CLASS 150 diesel multiple units (DMUs) remain a stalwart of passenger services, despite approaching their 40th anniversary.
The first prototypes appeared in 1984, with production examples following a year later. In squadron service, they allowed British Rail to withdraw many of its varied fleet of tired first-generation DMUs that dated back to the mid-1950s.
Across northern England, the ‘150s’ would be employed alongside Classes 153, ‘155’ and ‘156’, which were all 75mph stock built along similar lines by different contractors. A few years later, 90mph Class 158 stock arrived, bringing air-conditioned luxury to Newcastle-Liverpool TransPennine Express services.
Today, Northern still uses all these ‘Sprinter’ types, except for the single-car ‘153s’. And they rank as some of the oldest trains in Britain.
For how much longer remains to be seen. In…
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RAIL (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 990