067 mm Cape gauge
- electric system
- overhead
- formation
- DM–D (Johnsonville and Melling Lines), D–DM–D ( Paekākāriki and Hutt Valley Lines)
- length
- 19.2 m
- weight
- 43.5 t
- capacity
- 124 passengers
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q12064569, Wikipedia: New Zealand DM class electric multiple unit (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.