Sprinter (British Rail)

Common card · No. 413298

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. The group includes Class 150, 151, 153, 154, 155, 156, 158 and 159. Most have Cummins engines with Voith hydraulic transmissions, although 47 Class 158 units have Perkins engines instead. Originally British Rail coined the Sprinter name for the units, mainly to promote the superior acceleration capabilities of the units compared with the first-generation diesel multiple units (DMUs) that they replaced. Advertisements such as "The Sprinters are coming" were advertised locally in newspapers when these trains were scheduled to be introduced. Great play was also made of, in many cases, reduced journey times.

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