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During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
Class 195 information panel
The British Rail Class 195, officially part of CAF's Civity family, is one of the most important modern diesel multiple-unit fleets in Northern England. It was ordered as part of the programme to replace Northern's ageing Pacer trains and modernise services across the North. The fleet consists of 58 units, comprising 25 two-car Class 195/0s numbered 195001–195025 and 33 three-car Class 195/1s numbered 195101–195133. They are owned by Eversholt Rail Group and operated by Northern Trains.
Why the Class 195 was ordered
The origins of the Class 195 lie in the 2015 procurement process for the next Northern franchise. Northern's existing fleet contained large numbers of elderly Class 142 and 144 Pacers, alongside older Class 150, 153, 155, 156 and 158 diesel multiple units. The Pacer fleet in particular had become increasingly difficult to justify. The trains had originated in the 1980s, used bus-derived mechanical principles and provided a notably basic passenger experience.
The government initially considered allowing some Pacers to remain in service, partly on value-for-money grounds. The Transport Select Committee opposed that approach, and in February 2015 Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin issued a ministerial direction requiring the new Northern franchise to include an order for new trains. The objective was ultimately to eliminate the Pacers from the Northern network by 2020.
When Arriva was awarded the Northern franchise, it committed to a major fleet investment. CAF was selected because it could supply both diesel and electric trains from its Civity platform. The diesel version became the Class 195, while the electrically powered version became the Class 331. Using closely related trains was intended to simplify driver training and maintenance while giving Northern a common modern design across both electrified and non-electrified routes.
The resulting programme comprised 58 Class 195s and 43 Class 331s, forming a combined fleet of 101 new trains. The overall investment was valued at approximately £500 million.
Design and technical development
The Class 195 is a UK adaptation of CAF's Civity regional train platform. It was designed specifically for the British railway environment, including the UK's loading gauge, platform arrangements, signalling requirements and operational practices.
The 195/0 is a two-car unit, while the 195/1 is a three-car unit. Each vehicle has its own diesel engine, with the 195/0 consequently having two engines and the 195/1 three. The engines are MTU 6H 1800 R85L units producing approximately 390 kW each. Power is transmitted through ZF EcoLife six-speed hydromechanical transmissions. The trains have a maximum speed of approximately 100 mph.
The trains were designed around modern passenger expectations. They have air conditioning, accessible toilets, wheelchair spaces, bicycle accommodation, passenger information systems, Wi-Fi and power sockets. Northern described the new trains as a major improvement in comfort and accessibility compared with the stock they were replacing.
The cab was also deliberately designed to have substantial commonality with the Class 331. That allowed drivers to work across the diesel and electric fleets with a degree of commonality, reinforcing the original rationale for choosing CAF's Civity platform.
Where were the Class 195s built?
The construction story is particularly interesting because production was split between Spain and Britain.
CAF's principal manufacturing base for the initial Civity UK programme was at Irun in northern Spain. The first completed Class 195 left CAF's Irun facility in March 2018 and was sent to the Velim railway test centre in the Czech Republic for commissioning and testing. Northern described this as its first brand-new train leaving the factory.
The production process involved more than one CAF facility. The bodyshells were produced in Spain, with other manufacturing work taking place at CAF's Spanish facilities, while final assembly of some of the UK fleet was subsequently undertaken at CAF's new factory at Llanwern/Newport in South Wales. Northern itself described the new trains as being built "in Spain and in Wales".
CAF Newport was established specifically to create a UK manufacturing presence. The Llanwern facility began producing rolling stock in 2018, and Class 195 vehicles were among its early products. Consequently, it is not correct to describe the whole fleet simply as Spanish-built or simply as Welsh-built. The Class 195 programme was an international production project, with Spain and Wales both forming important parts of the manufacturing chain.
Testing
The first Class 195s underwent extensive testing before entering passenger service. The initial completed train left Irun in March 2018 and travelled to Velim in the Czech Republic, where commissioning and dynamic testing took place.
The first unit subsequently arrived in Britain in June 2018. Main-line testing began in September 2018, allowing CAF, Northern and the relevant railway authorities to assess the trains under British operating conditions.
The programme encountered delays, particularly associated with the trains' Dellner couplers and related acceptance work. The original intention had been for the new trains to enter service during 2018, yet the first passenger operation ultimately slipped into 2019.
Introduction into passenger service
The first Class 195 passenger service took place on 1 July 2019. The inaugural working was particularly appropriate for the new fleet: 195116 operated the 04:53 Barrow-in-Furness to Manchester Airport service.
The first services were concentrated in North West England. Class 195s initially appeared on routes including Manchester Airport–Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington and Manchester Airport–Barrow-in-Furness. As additional units became available, the fleet spread across a much larger portion of the Northern network.
The introduction was a major moment in Northern railway history. The new trains were not simply replacing individual Pacers; they formed part of a much wider attempt to transform the quality and capacity of rail travel across Northern England. By November 2019, Northern reported that 33 of its new Class 195 and 331 trains were already in passenger operation.
Expansion across Northern England
During late 2019 and 2020, Class 195 operation expanded rapidly. The trains appeared across Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. Northern specifically identified destinations including Blackpool, Lancaster, Barrow-in-Furness, Windermere, Liverpool, Chester, Warrington, Bradford, Halifax, Leeds, Skipton, Wakefield and Doncaster as part of the expanding network.
The three-car 195/1s provided additional capacity for busy routes, while the two-car 195/0s were particularly useful where demand did not justify a three-car formation. The trains could also operate together, giving Northern considerable flexibility in matching capacity with demand.
The final member of the fleet, 195133, entered service in December 2020. Northern marked its introduction as the 100th new train of the combined Class 195/331 programme, leaving only one train still to enter service. The 195133 inaugural working was between Sheffield and Manchester.
By the end of 2020, therefore, the entire Class 195 fleet had been delivered and was operating passenger services.
The end of the Pacers
One of the Class 195's most important historical roles was its contribution to the final withdrawal of the Pacer fleet.
The original political and franchise objective had been to eliminate the Pacers by 2020. The Class 195s, alongside other new and cascaded trains, made that possible. The final Pacers disappeared from Northern passenger service in 2020, ending an era that had lasted since the first Pacer entered service in the 1980s.
The contrast was striking. The Class 195 represented air conditioning, modern accessibility, electronic passenger information, power sockets and substantially improved ride and interior standards, whereas the Pacer concept had originated from a lightweight bus-based approach intended as an economical short-term solution.
The 195 therefore became one of the principal symbols of Northern's transition from its inherited British Rail-era fleet to modern rolling stock.
Ownership and the change from Arriva to Northern
Although the Class 195s were introduced under Arriva Rail North, Arriva did not own the trains outright. The fleet was financed and owned by Eversholt Rail Group, with Northern leasing the trains for operation.
Arriva Rail North's franchise ended in March 2020, with the Department for Transport taking the operation into public control. The trains consequently continued operating despite the change in franchise structure.
The modern operator is Northern Trains, which took over the operation on a permanent basis following the transition to the government-controlled arrangement. The Class 195 therefore survived the change from Arriva's Northern franchise to the present publicly controlled Northern operation without changing its fundamental role.
Depot allocations
The fleet has principally been associated with Allerton in Liverpool and Newton Heath in Manchester, although individual trains naturally travel far beyond their home depots during normal operation.
Their maintenance requirements are considerably different from those of the older Pacers. The Class 195 introduced more sophisticated diesel engines, electronic systems, modern diagnostic equipment, air conditioning and contemporary accessibility systems into Northern's maintenance regime.
The trains consequently became part of a broader modernisation of Northern's engineering infrastructure as well as its passenger fleet.
The Class 195 alongside the Class 331
An important part of the Class 195's historical significance is its relationship with the Class 331.
The two fleets were conceived together. The 195 provides diesel traction for non-electrified routes, while the 331 provides electric traction for routes under the wires. Both use CAF's Civity UK platform and have broadly similar passenger environments and cab arrangements.
This allowed Northern to introduce a coherent family of modern trains rather than ordering completely unrelated designs. It also made the Class 195 part of a much larger transformation of Northern's fleet rather than an isolated diesel replacement programme.
Relationship with later Civity trains
The Class 195 was also the first of a wider family of UK CAF Civity diesel trains. Its design subsequently influenced the Class 196 for West Midlands Railway and Class 197 for Transport for Wales.
Those later trains are not identical. The Class 196 and 197 introduced features such as end gangways, and the Class 197 uses somewhat different power arrangements. They nevertheless demonstrate how the basic Civity UK concept developed after CAF established itself in British rolling-stock production.
The Class 195 was therefore an important stepping stone in CAF's expansion within Britain's modern rolling-stock market.
2024 Grange-over-Sands derailment
The most serious incident involving the class occurred on 22 March 2024, when a train formed of 195104 and 195133 derailed near Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria after travelling over defective track.
There were eight people aboard and no injuries were reported. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch opened an investigation into the derailment. The incident was significant for the Class 195 fleet, although it was a track-related accident rather than evidence of a systemic Class 195 design failure.
The incident also demonstrated the trains' structural resilience: despite the derailment, the reported consequences for passengers were fortunately limited.
The Class 195 today
The complete fleet of 58 Class 195s remains with Northern. The trains have now moved beyond their initial role as new Pacer replacements and have become an established part of the Northern network.
They are particularly important on routes where electrification is absent or incomplete. They can be found on services extending across Lancashire, Cumbria, Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and other parts of Northern England. Their 100 mph capability makes them suitable for longer regional journeys as well as conventional stopping services.
Their historical importance is therefore greater than their relatively short time in service might suggest. The Class 195 represents the point at which Northern's long-running Pacer replacement programme finally became tangible. The first passenger service on 1 July 2019 marked the beginning of a fleet renewal programme that was completed with 195133's entry into service in December 2020.
Overall significance
The history of the Class 195 can ultimately be traced through three connected developments. The first was the political decision to replace Northern's ageing Pacers. The second was Arriva's decision to order a large common fleet of CAF Civity diesel and electric trains. The third was the establishment of CAF's British manufacturing presence at Newport alongside its established Spanish production facilities.
The result was a fleet of 58 modern diesel trains that transformed Northern's non-electrified services. Twenty-five two-car 195/0s and 33 three-car 195/1s, all built between roughly 2017 and 2020, replaced or displaced much older rolling stock and introduced a common modern train concept across a huge geographical area.
From the first prototype leaving CAF's Irun factory in 2018, through Velim testing, British main-line trials, the delayed July 2019 introduction, the rapid fleet rollout during 2019–20 and the completion of deliveries with 195133 in December 2020, the Class 195 has been closely tied to the modernisation of Northern's railway.
Today, the Class 195 is no longer the new train it was in 2019. It is now an established part of Northern's fleet and, alongside the Class 331, forms one of the central pillars of the railway's post-Pacer era. Its significance lies not merely in being a modern DMU, but in representing one of the largest and most consequential fleet replacements in the recent history of Britain's regional railways.
Govloop hosts a wonderful cloud event with ViON and Hitachi. Unfortunately, the lively discussion was cut short by a fire elsewhere in the venue.
Govloop hosts a wonderful cloud event with ViON and Hitachi. Unfortunately, the lively discussion was cut short by a fire elsewhere in the venue.
Govloop hosts a wonderful cloud event with ViON and Hitachi. Unfortunately, the lively discussion was cut short by a fire elsewhere in the venue.
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
Lt.Governor Rutherford by Anthony DePanise at Kenhill Center, 2614 Kenhill Drive Bowie, Maryland 20715
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
Lt.Governor Rutherford by Anthony DePanise at Kenhill Center, 2614 Kenhill Drive Bowie, Maryland 20715
Govloop hosts a wonderful cloud event with ViON and Hitachi. Unfortunately, the lively discussion was cut short by a fire elsewhere in the venue.
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Now being procured for the British Army following a chequered history in which the UK was in a collaborative project (FRES) then left and pursued its own route and finally returned to take advantage of the mature system already in service with others, Boxer is now in service with a total order of over 600 vehicles intended for a variety of specialist roles in addition to the basic infantry mobility version. Seen during the British Army demonstration at the conclusion of Kuwait Arena displays during Tankfest 2026 at The Tank Museum, Bovington Camp, Dorset.
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
Lt.Governor Rutherford by Anthony DePanise at Kenhill Center, 2614 Kenhill Drive Bowie, Maryland 20715
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)
During the 2019 HMSDC HMSDC Procurement Luncheon held at the Omni Hotel in Houston, Texas on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by JRT | Video/Photography by J.R. | 281.703.9661 | www.vpjr.com)