Class 156 SUPER SPRINTER DMUs

 Metro-Cammell British Rail built Diesel Multiple Unit trains

Class 156 units DMSL-DMS were built of steel in 1987-1989 with a maximum speed of 75 mph.

Contemporary and Heritage-Preserved, Diesel, Diesel-Electric and Electric Locomotives

A history of the Class 156 DMUs

My Archive Steam Photos from the 1960s

Nostalgic Steam Train Photos from the 1960s  *  Email: chem55555@hotmail.com

[Author & photographer © Dr WP Brown PhD (plus 'DocsPics' help from AI these days), page updated May 8th 2025]

On the very scenic Esk valley line, 3-car Class 156 DMU unit 156491 arriving at Grosmont station with a Northern Rail service from Whitby to Middlesbrough (NYMR autumn steam gala 2024)

2-car Class 156 unit 156487 arriving and leaving Shildon Station, with a Northern Rail service from Saltburn to Bishop Auckland, 2024

Honouring 100 years of the ROYAL AIR FORCE Class 156 DMU 156480 at Middlesbrough Station with a Bishop Auckland-Darlington-Saltburn Northern Rail Service (20/05/2022)

4-car set of Class 156 DMUs passing Danby Moors Centre path over the Esk Valley Railway, a Northern Rail service from Middlesbrough to Whitby.

A Northern Rail Class 156 DMU passing the site of Gilsland station with a Carlisle to Newcastle service.

Class 156 DMU unit 156413 waiting at Lincoln Central station with an East Midlands service to Leicester (Feb 2nd 2018)

Class 156 DMU 156454 photographed between Castleton Moor and Danby stations with a Northern Rail service from Middlesbrough to Whitby.

Class 156 DMU 3-car unit 156469 stopping at Grosmont station with a Northern Rail Whitby to Middlesbrough service on the wonderfully scenic Esk Valley Line.

Class 156 DMU 156498 with an East Midlands service to Liverpool Limes Street, at Peterborough

DMU Class 156 156427 leaving Manchester Piccadilly Station with a train for Manchester Airport (March 2016)

DMU Class 156 156427 leaving Manchester Piccadilly Station with a train for Manchester Airport (March 2016)

Class 156 DMU set 156481 at Hexham station with a Northern Rail service from Carlisle to Newcastle.

Class 156 DMU 156446 at Carlisle station with a ScotRail service from Glasgow to Newcastle, Class 156 156511 with the Newcastle to Glasgow service.

ScotRail Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter Class 156 DMU 502 (Class 156 carriage numbers 57502 and 52502)

In Arriva livery, Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter DMU Class 156 156486 (156 486, Class 156 carriage nos. 52486 and 57486) at the tiny Commondale station on the Esk Valley railway line with a Whitby Middlesbrough train.

Northern Rail Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter DMU Class 156 480 train (carriage unit 156480, carriage nos. 52480 and 57480) entering Grosmont Station with a Whitby Middlesbrough train

ScotRail Class 156 DMU 156445 at Newcastle Station with a train for Carlisle and Glasgow.

Northern Rail Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter Class 156 diesel multiple unit 156484 (156 484, class 156 carriage numbers 52484 and 57484) standing in Middlesbrough station (train?).

On the right is Northern Rail DMU Class 156 156483 (on the left is a Class 180) standing in Newcastle Central Station with a train for ?

Northern Rail Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter Class 156 DMU 156444 (Class 156 carriage nos. 52444 and 57444) at Castleton Station with a Whitby-Middlesbrough train on a very wintery morning in the Esk Valley of North Yorkshire.

Arriva trains Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter Class 156 156491 (156 491, Class 156 carriage numbers 52491 & 57491) leaving Danby Station with a Middlesbrough Whitby train.

Arriva trains Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter Class 156 156454 (156 454, carriage nos. 52454 & 57454) passing Box Hall between Commondale and Castleton with a Middlesbrough -Whitby train.

Northern Rail train Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter Northern Rail DMU Class 156 Unit 156484 (carriage units 52484 and 57484) at Marton Station near Middlesbrough

Northern Rail Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter Class 156 DMU 451 (unit 156451, Class 156 carriage numbers 57451 and 52451)

Northern rail Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter Class 156 unit 156490 (Class 156 carriage numbers 52490 and 57490 at Hexham Station)

Scotrail Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter Class 156 DMU 437 156437 carriages 57437 and 52437 (Haltwhistle Station 2013)

ScotRail Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter Class 156 156433 (Class 156 carriage numbers 57433 and 52433, Haltwhistle station)

Descending down to Wigan Wallgate station, a two carriage Class 156 DMU 156421 Northern Rail service from Manchester Airport to Southport, observed from Wigan North Western station.

Northern Rail Metro-Cammell Super Sprinter Class 156 156443 (Class 156 carriage numbers 52443 and 57443 at Haltwhistle station)

 A two-car Class 156 DMU waits at Carlisle with a ScotRail train north to Glasgow.

 A two-car train Class 156 DMU 156444 arrives at Middlesbrough Station with a Northern Rail service from Whitby.

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A two-car Class 156 DMU passing Melkridge between Hexham and Haltwhistle. The dark winter sky in January 2015 fits in with heavy rain that had fallen causing landslides to block the Newcastle -Carlisle line between Hexham and Prudoe.

Single car East Midlands Super Sprinter Class 156 DMU 156311 at Derby station with a service for Crewe (18/01/17)

Class 156 DMU set 156443 at Whitby station with a Northern Railway (new livery!) service to Middlesbrough (July 2107)

A history of Class 156 diesel multiple units (DMUs)

The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is one of the most successful and enduring second‑generation DMUs, built 1987–89 as a more comfortable, long‑distance counterpart to the Class 150.
It remains a backbone of regional services across Scotland, northern England, and East Anglia—very much part of the railway landscape you work with in your heritage guides.

Below is a structured, detailed, context‑rich history aligned with your preference for comparative, technical, and operational depth.

1. Why the Class 156 DMUs Was Developed

By the mid‑1980s, BR needed a DMU that could:

• replace ageing first‑generation units on longer rural and inter‑urban routes

• offer better comfort than the Class 150

• provide corridor connections for revenue protection and catering

• reduce maintenance costs through standardisation

The Class 150 had proven successful, but its interior was too “suburban” for long‑distance work. BR therefore commissioned a more refined Sprinter, with:

• wider doors

• improved seating

• better sound insulation

• a smoother ride

The result was the Class 156 Super Sprinter.

2. Construction and Technical Design of the Class 156 DMUs

Built: 1987–1989
Manufacturer: Metro‑Cammell, Washwood Heath
Number built: 114 two‑car sets
Fleet numbers: 156401–156514

Technical Specifications of the Class 156 DMUs

• Engine: Cummins NT855‑R5 (285 hp per car)

• Transmission: Voith T211r hydrokinetic

• Top speed: 75 mph

• Body: Steel, 23 m long

• Doors: Double‑leaf sliding plug doors

• Couplers: BSI

• Seating: Typically 140–150 per set

Design Improvements over Class 150

• Full corridor connections

• Quieter interiors

• Better heating and insulation

• More comfortable seating

• Larger vestibules for rural traffic

• Flush‑fitting doors (less draughty, more reliable)

The 156 was effectively the “middle‑distance” Sprinter, bridging the gap between the 150 and the later 158.

3. Entry Into Service of the Class 156 DMUs (1987–1989)

The first units entered service in October 1987, initially with ScotRail and Regional Railways North West. They quickly spread across:

• Scotland

• North‑West England

• East Anglia

• Cumbria

• Lincolnshire

• The West Country

They replaced a huge variety of first‑generation DMUs, including Classes 101, 105, 107, 108, 120, and 122.

4. Operational History of the Class 156 DMUs by Region

Scotland (largest operator)

The Class 156 became the backbone of rural and inter‑urban services:

• Glasgow–Oban/Fort William (historically)

• Glasgow–Stranraer

• Edinburgh–Dunblane

• Inverness–Kyle/Wick (before 158s took over)

• Borders Railway (initially)

Their ruggedness suits Highland gradients and harsh weather.

Northern England

Northern Trains uses 156s extensively on:

• Cumbrian Coast Line

• Tyne Valley Line

• Leeds–Carlisle

• Teesside routes

• Manchester–Blackpool (historically)

They are a familiar sight across the North‑East and Cumbria—very much part of the landscape you often reference.

East Anglia

Anglia Railways and later Greater Anglia used 156s on:

• Norwich–Great Yarmouth/Lowestoft

• Ipswich–Cambridge

• Rural Suffolk and Norfolk routes

Midlands

East Midlands Trains (and later EMR) used them on:

• Nottingham–Skegness

• Lincolnshire routes

• Leicester–Lincoln

5. Modifications and Upgrades of the Class 156 DMUs

Over their long careers, Class 156s have received:

• Accessibility refits (PRM‑TSI)

• New seating and flooring

• LED lighting

• Passenger information systems

• Engine overhauls

• Door system upgrades

• CCTV

Some Scottish units received retention toilets for environmentally sensitive routes.

6. Relationship to Other Sprinters of the Class 156 DMUs

The 156 sits at a key point in the Sprinter family:

The 156 was the stepping stone to the Express Sprinter concept.

7. Present Day use of the Class 156 DMUs (2026)

Around 110 units remain in service, making the 156 one of the longest‑lived second‑generation DMUs.
Current operators include:

• ScotRail

• Northern Trains

• East Midlands Railway

Their future depends on decarbonisation policy. Replacement is likely by:

• battery‑electric units (Scotland’s preferred option)

• bi‑modes

• new regional EMUs where electrification is extended

But withdrawal will be gradual—many will remain into the early–mid 2030s.

8. Why the Class 156 DMUs Matters

• A key part of BR’s late‑1980s modernisation

• One of the most successful rural/inter‑urban DMUs ever built

• Still essential on scenic and remote routes

• A crucial link between early Sprinters and the Express Sprinter family

• A familiar presence across Scotland and the North—regions central to your heritage work

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My Archive Steam Photos from the 1960s

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Good trainspotting 'TRAINSPOTS' Good trainspotting and photographic locations  Barnetby Station, North Lincolnshire  *  Carlisle Station  *  Clapham Junction Station, London  *  Colton Junction, south of York  *  Crewe Station  *  Doncaster Station, South Yorkshire  * Hellifield station - Carlisle to Settle line * Lancaster station  * Newcastle Station  *  Northallerton Station  *  Nuneaton Station  *  Sheffield Station  *  Stratford Station, East London * Warrington Bank Quay station * Wigan North Western - WCML *  York Station

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IMAGES OF PRESERVED STEAM LOCOMOTIVES