British Rail Classes 253, 254 and 255

Class 253, Class 254 and Class 255 are TOPS classifications that have been applied to InterCity 125 high speed trains in Great Britain in the past. The classifications are not currently in official use, but the Class 255 designation was resurrected by Great Western Railway for their short-formed 2+4 sets in 2019.

British Rail Classes 253 and 254
High Speed Train
Class 253 at Dawlish Warren in the 1970s
In service1976 – present
ManufacturerBritish Rail Engineering Limited
Family nameHigh Speed Train
ReplacedSeparate locomotives and carriages
Constructed1975 – 1982
Number built58 sets (Class 253)
36 sets (Class 254)
Number in service54 sets
Number preserved4 power cars
Number scrapped3 sets
Formation2+7 cars (Class 253)
2+8 cars (Class 254)
Fleet numbers253001-253058
254001-254036
Operator(s)Western Region
Eastern Region
Scottish Region
InterCity
Line(s) servedGreat Western Main Line
East Coast Main Line
Cross Country Route
Midland Main Line
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Maximum speed125 mph (200 km/h)
Prime mover(s)Paxman Valenta 12cyl 12RP200L
Power output2,250 bhp (1,680 kW) per power car

History

Class 253 and 254
Class 254 at Edinburgh Waverley in 1978

When built, from 1976 onwards, the InterCity 125 rolling stock was classified in the diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) series; with semi-fixed formations of power cars and intermediate passenger-carrying trailer cars. They were all numbered in the 4xxxx carriage series. Numbers followed on from those allocated to the prototype Class 252; power cars being numbered from 43002 upwards. Class 253 were Western Region 2+7 (two power cars and seven coaches) sets operating out of London Paddington, Class 254 Eastern Region and Scottish Region 2+8 sets operating out of London King's Cross.[1][2]

Because power cars could be serviced independently of their allocated set number, the initial set numbering was abolished on the power cars once they started to be moved between sets – the power cars were then reclassified class 43 locomotives once divorced from the initial fixed formations and the trailers treated as coaching stock (albeit remaining dedicated to InterCity 125 formations. None of this resulted in power car or carriage renumbering.

Classes 253 and 254 are still referenced in the Network Rail Scottish sectional appendix.[3]

Class Operator Number Year Built Cars per Set Set Numbers.
Class 253 BR Western Region 27 1975-1977 9 253 001-253 027
13 1978-1979 253 028-253 040
BR Cross Country 18 1981-1982 253 041-253 058
Class 254 BR Eastern Region 32 1977-1979 10 254 001-254 032
BR Scottish Region 4 1982 254 033-254 036

Class 255
British Rail Class 255 Challenger
In serviceNever Introduced
ManufacturerBritish Rail Engineering Limited
Family nameHigh Speed Train
Constructed1975 – 1982
2002 (planned refurbishment)
Number built14 sets (planned)
Formation2+5 cars
Operator(s)Virgin CrossCountry
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Maximum speed125 mph (200 km/h)
Prime mover(s)Paxman Valenta 12 cyl 12RP200L
Power output2,250 bhp (1,680 kW) per power car

In 2002, Class 255 was allocated for the reformation of some HST power cars and trailers into semi-fixed formation trains, to be known as Virgin Challengers, for use by Virgin CrossCountry after the introduction of its new Voyagers (classes 220 and 221). These formations would have had power cars sandwiching one Trailer First, a Trailer Buffet, two Trailer Seconds and a Trailer Guard Second, and were intended for use on planned services between Blackpool, Manchester and Birmingham, and Paddington to Birmingham via Swindon.[4] These plans were later abandoned with the Strategic Rail Authority deciding to transfer most of the stock to Midland Mainline for London St Pancras to Manchester Project Rio services.[5][6]

Class Operator Number Year Built Cars per Set Numbers
Class 255 Virgin CrossCountry 14 (planned) 2002 (planned refurbishment) 2+5 255001-255014

Present

Great Western Railway's short formed HST sets have been designated the Class 255 Castle classification, though this is not a TOPS classification as they are still InterCity 125 trains.[7] Following their use on intercity services with GWR until the Class 800 and Class 802 units took over, GWR announced they would be retaining eleven four-carriage sets for increasing capacity on local and regional services between Cardiff Central, Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth and Penzance, with one set spare.[8][9] With twelve sets total, 48 Mark 3 coaches with sliding doors and 24 Class 43 powercars will be kept to form these sets, with the new addition of toilet retention tanks and a passenger information system.[10] The first set for GWR entered service in March 2019.

Class Operator Number Year Built Cars per Set
Class 255 Castle Great Western Railway 12 2018-20 (refurbishment) 4

Named powercars

With the sets being known as Castle sets, GWR announced that most powercars in the fleet would be receiving a nameplate based on a traditional castle from the south-west.[11][12] Other powercars which are not going to have castle nameplates will keep their current ones too.

A GWR Castle set at Exeter St Davids with powercars 43155 - 43154.
Chepstow Castle on powercar 43170.
Number Nameplate
43004 Caerphilly Castle
43041 St Catherine's Castle
43042 Tregenna Castle
43092 Cromwell's Castle
43093 Old Oak Common HST Depot 1976-2018
43094 St Mawes Castle
43097 Castle Drogo
43098 Walton Castle
43122 Dunster Castle
43153 Chûn Castle
43154 Compton Castle
43155 Rougemont Castle
43158 Kingswear Castle
43170 Chepstow Castle
43186 Taunton Castle
43187 Y Cymru The Welshman
43188 Newport Castle

Y Cymru The Welshman / Geraint Thomas

43189 Launceston Castle
43192 Trematon Castle
43194 Okehampton Castle
43198 Driver Brian Cooper 15 June 1947 - 5 October 1999

Driver Stan Martin 25 June 1960 - 6 November 2004

Formation

The vehicle types used to form High Speed Trains are listed below:

Number Range Type Notes
400xx Trailer Buffet (TRSB) Renumbered 404xx in 1983; some converted to 402xx series
403xx Trailer Buffet (TRUB) All converted to 407xx series (first class)
405xx Trailer Kitchen (TRUK) All withdrawn and converted for other uses
41xxx Trailer First (TF) Majority in service, some converted or scrapped
42xxx Trailer Second (TS) Majority in service, some converted or scrapped
43002-43198 Driving Motor (Brake) (DM or DMB) Majority in service, three scrapped after accidents, 43002 preserved
44000-44101 Trailer Guard Second (TGS) Majority in service, some converted

The 197 power cars produced are numbered 43002-43198. The two prototype power cars, were originally numbered 41001 and 41002, latterly becoming 43000 and 43001.

Accidents and incidents

References
  1. "Class 253 High Speed Train". Railblue.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  2. "Class 254 High Speed Train". Railblue.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  3. "Sectional Appendix full PDF copies". Network Rail. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  4. Virgin set to rebrand HSTs as Class 255 Challengers The Railway Magazine issue 1210 February 2002 page 4
  5. Virgin's HST Challenger project is put on ice Rail issue 453 22 January 2003 page 15
  6. Privatisation 1993 - 2005 125 Group
  7. Assisted Travel Team (2018). Making rail accessible: Helping older and disabled people (PDF) (Technical report). Great Western Railway. p. 69. 503058/02.
  8. Clinnick, Richard (21 May 2019). "Speculation increases over use of HSTs". Rail. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  9. GWR to retain 11 HST sets for local services Today's Railways UK issue 181 January 2017 page 67
  10. Rossiter, Keith; Thomas, David (26 March 2018). "More seats and more services for Cornwall's trains". cornwalllive. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  11. "HST Nameplate Display". Steam - Museum of the Great Western Railway. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  12. Hub, The Railway (3 September 2019). "GWR gives 'Castle' names to its HST power cars... and revives Class 255 designation". The Railway Hub. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  13. Hoole, Ken (1983). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 4. Redruth: Atlantic Books. p. 36. ISBN 0-906899-07-9.
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