Four decades of the Sprinters: the privatisation years

Following part one’s look at the Sprinter revolution BR implemented in the late 1980s, Pip Dunn turns to how the units are almost all still in traffic and how they have been a valuable tool for the private sector.

In this article:

• The historical allocation and franchising of Sprinter DMUs in the UK rail industry, the various sectors and companies involved.
• Sprinters afce challenges including the impact of new train orders and the gradual phase-out of older models.
• The state of Sprinter units, their ongoing use, and potential future conversions to alternative fuels amid the push for decarbonisation.

In the run-up to privatisation starting in 1994, BR had created business sectors that were aimed at attributing costs better and reducing waste and underutilisation of resources.

All the Class 150, ‘153’, ‘155’, ‘156’, ‘158’ and ‘159’ Sprinter diesel multiple units (DMUs) were allocated to the Regional Railways business, apart from the Class 159s delivered to Network SouthEast.

Regional Railways was responsible for local and rural passenger operations, and was a nationwide sector that included the likes of ScotRail, the Cornish branch lines and many cross-country routes.

Some argued that BR should sell off (or franchise) such sectors - Railfreight, InterCity, Regional Railways, Parcels, Departmental and Network SouthEast - rather than adopt the franchise model ultimately chosen.

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