page_title: Pacer (British Rail)
hierarchical_section_title: Pacer (British Rail)
caption_attribution_description: English: Two Avocet Line trains pass outside Exeter St Davids station. On the left 142064 has just left the station on its way from Paignton to Exmouth; on the right 143611 is making the opposite journey.
context_page_description: Pacer is the operational name of the British Rail Classes 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144 diesel multiple unit railbuses, built between 1980 and 1987. The railbuses were intended as a short-term solution to a shortage of rolling stock, with a lifespan of no more than 20 years.
  All Pacer trains were scheduled to be retired by the end of 2019. The Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations require that all public passenger trains must be accessible to disabled people by 2020. Only one Pacer currently meets this requirement, and the remainder were therefore planned to be withdrawn by that date. Furthermore, a decision in 2015 by the Transport Secretary required that such railbuses be removed from service by 2020 for the then-new Northern franchise, stating that the "continued use of these uncomfortable and low-quality vehicles is not compatible with our vision for economic growth and prosperity in the north".
context_section_description: Pacer is the operational name of the British Rail Classes 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144 diesel multiple unit railbuses, built between 1980 and 1987. The railbuses were intended as a short-term solution to a shortage of rolling stock, with a lifespan of no more than 20 years.
  All Pacer trains were scheduled to be retired by the end of 2019. The Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations require that all public passenger trains must be accessible to disabled people by 2020. Only one Pacer (the modernised 144e) currently meets this requirement, and the remainder were therefore planned to be withdrawn by that date. Furthermore, a decision in 2015 by the Transport Secretary required that such railbuses be removed from service by 2020 for the then-new Northern franchise, stating that the "continued use of these uncomfortable and low-quality vehicles is not compatible with our vision for economic growth and prosperity in the north".
  As of 30 August 2020, 45 units of classes 142, 143 and 144, which were upgraded in the 1990s with more reliable mechanical parts followed by the older standard of wheelchair access, are still in service with three National Rail operators: Northern Trains, Great Western Railway and Transport for Wales. All of those operators intended to retire their Pacer trains (a 140-strong fleet before their withdrawal) by the end of 2019, in line with the statutory instrument to improve accessibility on trains. However, with replacement rolling stock delayed, all three of these operators are continuing to operate their remaining units in 2020, under dispensation from law.
caption: A Class 142 and Class 143 at Exeter St Davids in 2011
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