UK Train Classes
Learning the classes is what turns watching trains into spotting them. British locomotives and multiple units are grouped into classes under the TOPS numbering system — the first digits of a train's number tell you its class. This growing guide helps you identify the classes you'll see across Britain's railways, where to find them and what makes each one distinctive.
Photo: kitmasterbloke · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Fleets change over time as trains are introduced, cascaded and withdrawn. Details here are a spotting guide; for definitive fleet data consult an authoritative reference.
Class 66
The workhorse of Britain's freight railway — a diesel-electric locomotive you'll see almost everywhere freight runs.
Diesel locomotive · In service
Class 37
A much-loved English Electric classic — the 'Tractor' — with an unmistakable engine note, now mostly seen on charters, departmental duties and heritage lines.
Diesel locomotive (classic) · Partly in service
Class 43 (HST)
The power car of the iconic InterCity 125 High Speed Train - a record-breaking British design, now largely retired but still much loved.
Diesel power car (High Speed Train) · Partly in service
Class 47
The classic Brush Type 4 — once Britain's most numerous main-line diesel, now mostly seen on charters and railtours.
Diesel locomotive (classic) · Partly in service
Class 68
A modern, fast diesel locomotive — seen on passenger duties with TransPennine Express and Chiltern, plus Direct Rail Services freight and charters.
Diesel locomotive · In service
Class 90
A West Coast Main Line electric locomotive — now mostly on freight, with some passenger and charter work.
Electric locomotive · In service
Class 158
The Express Sprinter — a long-serving regional DMU found on cross-country and rural express routes across Britain.
Diesel multiple unit · In service
Class 220 (Voyager)
The CrossCountry Voyager — a 125 mph diesel-electric unit that criss-crosses Britain on long cross-country routes.
Diesel-electric multiple unit · In service
Class 800 (IET)
The Intercity Express Train (IET) — Hitachi's bi-mode fleet that replaced the HST on the Great Western and East Coast main lines.
Bi-mode multiple unit · In service
Class 221 (Super Voyager)
The tilting Super Voyager — a 125 mph cross-country unit, closely related to the Class 220 but able to lean into curves for higher speeds.
Diesel-electric multiple unit · In service
Class 350 (Desiro)
The Siemens Desiro — the outer-suburban electric workhorse of the southern West Coast Main Line, on London Northwestern and West Midlands services.
Electric multiple unit · In service
Class 377 (Electrostar)
The Electrostar — one of the most numerous electric units in Britain, the mainstay of Southern and Thameslink services across the South East.
Electric multiple unit · In service
Class 195 (Civity)
Northern's modern Civity DMU — a two- or three-carriage diesel unit built by CAF for regional routes across the North of England.
Diesel multiple unit · In service
Class 397 (Nova 2)
TransPennine Express's 'Nova 2' — a modern 125 mph electric unit built by CAF for Anglo-Scottish services on the West Coast Main Line.
Electric multiple unit · In service| Class | Category | Manufacturer | Built | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 66 | Diesel locomotive | Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD / General Motors) | 1998 onwards | In service |
| Class 37 | Diesel locomotive (classic) | English Electric | 1960–1965 | Partly in service |
| Class 43 (HST) | Diesel power car (High Speed Train) | British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) | 1975–1982 | Partly in service |
| Class 47 | Diesel locomotive (classic) | Brush Traction / BR | 1962–1968 | Partly in service |
| Class 68 | Diesel locomotive | Stadler Rail (Vossloh) | 2013–2017 | In service |
| Class 90 | Electric locomotive | BREL / GEC | 1987–1990 | In service |
| Class 158 | Diesel multiple unit | BREL Derby | 1989–1992 | In service |
| Class 220 (Voyager) | Diesel-electric multiple unit | Bombardier Transportation | 2000–2001 | In service |
| Class 800 (IET) | Bi-mode multiple unit | Hitachi Rail | 2014–2018 | In service |
| Class 221 (Super Voyager) | Diesel-electric multiple unit | Bombardier Transportation | 2001–2002 | In service |
| Class 350 (Desiro) | Electric multiple unit | Siemens | 2004–2014 | In service |
| Class 377 (Electrostar) | Electric multiple unit | Bombardier Transportation | 2001–2014 | In service |
| Class 195 (Civity) | Diesel multiple unit | CAF | 2018–2020 | In service |
| Class 397 (Nova 2) | Electric multiple unit | CAF | 2018–2020 | In service |
Not sure how numbers work?
Our beginner's guide explains the TOPS system — how the first digits of a train's number tell you its class — so you can identify what you see.
Read the beginner's guide →