#5701· Class 68
British Rail Class 68
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Stadler Rail Valencia· from 2013· British Type 5 Diesel Electric Locomotive
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_to_Eastleigh_Trsmd_6_x_Class_68_(10-15)_pass_Swindon_on_the_GWML_making_there_way_to_Eastleigh_TMD_after_there_time_with_Chiltern_Trains._-_55233626872.jpg)
_to_Eastleigh_Trsmd_6_x_Class_68_(10-15)_pass_Swindon_on_the_GWML_making_there_way_to_Eastleigh_TMD_after_there_time_with_Chiltern_Trains.jpg)
8 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. 68033 in York station: The joy of all things· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2. Refurbished Chiltern Railways Class 68 at London Marylebone (1): Fortek67· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 3. 6Z68 08-00 Crewe Coal Sidings (Drs) to Eastleigh Trsmd 6 x Class 68 (10-15) pass Swindon on the GWML making there way to Eastleigh TMD after there time with Chiltern Trains. - 55233626872: Robert.Cutter· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 4. 6Z68 08-00 Crewe Coal Sidings (Drs) to Eastleigh Trsmd 6 x Class 68 (10-15) pass Swindon on the GWML making there way to Eastleigh TMD after there time with Chiltern Trains: Robert.Cutter· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 5. Class 68 passing West Ruislip for Birmingham: The desiro lad· CC BY 4.0
- 6. Caterpillar engines Crewe Gresty Bridge Depot Open Day 2018: kitmasterbloke· CC BY 2.0
- 7. Crewe Gresty Bridge DRS Open Day 10: The Basingstoker· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 8. Direct Rail Services spare class 68 engine: Geof Sheppard· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The Class 68 is a type of mainline mixed traffic diesel-electric locomotive manufactured by Stadler Rail Valencia (and previously by Vossloh España) for Direct Rail Services (DRS) in the United Kingdom. The design is derived from the Stadler Eurolight, and Stadler's product name for this variant is the UKLight. On 5 January 2012, DRS announced the placement of an order for fifteen Class 68 locomotives, the first of which arrived in the UK during January 2014.
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 13 years ago, in 2013.
- Top speed is 1.2× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- At full speed it would cover Amsterdam–Utrecht (≈ 40 km) in 15 minutes.
- 2.8 MW is about 33 family cars (~85 kW each) flat out.
- Weighs about as much as 14 African elephants (~6 t each).
diesel locomotive: A diesel engine on board drives the wheels, usually through a generator (diesel-electric).
spec sheet
- built
- 2013–2017
- in service from
- 2014
- number built
- 34
- kind
- Diesel-electric
- traction
- diesel
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- Stadler Rail Valencia, Stadler Rail, Vossloh
- operators
- Direct Rail Services, Chiltern Railways, TransPennine Express, Abellio ScotRail (2015-2022)
- top speed
- 161 km/h
- power
- 2.8 MW
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- Bo′Bo′
- weight
- 85 t
- Dutch name
- Class 68
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
family
Sources: Wikidata Q16985383, Wikipedia: British Rail Class 68 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.