British Rail Regional Multiple Unit Numbering

Prior to the introduction of TOPS, electric multiple unit numbers were allocated by the British Rail regions in their own series. Diesel multiple units did not carry unit numbers at first, but the Scottish and Western Regions later adopted their own series for these units, whilst elsewhere individual depots allocated unit numbers, often prefixed by their two-letter TOPS depot code (e.g. TS for Tyseley). When TOPS numbers were applied to multiple units, the original unit numbers were simply prefixed by the class number to make up the required new six-digit unit numbers. These regional series have been perpetuated since TOPS because it eases the description of individual units and avoids potential confusion if there is only one unit with a particular identifier working in a certain area. Southern Region units are excluded from this page, as they perpetuated the four-digit unit numbering series commenced by the Southern Railway. For details of the more involved arrangements on the Southern Region, see SR Multiple Unit Numbering and Classification.

Diesel Multiple Units

London Midland Region

There was never a regional number series for DMUs in this region, but individual depots did have their own series, prefixed by their two-letter TOPS depot code. The table below shows the series used by Tyseley depot (which was part of the Western Region until 1963).
lasses
03-005 Class 128
12-014 / 050-062 Class 122
21-027 Class 114
01-315 Class 117
16-318 Class 118
19-342 Class 116 (Replaced 5xx/6xx Series)
01-421 Class 115
01-545 Class 116 (Non-gangwayed)
00-629 Class 116 (Gangwayed)

Scottish Region

The table below shows the braod arrangement of multiple unit numbers in this region, though a couple of Class 104 units also took numbers in the 3xx series. The surviving Class 107 units were later renumbered twice, first to 7xx following the introduction of the Class 156 units, which had 4xx unit numbers in the Regional Railways Sprinter series, and then to 0xx following the introduction of the Class 158 units, which had 7xx unit numbers in the Regional Railways Sprinter series.
lasses
01-366 Class 101
85-396 Class 116
25-449 Class 107
50-453 Class 104
01-517 Class 120

Western Region

Unit numbers were prefixed by a letter (letters prior to 1970) to indicate which area (or depot) the unit was allocated to. The table below lists the prefixes used; note that Tyseley had transferred to the London Midland Region by the time that the 1971 changes took place so was not included, though it did shorten its prefix to TS.
owspan=2|Area rowspan=2|Depot
ost-1970 1958-1970
|BL |Bristol |Bath Road
owspan=2|C CAT rowspan=2|Cardiff Cathays
DF Canton
owspan=2|L RDG rowspan=2|London Reading
- Old Oak Common
|LA |Plymouth |Laira
| - |Swansea |Landore
- TYS Birmingham Tyseley
The unit number ranges used were:
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00-119 Class 122 (Driving Motor 55000-019)
20-135 Class 121 (Driving Motor 55020-035)
00-225 Class 101 (Motor + Trailer Units)
80-289 Class 121 (Driving Trailer 56280-289)
90-299 Class 122 (Driving Trailer 56291-299)
00-395 Class 116
00-450 Class 117
60-480 Class 118
71-596 Class 119
00-616 Class 120
00-7xx Class 123
00-874 Class 101 (Power Twin and 3-Car Units)
00-995 Class 108

Network SouthEast

NSE adopted the former Western Region series, and expanded it to include its other diesel multiple units (those used on the former London Midland Region), which took unit numbers in the 7xx series. This included units from Classes 101, 104, 108 and 117.

Regional Railways

Sprinter (Class 15x) units carried the same last three digits as the last three digits of their carriage numbers in the 52xxx and 57xxx series. The 6xx series was reserved for use by the aborted Class 157 stock, and so instead was adopted for use by refurbished Class 143 (numbers 601-625) and 101 (numbers 651-695) units. Refurbished Class 117 and 122 units kept their Tyseley 3xx and Laira (Western Region) 1xx unit numbers respectively.

Electic Multiple Units

Eastern Region

When first introduced, the Class 306 units were numbered 01-92 and the Class 307 units were numbered 01s-32s. These numbers were amended as they were converted from 1500V DC to 25kV AC operation. Parcels & departmental units in the 99x series have included Classes 308/4, 302/9, 316 and 937.
olspan=2|Second Use
ange Class Range Class
01-092 Class 306
01-132 Class 307 101-121 Class 360/1
33-165 Class 308/1
01-312 Class 302/0 rowspan=2|301-366 rowspan=2|Class 321/3
13-321 Class 308/2
01-452 Class 305/1
53-455 Class 308/3
81-485 Class 322
01-519 Class 305/2
01-627 Class 309
01-799 Class 312
01-861 Class 315
90-999 Parcels & Departmental

London Midland Region

olspan=2|Second Use
ange Class Range Class
01-045 Class 304
46-095 Class 310/0
01-113 Class 310/1
33-189 Class 501
01-204 Class 312/2 201-243 Class 323
01-348 Class 317/0
01-448 Class 321/4

Scottish Region

olspan=2|Second Use
ange Class Range Class
01-091 Class 303 001-040 Class 334
92-110 Class 311
01-216 Class 314
50-270 Class 318
01-322 Class 320

 

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