VDA sliding door van Profile and Models

VDA sliding door van

200955 at the National Railway Museum in September 2010. ©Hugh Llewelyn

The fleet of VDA vans were a new design, following on from the original VAA goods van. Initially intended for use on speedlink freight services, these useful vans featured opening doors as well as sliding mechanism to reveal the entire inside of the vehicle. From the 1980s onwards, the vehicles began to converted for different uses, including conversions into open spoil carriers, timber transporters and more.

Type of Vehicle

Goods Van

Builder

BR Ashford Works
BR Shildon Works

Build Dates

1975 to 1978

Total Built

1,400

Wheel Configuration

4-wheel

Operated By

British Rail
EWS
Ministry of Defence

Main Duties

Speedlink Freight
Departmental
Military

In Service Until

Late 2000s

Surviving Examples

Some in preservation or converted