class-116-dmu

The BR Class 116 was a family of 167 vehicles in three-car formations built by British Railways Derby Works between 1957 and 1961 for suburban stopping passenger services, primarily on the Birmingham area and London Midland Region suburban routes where the higher passenger capacity of the three-car formation and the slightly higher power output of the suburban version compared with the rural Class 108 gave better performance on the more frequent-stop, higher-patronage suburban services. The Class 116 used the standard Derby DMU body but with modifications suited to suburban working: higher-density seating, revised door arrangements for faster loading and unloading, and power output matched to suburban acceleration requirements.

The suburban DMU's role in the late 1950s and 1960s was to replace steam-hauled suburban services at a fraction of the operating cost, particularly where electrification was not planned in the near term. The Class 116 addressed this need across the Birmingham area suburban network and on other LMR suburban routes, where the frequent stops, high passenger turnover, and need for rapid acceleration and braking on short inter-station distances suited the DMU's operating characteristics well.

The Class 116 was progressively withdrawn as West Midlands suburban services were electrified or replaced by newer DMU types. One vehicle is preserved: 51073.