The Watercress Line in mid-Hampshire is to become the UK’s first heritage railway to add a Class 150 Sprinter train to its running fleet.
The second-generation ‘Sprinter’ Diesel Multiple Unit dates back to 1987 and has its engines and seating all within one structure.
Leasing company Porterbrook has donated the unit, numbered 150231. It is currently at ‘The Greatest Gathering’ in Derby, a ‘Railway 200’ celebration of railway heritage.
The team at Greatest Gathering team has organised for the unit to return to its original 1987 external livery.
For its second generation of diesel Multiple Units (DMUs), British Rail considered two designs: the lightweight ‘Pacer’ type using mainly bus technology, and the more substantial ‘Sprinters’.
One of the most significant changes from the first generation DMUs was the replacement of traditional ‘slam doors’ by power sliding doors.
British Rail Engineering Ltd built a total of 137 Class 150 units at York works between 1984 and 1987. Each coach has a six-cylinder 286hp Cummins 4-stroke diesel engine, driving a Voith transmission. the units have a top speed of 75 mph.
Class 150s are still in use with Transport for Wales, Northern and First Great Western. However, they are being withdrawn as replacements enter service.
During its career, 150231 worked from Manchester and then Norwich, a brief spell on ‘Silverlink’, Central Trains and Arriva Trains Wales in November 2007.
Its last working day was Wednesday 9 July 2025, when it worked 2V30 18:35 Shrewsbury to Swansea and then empty stock 5V30 23:03 Swansea to Cardiff Canton Depot.
The unit will now enable the Watercress Line service to fill a gap in its service, enabling it to offer an earlier departure from Alton than the current 11.50 steam service.
The Class 150 will arrive at The Watercress Line for operational induction and training at the end of the summer. It will enter service later in the year.
“Since our previous multiple unit, the Class 205 ‘Hampshire Unit’ came out of service in 2004, we have been looking out for an opportunity to fill in the service for our visitors from the Alton and London end of the Watercress Line. We hope to start restoration of the 1959 ‘Hampshire Unit’ to be our mainstay for the Alton service, with this Class 150 in support.”
Rebecca Dalley, CEO, Mid Hants Railway – The Watercress Line
Responses
It’s refreshing that the Watercress line is getting a Class 150 which is a tolerable DMU. So many preserved lines have now acquired the awful 4-wheel Pacers which were to be avoided when in national rail service and are similalrly to be avoided on preserved lines!
Couldn’t agree more about the Pacers.
I would like to see this Class 150 put to use as a shuttle service between Medstead & Four Marks (possibly Ropley) and Alton for the morning and evening commuters to use
I am older enough to remember the introduction of both Pacers and Sprinters. The pacers were dreadful units, and I would even get a later train rather travel on a bouncing train with bus seats.The sprinters, which never seemed to change gear, were far superior. Northern have successfully refurbished many of them which is a testament to quality build, something that could never be said about Pacers. I always thought if you had a Pacer fitted to your heart it was to keep your body running for a few more years. That was what the terrible pacers were supposed to do for BR, it did not work.