REVEALED: Every single heavy rail vehicle granted disability dispensation by DfT

More than 1,500 vehicles have received dispensation to operate on the main line, despite not adhering to new accessibility regulations.

In total, 11 train operating companies (TOCs) have letters from the Department for Transport, giving them dispensation to use vehicles that are not fully accessible.

The new deadlines for the vehicles’ removal from traffic vary through the year, and the TOCs must inform the DfT of the refurbishment or introduction of new fleets that are designed to replace the compliant vehicles every 28 days.

DfT released the vehicle identities at 1500 on December 31. The letters had been sent to the operators between November 14 and December 20 2019. The original deadline for all trains to meet the accessibility regulations was December 31 2019.

More than half the vehicles (50.5%) are used by Greater Anglia, and should have been replaced mainly by Bombardier Class 720 electric multiple units and Stadler Class 745/0 electric multiple units. One of the 111 Aventras on order had been delivered to GA by Bombardier, despite being showcased to the media in September 2018.

The dispensation for GA has even split them into trains to be ‘retired’ and those expected to find new careers elsewhere (see panel).

For example, 18 of GA’s 55 Class 317s were expected to remain in traffic into 2020 (following modifications), but that was extended to 27 as part of the franchise agreement. As this issue of RAIL went to press, only three sets had been withdrawn.

The TOC with the next largest fleet of non-compliant trains is East Midlands Railway, which has long been affected by the problem. It has 188 non-compliant vehicles, of which 159 are Mk 3 coaches.

This total includes the nine eight-car and three six-coach High Speed Trains that already form part of the EMR fleet. Added to these are nine eight-coach sets transferred from LNER that will enter traffic through the year, replacing the existing HSTs.

Northern has 186 non-compliant vehicles, the majority of them Class 14x Pacers. These are required owing to the delay in new CAF trains and the eight Class 769 FLEX bi-mode units. Crew training is also an issue, due to the late delivery of trains.

Other operators affected are Arriva Rail London, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, ScotRail, Southeastern, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Trains (see panel).

ScotRail dispensation

Nine ‘Classic’ HSTs. Sets HA1-HA6/31-33. One spare Mk 3

Mk 3s: 41022, 41104/124/126/130/140/144/158, 42010/030/32/069, 42118/129, 42200/206/208/209/255/256/261/267/287/289/295, 42325/344, 44010/023/029/030/032/037/039/066/086, 46010

Two locomotive-hauled sets. Stock owned by Riviera Trains and Direct Rail Services

Mk 2s: 5787, 5810, 5919/937/945/955/971/995, 6001/008/027/046/064,
6117/122/173, 9488, 9525/527/539

Note: The Mk 2s have dispensation until May 31 2020.

Note: The Mk 3s have dispensation until December 31 2020.

East Midlands Railway dispensation

Nine ‘Classic’ HSTs. Sets NL01/03/04/06-08/10-12. Four spare Mk 3s

Mk 3s: 40700/728/730/741/746/749/753/754/756, 41041/046/057/061/063/064/067/069-072/075-077/079/084, 41111/113/117/156, 42100/111-113/119-121/124/131-133/135-137/139-141/148/149/151-153/155-157/164/165, 42220/230, 42327-329/331/337/339/341/384, 44041/044/046-048/051/054/070/071/085

Three 2+6 ‘Classic’ HSTs. Three ‘Classic’ 2+6 HSTs. Sets DY21-DY23.

Mk 3s: 40204/205/221, 41204-209, 42401/402/404/405/407/408, 42584-586

Nine ‘Classic’ HSTs transferred from LNER. Sets EC51-53/57-59/61-63. Six spare Mk 3s.

Mk 3s: 40701/702/705/708/711/735/737/740/748/750, 41039/040/066/083/095/097-099, 41100/115/120/150-152/159/165/185/190, 42057-059/063-065/091, 42109/110/116/127/128/130/146/150/154/159/160/182/186/189-193/198/199, 42228/237-240/286, 42307/322/326/330/354, 44019/045/050/057/061/063/075/077/080/094

Sprinter fleet

153: 153302/308/311/313/318/319/321/355/357/368/372/374/376/379/381-385

Note: The nine ‘Classic’ sets already with EMR have dispensation until July 28 2020.

Note: The three 2+6 ‘Classic’ sets already with EMR have dispensation until December 31 2020.

Note: The nine HSTs transferred from LNER have dispensation until December 31 2020.

Note: Class 153s have dispensation until December 31 2020.

Transport for Wales dispensation

Mk 2s: 5961/998, 6024/042/054/067, 6158, 9507/520/526

Mk 3s: 10249/259, 12176-185

142: 142002/006/010/069/072-077/080-083/085

143: 143601/602/604-610/614/616/622-625

153: 153303/306/309/310/312-314/321/322/326/327/335/353/361/362/367/369

Note: The Mk 2s have dispensation until June 30 2020.

Note: The Mk 3s have dispensation until June 30 2020.

Note: The Class 142s have dispensation until July 31 2020.

Note: The Class 143s have dispensation until July 31 2020.

Note: The Class 153s have dispensation until December 31 2020.

Greater Anglia dispensation

Mk 3: 10401-406/411-417, 11066-070/072/073/075-078/080-082/085/087/088/090-096/098/099, 11100/101,
12005/009/012/013/015/016/019/021/024/026/027/030-032/034/035/037/040-042/046/049/051/056/057/060-062/064/066/067/073/079/081/082/084/089-091/093/097-099, 12103/
105/107-111/114-116/118/120/125/126/129/130/132/137/139/141/143/146-148/150/151/153/154/159/164/166/167/170/171

Class 317 partial PRM

317: 317337/338/341/343, 317501/502/504/506/510

Class 317 unrefurbished

317: 317339/340/342/344/347/348, 317507/508/511-513/515, 317881-886

Class 317 retire

317: 317345/346, 317503/505/509/514, 317649-662/664-668/670-672

Class 321 Renatus

321: 321301-330

Class 321 retire

321: 321331-366, 321402/405-410/419/421-448

Note: Mk 3s have dispensation until April 1 2020.

Note: Class 317 partial PRM dispensation has no deadline.

Note: Class 317 unrefurbished has dispensation until April 15 2020.

Note: Class 317 ‘retire’ has dispensation until October 1 2020.

Note: Class 321 Renatus dispensation has no deadline.

Note: Class 321 ‘retire’ has dispensation until December 1 2020.

Northern dispensation

142: 142004/011/013/018/023/035/036/041/043/045/047/051/055/058/
061/065/068/070/071/078/087/090/094/095

144: 144001-023

150: 150110/111/122, 150201/209/210/226

153: 153301/304/307/315-317/324/328/330-332/351/352/358-360/363/373/378/380

156: 156425/426/429/460/461/464

323: 323223-225/227/228/230-233/235-237

Note: Class 142 dispensation until May 30 2020.

Note: Class 144 dispensation until August 31 2020.

Note: Class 150 dispensation until September 30 2020.

Note: Class 153 dispensation until December 31 2020.

Note: Class 156 dispensation until December 31 2020.

Note: Class 323 dispensation until October 31 2020.

Arriva Rail London dispensation

317: 317708-710/714/719/723/729/732, 317887-892

Note: Class 317 dispensation until June 30 2020.

Chiltern Railways

Mk 3: 11029/031, 12017/036/043/054/094, 12119

Note: The Mk 3s have dispensation until June 30 2020.

CrossCountry

Mk 3s: 41026, 42036/037/051/097, 42342/380, 44012

Note: Mk 3 dispensation has no deadline.

Great Western Railway dispensation

Class 143

143: 143603/611/612/617-621

Note: The Class 143s have dispensation until December 31 2020.

Southeastern dispensation

466: 466001-043

Note: Class 466s need dispensation to run on Grove Park-Bromley North.

West Midlands Trains dispensation

323: 323201-204/209/214/216-219/221/222/240/243

Note: Class 323 dispensation has no deadline.