British Rail Class 231

British Rail Class 231
FLIRT
Class 231 unit at Lisvane and Thornhill in 2023
Interior
In service18 January 2023 – present[1]
ManufacturerStadler Rail
AssemblyStadler Bussnang AG
Built at
Family nameFLIRT
Replaced
Constructed2021–2022
Number built11
Number in service11
Formation4 cars per unit:[note 1]
DMS-TS-PP-TSW-DMS[2]
Fleet numbers231001–231011
Capacity170 seats, plus 36 tip-up & 180 standees
OwnersSMBC Leasing[3]
OperatorsTransport for Wales Rail
DepotsCanton (Cardiff)
Specifications
Car body constructionAluminium
Train length80.7 m (264 ft 9 in)
Width
  • Passenger vehicles:
    2.720 m (8 ft 11.1 in)
  • Power Pack:
    2.822 m (9 ft 3.1 in)[4]
Height3.915 m (12 ft 10.1 in)
Floor height960 mm (3 ft 2 in)
DoorsDouble-leaf sliding plug, each 1.300 m (4 ft 3.2 in) wide
(total 6 per side)
Wheel diameter
  • Powered: 870 mm (34 in)
  • Unpowered: 760 mm (30 in)
WheelbaseBogies: 2.700 m (8 ft 10.3 in)
Maximum speed90 mph (145 km/h)
Weight154.3 tonnes (151.9 long tons; 170.1 short tons) (4-car set)[5]
Traction systemIGBT
Prime mover(s)4 × Deutz 16-litre V8 turbo-diesel
Power output1,500 kW (2,000 hp) at wheel
Tractive effortStarting: 160 kN (36,000 lbf)
Acceleration0.9 m/s2 (2.0 mph/s)
UIC classificationBo′2′2′2′2′Bo′
Safety system(s)
Multiple workingWithin class (max. 3 units)
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Notes/references
Sourced from [6] unless otherwise noted.

The British Rail Class 231[7] is a class of eleven diesel-electric multiple units of the FLIRT family, which have been built for Transport for Wales by Swiss rolling stock manufacturer Stadler Rail. The first units entered service on 18 January 2023.[1]

  1. ^ a b Lee Waters MS [@Amanwy] (18 January 2023). "All aboard!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Fletcher, Steve (27 June 2022). "The Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2011, as amended – Stadler Bussnang AG, Class 231/0" (PDF). Letter to Anandarajah Mariadas (Stadler Bussnang AG). London: Office of Rail and Road. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Time to take stock as the 'bubble' bursts…". Rail Magazine. No. 989. 9 August 2023. pp. 42–47.
  4. ^ Bi-Mode Multiple Unit - FLIRT - Greater Anglia, UK (PDF). Bussnang: Stadler Rail Group. 1 August 2019. FEABMU0819e. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Class 231" (PDF). Transport for Wales. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  6. ^ FLIRT Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit - Transport for Wales (PDF). Bussnang: Stadler Rail Group. 1 April 2023. FWBDMU0423e. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  7. ^ Transport for Wales Rail [@tfwrail] (2 December 2019). "The diesel-electric Metro trains that will run on the Maesteg, Ebbw Vale and Cardiff-Cheltenham lines from 2022 will be Class 231" (Tweet) – via Twitter.


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