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Fleets change over time as trains are introduced, cascaded and withdrawn.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 serviceClass 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 serviceClass 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 serviceNot 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 →