page_title: British Rail Class 116
section_title: South Wales
hierarchical_section_title: British Rail Class 116 / Regular use / South Wales
caption_attribution_description: BR (Derby) Class 116 3-car suburban dmu Nos.W50862 (116/2, originally Class 130), W59370 (175), W50915 (116/2, originally Class 130) in BR green with small yellow warning panel at Cardiff (General) on a service to Merthyr Tydfil, 10/65. Scanned photograph taken with a Halina 35X camera.
context_page_description: The British Rail Class 116 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1957 to 1961. Introduced as part of the British Railways Modernisation Plan in the mid 1950s, as with other first generation DMUs the 116 was intended to replace steam trains and reduce costs across the rail network. Alongside Metro-Cammell, BR Derby had prior experience with DMUs, having developed a Lightweight Unit, and so was awarded a contract for a new design.
context_section_description: The 116 was extensively used in South Wales, being belatedly introduced on 2 December 1957 in the Cardiff Valley region. Originally intended to be introduced in September, a lack of vehicles caused the delay into service. They were housed at Carton depot. Just as in the Birmingham region, the new trains were heavily advertised. The units were used for the next 30 years almost exclusively in the South Wales area, but did occasionally work services to Bristol and Bath. 
  With the introduction of Sprinters, the 116 became obsolete and were slowly withdrawn from service in favor of British Rail Class 150s starting in 1987. The final 116s were withdrawn from Wales on 18 September 1992.
caption: Class 116 running a Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil service, October 1965.
exif: {}