The Class 196 diesel multiple units are part of the CAF Civity family like the Class 195 and 397. Twenty six sets (in a mixture of two and four car formations) have been built for West Midlands Railway for use on their routes from Birmingham New Street to Shrewsbury replacing Class 170s and other WMR services. Deliveries of the Class 196 began in 2020 and the type entered service in October 2022 initially on services to Shrewsbury [1].
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| West Midlands Railway 196 008 at Bedworth |
| Information | |
|---|---|
| Number built: | 80 (26 2 or 4-car sets) |
| Built: | 2019-2022 |
| Builder: | CAF Newport |
| Motor: | Rolls-Royce MTU 6H1800R85L diesel per car |
| Power: | 523 hp (390 kW) per car |
Twelve two-car sets and fourteen four-car sets have been built.
The type are also used on the Birmingham to Hereford, the Leamington-Nuneaton line (also known as the Elephant & Bear Line). The new Camp Hill services planned for 2025 could also use the Class 196. Some two-car sets could also be allocated to operate on the new East West Rail line between Oxford and Milton Keynes Central when it opens later this decade.
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| 196 107 at Shrewsbury |
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| Aboard a 196 |
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| 196 009 at University |
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| 196 110 at Birmingham New Street |
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| 196 007 at Nuneaton |
[1] "West Midlands Trains launches CAF 196s", Modern Railways (November 2022) p. 12