British Rail Class 172

British Rail Class 172
Turbostar
West Midlands Railway Class 172/3s at Birmingham Moor Street
West Midlands Railway Class 172 saloon
In service10 July 2010 – present
ManufacturerBombardier Transportation
Built atDerby Litchurch Lane Works
Family nameTurbostar
Replaced
Constructed2010–2011
Number built39
Successor
Formation
  • 2 cars per 172/0, /1, /2 unit:[1]
    DMOS-DMOSLW
  • 3 cars per 172/3 unit:[1]
    DMOS-MOS-DMOSLW
Fleet numbers
  • 172/0: 172001–172008
  • 172/1: 172101–172104
  • 172/2: 172211–172222
  • 172/3: 172331–172345
Capacity
  • 172/0: 124 seats
  • 172/1: 140 seats + 5 tip-up
  • 172/2: 120 seats + 19 tip-up
  • 172/3: 192 seats + 27 tip-up[2]
Owners
OperatorsWest Midlands Railway
DepotsTyseley[4]
Lines served
Specifications
Car body constructionWelded aluminium with steel ends[5]
Car length
  • DM. vehs.: 23.62 m (77 ft 6 in)[1]
  • MOS vehs.: 23.00 m (75 ft 6 in)[1]
Width2.69 m (8 ft 10 in)[1]
Height3.77 m (12 ft 4 in)[1]
DoorsDouble-leaf sliding plug (2 per side per car)
Maximum speed
  • 172/0 units: 75 mph (121 km/h)[5]
  • Others: 100 mph (160 km/h)[6][1]
Weight(see § Vehicle weights)
Axle loadRoute Availability 1[1]
Prime mover(s)2 or 3 × MTU 6H 1800 R83
(one per car)[5][6][1]
Engine typeInline-6 four-stroke turbo-diesel[7]
Displacement12.8 L (782 cu in) per engine[7]
Power output360 kW (480 hp) per engine[7]
TransmissionZF Ecomat HP 902 R
(6-speed mechanical)[5][6]
UIC classification
  • 2-car: 2′B′+B′2′
  • 3-car: 2′B′+2′B′+B′2′
BogiesBombardier B5006[5][6]
Braking system(s)Electro-pneumatic (disc)
(Westinghouse 3-step)[1]
Safety system(s)
Coupling systemBSI[1]
Multiple workingWithin class, and with Classes 14x, 15x, and 170[5][6]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 172 is a British diesel multiple unit (DMU) passenger train from the Turbostar family, built by Bombardier Transportation's Derby Litchurch Lane Works for use on inner-suburban passenger services. The class is currently operated by West Midlands Railway.

The Class 172 is part of the Turbostar range, similar to the Class 168, Class 170 and Class 171.

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Class 172 Diesel Multiple Unit (PDF) (1A ed.). Derby: Porterbrook Leasing Company. January 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  2. ^ Pritchard, Robert; Hall, Peter (2018). British Railways Locomotives & Coaching Stock 2018. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. p. 248. ISBN 978-1-909431-44-7.
  3. ^ "Our Fleet - Class 172". London: Angel Trains. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  4. ^ "New maintenance contract for 170s". News. Today's Railways UK. No. 268. June 2024. p. 10.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Regional Passenger Trains - Class 172/0 - London Overground". London: Angel Trains. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Regional Passenger Trains - Class 172/1 - Chiltern Railways". London: Angel Trains. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Powerpacks with 6H 1800 for Railcar Applications (PDF) (01/20 ed.). MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2022.