The British Rail Class 196 Civity is a class of diesel multiple unit built for West Midlands Trains by Spanish rolling stock manufacturer CAF. A total of 26 units have been built; 12 two-car units and 14 four-car units.[11]
| British Rail Class 196 Civity | |
|---|---|
 Four-car Class 196 at Shrewsbury | |
 Interior of a Class 196 unit | |
| In service | 17 October 2022 – present |
| Manufacturer | CAF |
| Built at | Newport, Wales (final assembly) |
| Family name | Civity |
| Replaced | Class 170/5 |
| Constructed | 2019–2022 |
| Number built |
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| Formation |
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| Fleet numbers |
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| Capacity |
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| Owners | Corelink Rail[4] |
| Operators | West Midlands Railway |
| Depots |
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| Lines served |
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| Specifications | |
| Doors |
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| Maximum speed | 100 mph (160 km/h) |
| Prime mover(s) | |
| Engine type | Inline-6 turbo-diesel[10] |
| Displacement | 12.8 L (780 cu in) per engine[10] |
| Power output |
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| Safety system(s) | |
| Coupling system | Dellner[9] |
| Multiple working | Within class (max. 8 cars)[note 1] |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
They are the first train of the Civity family to feature end gangways.
History
Shortly after the announcement that a consortium of Abellio, Mitsui and JR East had been awarded the West Midlands franchise, West Midlands Trains confirmed they had placed an order for 26 diesel multiple units based on CAF's Civity platform.[12]
The first completed unit started testing at the Velim railway test circuit in December 2019.[13]
The first vehicle arrived at Tyseley TMD in Birmingham on 17 April 2020, having travelled by ship from Cuxhaven to Hull.[14] Revenue services using the new fleet began on 17 October 2022, on services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham.[15]
Operators
West Midlands Trains
West Midlands Trains use the Class 196 fleet to replace their 23 Class 170/5 Turbostar units on services between Birmingham and Shrewsbury via Telford. They also run on Birmingham to Hereford services from 2023,[16] with occasional appearances on the Snow Hill Lines (Dorridge & Stratford-upon-Avon to Worcester).[17] Six 2-car units will be allocated to the initial services operated on the East West Rail route between Oxford and Milton Keynes.[6]
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | Qty. | Year built | Cars per unit | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 196/0 | West Midlands Trains | 12 | 2019–2022 | 2 | 196001–196012 |
| 196/1 | 14 | 4 | 196101–196114 |
Named units
Some units have received names:
See also
- British Rail Class 195 - A diesel multiple unit variant of the CAF Civity UK platform built for Northern.
- British Rail Class 197 - A diesel multiple unit variant of the CAF Civity UK platform built for Transport for Wales Rail.
- British Rail Class 331 - An electric multiple unit variant of the CAF Civity UK platform also built for Northern.
Notes
References
External links
Media related to British Rail Class 196 at Wikimedia Commons