#4567

Sprinter (British Rail)

🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Unknown builder· from 1984· Family of British diesel multiple unit trains

7 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. Wessex Trains DMU 150266 - 153xxx: Thryduulf· CC BY-SA 4.0
2. TfW class 158 Tywyn: Chrisbunting2· CC BY-SA 4.0
3. British Rail Class 159: Adam Bryant· CC BY-SA 4.0
4. British Rail Class 158: Alex Noble· CC0
5. British Rail Class 155: Geof Sheppard· CC BY-SA 4.0
6. British Rail Class 156: Foulger Rail Photos from Basingstoke, UK· CC BY-SA 4.0
7. State Railway of Thailand ASR class: Thattrainguy4130· CC BY-SA 4.0

what is it?

The Sprinter is a name given to several classes of diesel multiple unit trains in use on the British railway system. They were built in the 1980s and early 1990s by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL), Metro-Cammell and Leyland. Sprinters operate in almost every part of Great Britain, from rural branch lines to commuter expresses into major cities.

who runs it

East Midlands Railway Great Western Railway West Midlands Trains Northern Trains ScotRail Trains (2022-)South Western Railway State Railway of Thailand Transport for Wales Rail

base stats

speed 145 km/htop speed
built 556made 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 42 years ago, in 1984.
Top speed is 1.1× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
Still in service after 42 years.

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

spec sheet

built: 1984
in service from: 1984
status: in service
number built: 556
kind: multiple unit
traction: diesel
origin: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
builders: Unknown builder
operators: East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, West Midlands Trains, Northern Trains, ScotRail Trains (2022-), South Western Railway, State Railway of Thailand, Transport for Wales Rail
top speed: 145 km/h
power: —
gauge: 1,435 mm standard gauge

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

family

Sources: Wikidata Q7581317, Wikipedia: Sprinter (British Rail) (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.