The Anonymous Widower

The UK-Wide Need For Self-Powered Trains

How Many Diesel Trains Are In Service In The UK?

Class 150 trains

• Northern Trains – 73 x two-car and 6 x three-car.
• Great Western Railway – 20 x two-car.
• Transport for Wales – 36 x two-car.
• In Service – 129 x two-car and 6 x three-car.

These are 75 mph BR Second Generation trains.

Class 153 trains

• ScotRail – 5 x one-car.
• Transport for Wales – 31 x one-car.
• In Service – 36 x one-car.
• Stored – 27 x one-car.

These are 75 mph BR Second Generation trains.

Class 155 trains

• Northern Trains – 7 x two-car.
• In Service – 7 x two-car.

These are 75 mph BR Second Generation trains.

Class 156 trains

• Northern Trains – 58 x two-car.
• East Midlands Railway – 9 x two-car.
• ScotRail – 42 x two-car.
• In Service – 109 x two-car.
• Stored – 6 x two-car.

These are 75 mph BR Second Generation trains.

Class 158 trains

• ScotRail – 40 x two-car.
• Great Western Railway – 10 x two-car and 7 x three-car.
• East Midlands Railway – 26 x two-car.
• Northern Trains – 45 x two-car and 8 x three-car.
• Transport for Wales – 24 x two-car.
• South Western Railway – 10 x two-car.
• In Service – 155 x two-car and 15 x three-car.

These are 90 mph BR Second Generation trains.

Class 159 trains

• South Western Railway – 29 x three-car.
• In Service – 29 x three-car.

These are 90 mph BR Second Generation trains.

Class 165 trains

• Chiltern Railways – 39 x two-car.
• Great Western Railway – 20 x two-car and 16 x three-car.
• In Service – 59 x two-car and 16 x three-car.

These are 75 or 90 mph BR Second Generation trains.

Class 166 trains

• Great Western Railway – 21 x three-car.
• In Service – 21 x three-car.

These are 90 mph BR Second Generation trains.

Class 168 trains

• Chiltern Railways – 9 x two-car, 9 x three-car and 13 x four-car.
• In Service – 9 x two-car, 9 x three-car and 13 x four-car.

These are 100 mph Turbostar trains.

Class 170 trains

• CrossCountry – 7 x two-car and 22 x three-car.
• East Midlands Railway – 22 x two-car and 8 x three-car.
• Northern Trains – 16 x three-car.
• ScotRail – 17 x three-car.
• Transport for Wales – 8 x three-car.
• West Midlands Trains – 16 x three-car.
• In Service – 34 x two-car and 71 x three-car.

These are 100 mph Turbostar trains.

Class 171 trains

• Southern – 17 x three-car.
• In Service – 17 x three-car.

These are 100 mph Turbostar trains.

Class 172 trains

• West Midlands Trains – 24 x two-car and 15 x three-car.
• In Service – 24 x two-car and 15 x three-car.

These are 100 mph Turbostar trains.

Class 175 trains

• Transport for Wales – 9 x two-car and 15 x three-car.
• In Service – 9 x two-car and 15 x three-car.
• Stored –  2 x two-car and 1 x three-car.

These are 100 mph Coradia trains.

Class 180 trains

• Grand Central – 10 x five-car.
• East Midlands Railway – 1 x four-car and 2 x five-car.
• In Service – 1 x four-car and 12 x five-car.

These are 125 mph Coradia trains.

Class 185 trains

• TransPennine Express 51 three-car.
• In service – 51 three-car.

These are 100 mph Desiro trains.

Class 195 trains

• Northern Trains – 25 x two-car and 33 x three-car.
• In Service – 25 x two-car and 33 x three-car.

These are 100 mph CAF Civity trains.

Class 196 trains

• West Midlands Trains – 12 x two-car and 14 x four-car.
• In Service – 12 x two-car and 14 x four-car.

These are 100 mph CAF Civity trains.

Class 197 trains

• Northern Trains – 51 x two-car and 26 x three-car.
• In Service – 51 x two-car and 26 x three-car.

These are 100 mph CAF Civity trains.

Class 220 trains

• CrossCountry – 34 x four-car
• In Service – 34 x four-car

These are 125 mph Bombardier Voyager trains.

Class 221 trains

• Avanti West Coast -18 x five-cars
• CrossCountry – 24 x four-car.
• In Service – 24 x four-car and 18 x five-cars
• Stored – 2 x five-car

These are 125 mph Bombardier Voyager trains.

Class 222 trains

• CrossCountry – 23 x five-car and 4 x seven-car.
• In Service – 23 x five-car and 4 x seven-car.

These are 125 mph Bombardier Voyager trains.

Class 231 trains

• Transport for Wales – 11 x four-car.
• In Service – 11 x four-car.

These are 90 mph Stadler FLIRT bi-mode trains.

Class 755 trains

• Greater Anglia – 14 x three-car and 24 x four-car.
• In Service – 14 x three-car and 24 x four-car.

These are 100 mph Stadler FLIRT bi-mode trains.

Class 756 trains

• Transport for Wales – 7 x three-car and 17 x four-car.
• In Service – 7 x three-car and 17 x four-car.

These are 75 mph Stadler FLIRT bi-mode trains.

Class 800 trains

• Great Western Railway – 21 x five-car and 36 x nine-cars.
• LNER – 10 x five-car and 13 x nine-cars.
• In Service – 31 x five-car and 49 x nine-cars.

These are 125 mph Hitachi AT-300 trains.

Class 802 trains

• Great Western Railway – 22 x five-car and 14 x nine-cars.
• Hull Trains – 5 x five-car.
• TransPennine Express – 19 x five-car.
• In Service – 46 x five-car and 14 x nine-cars.

These are 125 mph Hitachi AT-300 trains.

Class 805 trains

• Avanti West Coast  – 13 x five-car.
• In Service – 13 x five-car.

These are 125 mph Hitachi AT-300 trains.

Class 810 trains

• East Midlands Railways  – 33 x five-car.
• In Service – 33 x five-car.

These are 125 mph Hitachi AT-300 trains.

These trains give totals as follows.

• One-car – 36
• Two-car – 601
• Three-car – 249
• Four-car – 135
• Five-car – 176
• Seven-car – 4
• Nine-car – 63

That is a total of 1254 trains that need to be decarbonised by either replacement or modification.

• Some trains are effectively double-counted, as both the current trains and their replacements are included.
• Some trains are planned to be replaced by electric trains.
• Some trains will be passed on.

But there are still a lot of trains to be decarbonised.

I will now look at each group in detail.

BR Second Generation Trains

• Class 150 – 129 x two-car and 6 x three-car.
• Class 153 – 36 x one-car.
• Class 155 – 7 x two-car.
• Class 156 – 109 x two-car.
• Class 158 – 155 x two-car and 15 x three-car.
• Class 159 – 29 x three-car.
• Class 165 – 59 x two-car and 16 x three-car.
• Class 166 – 21 x three-car.

Note.

1. The trains have mostly Cummins engines, with some Perkins and a spattering of Rolls-Royce.
2. Class 150,153, 155 and 156 trains are 75 mph trains and most of the others are capable of 90 mph.
3. Condition of the interiors is variable, with some being excellent and others being terrible.
4. There are 36 x one-car, 459 x two-car and 59 x three-car.
5. There appears to be no plan to decarbonise these trains.
6. Some will be replaced by new CAF diesel trains or new electric trains.

The best use of some of the better trains in this group would be to fill-in until zero-carbon trains are available.

Turbostar Trains

These trains are all Turbostars or their predecessor.

• Class 168 – 9 x two-car, 9 x three-car and 13 x four-car.
• Class 170 – 34 x two-car and 71 x three-car.
• Class 171 – 17 x three-car.
• Class 172 – 24 x two-car and 15 x three-car.

Note.

1. The trains all have Rolls-Royce mtu engines.
2.  They are capable of 100 mph.
3. Condition of the interiors is generally good.
4. There are 67 x two-car, 112 x three-car and 13 x four-car.
5. Rolls-Royce mtu engines may be able to run on sustainable fuel like Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).
6. 168329 has been converted into a diesel-hybrid, by Rolls-Royce mtu.

I feel that one way or another, the trains in this group should be capable of converting to net-zero operation.

Alstom Coradia, Bombardier Voyager and Siemens Desiro Trains

I am putting these trains together, as they are all 100-125 mph long-distance trains, that are not that old.

• Class 175 – 9 x two-car and 15 x three-car.
• Class 180 – 1 x four-car and 12 x five-car.
• Class 185 – 51 x three-car.
• Class 220 – 34 x four-car
• Class 221 – 24 x four-car and 18 x five-cars
• Class 222 – 23 x five-car and 4 x seven-car.

Note.

1. The trains all have Cummins engines.
2.  They are capable of 100 mph or 125 mph.
3. Condition of the interiors is generally good.
4. There are 9 x two-car, 66 x three-car, 59 x four-car, 53 five-car and 4 x seven-car.
5. Cummins engines may be able to run on sustainable fuel like Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).
6. In Grand Central DMU To Be Used For Dual-Fuel Trial, I described innovative fuel trails in a Class 180 train.
7. I suspect Cummins will be taking an interest.

In Cummins And Leclanché S.A. To Collaborate On Lower-Emissions Solutions For Use In Marine And Rail Applications, I asked this question.

How many of these trains could be converted to hybrid operation, if Cummins and Leclanché were to create their version of the mtu Hybrid PowerPack?

I feel that one way or another, the trains in this group should be capable of converting to net-zero operation.

CAF Civity Trains

These three trains have all been recently introduced

• Class 195 – 25 x two-car and 33 x three-car.
• Class 196 – 12 x two-car and 14 x four-car.
• Class 197 – 51 x two-car and 26 x three-car.

Note.

1. The trains all have Rolls-Royce mtu engines.
2.  They are capable of 100 mph.
3. Condition of the interiors is probably as-new!
4. There are 88 x two-car, 59 x three-car and 14 x four-car.
5. All these trains were ordered between 2016 and 2018.
6. Rolls-Royce mtu engines may be able to run on sustainable fuel like Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).

I don’t believe that as these trains were only ordered a few years ago, that the trains were bought with the knowledge of a route which would convert these trains to net-zero operation.

I suspect the most likely route to net-zero operation, would involve the following.

• Replacing the Rolls-Royce mtu engines with mtu Hybrid PowerPacks.
• Running the trains on sustainable fuel.

The work needed would probably be the same for all trains.

Stadler FLIRT Bi-Mode Trains

• Class 231 – 11 x four-car.
• Class 755 – 14 x three-car and 24 x four-car.
• Class 756 – 7 x three-car and 17 x four-car.

Note.

1. The trains all have Rolls-Royce mtu engines.
2.  They are capable of between 75 and 100 mph.
3. Condition of the interiors is probably as-new!
4. There are 21 x three-car and 52 x four-car.
5. All these trains were ordered between 2016 and 2018.
6. As with other recently ordered trains, I am fairly sure that the Deutz engines will be able to run on sustainable fuel like Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).

Stadler have designed these trains, so that diesel engines can be replaced by battery packs.

I suspect the most likely route to net-zero operation, would involve the following.

• Replacing all or some the Deutz engines with battery packs.
• Running the trains on sustainable fuel.

The work needed would probably be the same for all trains.

Hitachi AT-300 Trains

Only the bi-mode trains are lists.

• Class 800 – 31 x five-car and 49 x nine-car.
• Class 802 – 46 x five-car and 14 x nine-car.
• Class 805 – 13 x five-car.
• Class 810 – 33 x five-car.

Note.

1. The trains all have Rolls-Royce mtu engines.
2.  They are capable of 125 mph.
3. Condition of the interiors is probably as-new!
4. There are 123 x three-car and 63 x nine-car.
5. Most were built after 2016.
6. Rolls-Royce mtu engines may be able to run on sustainable fuel like Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).
7. Hitachi are developing battery packs for these trains.

I suspect the most likely route to net-zero operation, would involve the following.

• Replacing all or some the Rolls-Royce mtu engines with battery packs.
• Running the trains on sustainable fuel.

The work needed would probably be the same or similar for all trains.

 

 

January 22, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | CAF, Class AT-300 Train, Cummins, Decarbonisation, Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), mtu Hybrid PowerPack, Rolls-Royce mtu