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. Presently no such classifications are used for the trains officially, but the Class 255 designation was resurrected by Great Western Railway for their short-formed 2+4 sets in 2019.

History

Class 253 and 254

When built, from 1976, the InterCity 125 rolling stock were considered to be diesel-electric multiple units, with semi-fixed formations of power cars and intermediate passenger-carrying trailer cars. They were all numbered in the 4xxxx carriage series set aside for HST and Advanced Passenger Train vehicles. Numbers followed those allocated to the prototype Class 252, so power cars were numbered from 43002 upwards. Class 253 were Western Region 2+7 sets operating out of London Paddington, Class 254 Eastern Region and Scottish Region 2+8 sets operating out of London King's Cross.
However, because two power cars carried the same 'set number', problems arose when for servicing reasons different units were used on a train, which would then display a different number at each end. For this reason, British Rail abolished the initial numbering system and all individual power cars became identified as such, using the format 43 xxx - this number was previously carried in small digits in the bodysides, prefixed by a 'W', 'E' or 'Sc' to identify the region, thus the power cars were reclassified as Class 43 diesel locomotives and the trailer cars as hauled Mark 3 carriages, collectively known as an InterCity 125. Despite this change in designation, no power car or carriage was renumbered.
Classes 253 and 254 are still referenced in the Network Rail Scottish sectional appendix.
ClassOperatorNumberYear BuiltCars per SetSet Numbers.
Class 253BR Western Region271975-19779253 001-253 027
Class 253BR Western Region131978-19799253 028-253 040
Class 253BR Cross Country181981-19829253 041-253 058
Class 254BR Eastern Region321977-197910254 001-254 032
Class 254BR Scottish Region4198210254 033-254 036

Class 255

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. 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. 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.
ClassOperatorNumberYear BuiltCars per SetNumbers
Class 255Virgin CrossCountry14 2002 2+5255001-255014

Present

'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. 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. 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. The first set for GWR entered service in March 2019.

Named powercars

With the sets being known as Castle sets, GWR announced that most powercars in the fleet would be receiving a nameplate based off a traditional castle from the south-west. Other powercars which are not going to have castle nameplates will keep their current ones too.
on powercar 43170.
NumberNameplate
43004Caerphilly Castle
43041St Catherine's Castle
43042Tregenna Castle
43092Cromwell's Castle
43093Old Oak Common HST Depot 1976-2018
43094St Mawes Castle
43097Castle Drogo
43098Walton Castle
43122Dunster Castle
43153Chûn Castle
43154Compton Castle
43155Rougemont Castle
43158Kingswear Castle
43170Chepstow Castle
43186Taunton Castle
43187Y Cymru The Welshman
43188Newport Castle
Y Cymru The Welshman / Geraint Thomas
43189Launceston Castle
43192Trematon Castle
43194Okehampton Castle
43198Driver 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 RangeTypeNotes
400xxTrailer Buffet Renumbered 404xx in 1983; some converted to 402xx series
403xxTrailer Buffet All converted to 407xx series
405xxTrailer Kitchen All withdrawn and converted for other uses
41xxxTrailer First Majority in service, some converted or scrapped
42xxxTrailer Second Majority in service, some converted or scrapped
43002-43198Driving Motor Majority in service, three scrapped after accidents
44000-44101Trailer Guard Second 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