British Rail Class 168

The Class 168 Clubman is a British diesel multiple-unit (DMU) passenger train used on Chiltern Line services between London Marylebone and the West Midlands (region) .

British Rail Class 168 Clubman
Chiltern Railways 168214 at High Wycombe in 2015
The interior of a refurbished Class 168/1
In service	20 May 1998 - present
Manufacturer	ADtranz, Bombardier
Family name	Turbostar (Clubman)
Constructed	1998 - 2004
Refurbished	2007 - 2008[1] 2013 -
Number built	19 trainsets
Formation	2/3/4 cars per trainset
Fleet numbers	168001 - 168005 168106 - 168113 168214 - 168219 168321 - 168329
Capacity	204 seats (3-car unit) 272 seats (4-car unit)
Operator(s)	Chiltern Railways
Line(s) served	Chiltern Main Line London to Aylesbury Line London Marylebone - Oxford Princes Risborough to Aylesbury Line
Specifications
Car body construction	Welded aluminium. Steel ends.
Car length	23.62 m (77 ft 6 in)
Width	2.69 m (8 ft 10 in)
Height	3.77 m (12 ft 4 ^1⁄2 in)
Maximum speed	100 mph (160 km/h)
Prime mover(s)	MTU 6R 183TD13H, one per car
Engine type	13-litre 6-cylinder turbo-Diesel
Power output	422 hp (315 kW) per car
Transmission	Voith Hydraulic T211rzze 2 axles driven per car
Safety system(s)	ATP (168/3 excluded) AWS, TPWS, Tripcock system
Coupling system	BSI[2]
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Description

The trains were built in several batches from 1998. The first batch was classified 168/0 under TOPS and resembled the Class 165 units previously built by BREL York. The Networker-design cab was an interim solution pending the design of a completely new cab for further Turbostar batches. Subsequent builds, subclassed as 168/1 and 168/2, were constructed at the same time as the Class 170 Turbostar and thus are part of the Turbostar family of trains.

The first batch of Clubman carriages ordered by Chiltern Railways were the first units ordered by any train operating company since the privatisation of the UK industry in 1996. They were delivered as 3-car sets but later lengthened to 4-car sets.

Seating

A typical Class 168 consists of 2+2 standard-class seating throughout, arranged either around tables or in airline-style seating with pull-down tables. The majority of seats are facing seats. The Class 168 is carpeted throughout with luggage racks, air conditioning, and two or more toilets per set (one for disabled users, with baby changing facilities). Passenger information systems are fitted in every car and on the outside of class 168/2 cars.

Variants

Three different variants of the 168 were produced - 168/0, 168/1 and 168/2. Both Classes 168/1 and 168/2 are actually of the same design as the Class 170 Turbostar DMU trains, mainly due to the redesigned cab ends. The nine Class 170s that Chiltern obtained from First TransPennine Express were converted by Brush Traction to operate with the Class 168 fleet, and redesignated as Class 168/3.[3]

Class	Operator	No. Built	Year Built	Cars per Set	Unit nos.
Class 168/0	Chiltern Railways	5	1998	4	168001 - 168005
Class 168/1		8	2000		168106 - 168107
				3	168108 - 168113
Class 168/2		6	2004		168214, 168218 - 168219
				4	168215 - 168217
Class 168/3[3]		9	2000	2	168321 - 168329

Operations

Network SouthEast (NSE) originally planned the Class 168 for its expansion of service on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill or New Street. These units were planned to have a higher top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h) and better acceleration than the Class 165 Network Turbo DMU trains.

In the event, privatisation intervened before NSE acquired any units; Chiltern Railways operates these units, in similar diagrams to those originally planned by NSE.

Gallery

• 
  Class 168/0 No. 168003 at Marylebone. The Class 168/0 features the original cab design.
• 
  Class 168/1 No. 168113 at Marylebone. This shows the final cab design. This cab design was also found on the Class 424 Networker Classic.
• 
  The interior of the MSO vehicle from a Chiltern Railways Class 168.
• 
  Chiltern Railways Silver Mainline refurbished Class 168/1 No. 168106 at Marylebone.
• 
  The interior of a Chiltern Railways Silver Mainline refurbished Class 168.

References

1. "Chiltern Railways: About us - Our train fleet". Chiltern Railways. Archived from the original on 3 July 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
2. "System Data for Mechanical and Electrical Coupling of Rail Vehicles". Rail Safety and Standards Board. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
3. Broadbent, Steve (4 March 2014). "Chiltern plots further expansion". Rail. Peterborough (769): 46–53.

Further reading

• "First post-privatisation new train enters service on Chiltern Lines". RAIL. No. 332. EMAP Apex Publications. 16 June 1998. p. 11. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.