List of British Rail diesel multiple unit classes


This is a list of British Rail diesel multiple-unit train classes.
For a historical overview of diesel multiple-unit train development in Great Britain, see British railcars and diesel multiple units.

Pre-nationalisation designs

Early BR DMUs (79xxx series)

ManufacturerEngines TransmissionTypeBuiltQuantity WithdrawnNotesImageScrapped
BR Derby 'Lightweight'2 × Leyland or 2 × AEC hydraulic or mechanical low density1954-1959217 vehicles1967-19697 vehicles survived in departmental stock until 1977-1994215
Metro-Cammell 'Lightweight'2 × AEC mechanicallow density1955-195636 sets1967-196979047 + 79053 survived in departmental stock until 1981.All
AC Cars Railbuses1 × AEC mechanicalrailbus1958519683
Bristol-ECW Railbuses1 × Gardner mechanicalrailbus195821966All
Park Royal Railbuses1 × AEC mechanicalrailbus195851966-1968All
Waggon and Maschinenbau Railbuses1 × Büssing mechanicalrailbus195851966-19671
Wickham Railbuses1 × Meadows mechanicalrailbus195861966Elliot Track Recorder survived in departmental use until 19975

TOPS classes

Second generation

Lightweight railcars

Pacers

Sprinters

Turbos

Networker

Turbostar

Coradias

Desiro

Civity

Diesel-electric multiple units (DEMUs)

Southern Region DEMUs

ClassSR codeBuiltQuantity WithdrawnImageScrapped
Class 2016S1957-587 × 6-car sets1986About 5
Class 2026L1957-589 × 6-car sets1986About 8
Class 2036B19587 × 6-car sets19905
Class 2042H/3T19574 × 3-car sets
1987About 3
Class 2052H/3H1957-624 × 2-car and 29 × 3-car sets1992–2004About 21
Class 2063R19646 × 3-car sets
1979All
Class 2073D196219 × 3-car sets1990–2004About 16

Second Generation

Voyager-style express DEMUs

High-speed trains