British Rail Class 230
The British Rail Class 230 D-Train is a diesel electric multiple unit or battery EMU built by rolling stock manufacturer Vivarail for the British rail network. The units are converted from old London Underground D78 Stock, originally manufactured in 1980 by Metro-Cammell, and have been assigned the designation of Class 230 under TOPS.
| British Rail Class 230 D-Train | |
|---|---|
Transport for Wales Class 230 arriving into Wrexahm General. | |
Interior of a London Northwestern Railway unit | |
| In service | 23 April 2019 – present |
| Manufacturer |
|
| Family name | D-Train |
| Replaced | |
| Constructed | 2015–2022 |
| Number built | 11 |
| Successor | Class 150 (London Northwestern Railway) |
| Formation | 2 or 3 cars per unit |
| Fleet numbers | 230001–230011 |
| Operators |
|
| Depots | TfW: Birkenhead North |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Aluminium |
| Car length |
|
| Width | 2.840 m (9 ft 4 in) |
| Height | 3.703 m (12 ft 2 in) |
| Doors | Single-leaf sliding pocket, each 1.127 m (3 ft 8 in) wide |
| Wheel diameter | 790–710 mm (31.10–27.95 in) (new–worn) |
| Wheelbase |
|
| Maximum speed | 60 mph (97 km/h) |
| Prime mover(s) | 4 × Ford Duratorq 3.2 TDCi |
| Engine type | Inline-5 4-stroke turbo-diesel with EGR |
| Displacement | 3.19 L (195 cu in) per engine |
| Traction motors | 8 × TSA TME 32-43-4, each of 56 kW (75 hp) |
| Power output | 588 kW (789 hp) total (147 kW (197 hp) per engine) |
| UIC classification | 2-car units: Bo′Bo′+Bo′Bo′ |
| Bogies | Bombardier |
| Braking system(s) | Electro-pneumatic |
| Safety system(s) |
|
| Coupling system | Wedglock |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The conversion re-uses the D78's aluminium bodyshells with new interiors. It runs on the same bogies but these are rebuilt to as-new standard by Wabtec and fitted with brand-new three-phase AC induction motors sourced from Austria. The initial build of three vehicles for London Northwestern Railway replaces the four-rail traction-current system with four diesel gen-sets, driving eight traction motors via purpose-built electronic traction control units. In this configuration, every wheel is driven and all are braked by a computer-controlled blended reactive/pneumatic braking system, allowing for optimum braking performance in all weather conditions.
In August 2016, a prototype was produced for testing and accreditation; the type was planned to be prepared to enter passenger service during the following year. During July 2016, it was announced that the prototype was to be tested in mainline service on the Coventry to Nuneaton Line over a 12-month period with operator London Midland; however, this trial deployment had to be postponed after the prototype was damaged by a fire and could not be repaired quickly enough. It is proposed that up to 75 units may be converted, with each unit consisting of two or three cars. During October 2017, West Midlands Trains announced that it would procure three 2-car D-Trains for the Marston Vale line and the first unit entered service in April 2019. Transport for Wales' units started passenger service on the Borderlands line on 3 April 2023.