Class 144 'Pacer' Profile and Models
144005 at Sheffield in September 2018. ©Kevin Prince
The British Rail Class 144 Pacer was a diesel multiple unit (DMU) passenger train built at Derby between 1986 and 1987. BR, seeking to procure improved derivatives of the earlier Class 141, placed an order with the manufacturers British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) and Walter Alexander to construct their own variant, the Class 144. A total of 23 units were constructed. The first Class 144 units were delivered during 1986. They were produced specifically to perform local services sponsored by the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (since rebranded as Metro). Early operations of the type were marred by unreliability to the extent where the Class 144 was commonly substituted for at the last minute by either first generation DMUs or locomotive-hauled trains. All units have now retired from mainline service, though the majority of the units have been acquired for preservation on heritage railways and in other uses. As of December 2022, 20 out of the 23 units have been purchased following withdrawal for this purpose, of which 15 units are in operational condition. |
|
Type of Unit |
Diesel Multiple Unit |
Builder |
British Rail Engineering Limited Walter Alexander Coachbuilders |
Build Dates |
1986 to 1987 |
Total Built |
23 sets |
Power Output |
200hp to 225hp per engine (2 or 3 per unit) |
Top Speed |
75 mph |
Passenger Capacity |
104 to 195 seats |
Operated By |
British Rail Arriva Rail North/ Arriva Trains Northern Network Rail Northern Rail/ Northern Trains |
Main Duties |
Local/ Regional Passenger |
In Service Until |
2020 |
Surviving Examples |
20 sets |