The British Rail Class 210 was a prototype diesel‑electric multiple‑unit (DEMU) train built by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) in the late 1970s. Only two two‑car units were constructed, numbered 210 001 and 210 002. The class was intended to demonstrate a high‑performance replacement for first‑generation diesel multiple units on non‑electrified routes, but no further units were ordered.
Development
During the 1970s British Rail launched the “High‑Speed Diesel Multiple Unit” (HSDMU) programme to develop a faster, more reliable DMU for inter‑city and regional services. The Class 210 emerged from this programme as a diesel‑electric design, in contrast to the diesel‑mechanical approach later adopted for the Sprinter family (e.g., Class 150). Two prototypes were built at BREL’s York Works and entered service in 1980.
Design
- Formation: Two‑car set comprising a driving motor brake second (DMBS) and a driving trailer second (DTS).
- Powerplant: Each set was equipped with a single diesel engine coupled to an electrical generator; the generated electricity powered traction motors mounted on each bogie. The exact engine model varied between the two prototypes, but both provided sufficient power for a maximum speed of 100 mph (160 km h⁻¹).
- Construction: Steel-bodied carriages with aluminium interior fittings; equipped with air‑conditioning, automatic doors, and conventional BSI couplings.
- Safety and control: Fitted with the standard British Rail multiple‑unit control system, allowing operation in multiple with other diesel units of the era.
Operational history
The two Class 210 units were allocated to the West Midlands area and were used on a variety of services, including trials on the West Coast Main Line and secondary routes in the Midlands. They were employed primarily for performance testing, crew training, and passenger evaluation.
Withdrawal
The prototypes were withdrawn from regular service by the mid‑1980s (210 001 in 1985, 210 002 in 1986) due to the decision to adopt diesel‑mechanical technology for subsequent production DMUs. Both units were subsequently stored, and later scrapped; no examples survived into preservation.
Legacy
Although the Class 210 did not enter mass production, the programme contributed valuable data on diesel‑electric propulsion and high‑speed DMU operation. Insights gained informed the design of later British Rail diesel multiple units, particularly the emphasis on reliability, acceleration, and passenger comfort that characterised the Sprinter series introduced in the mid‑1980s.
References
- British Rail Technical Manuals, 1979–1986.
- “DMU Development Programme”, British Rail Research Report, 1978.
- Railway Gazette International, various issues 1980‑1987.