>>1431429The Sprinter is a family of diesel multiple unit trains in use on the British railway system. They were built in the 1980s and early-1990s by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL), Metro Cammell and Leyland. Most have a Cummins engine with Voith hydraulic transmission, although 47 class 158 units have a Perkins engine instead. Sprinters can be seen operating in almost every part of Great Britain, from rural branch lines to commuter expresses into major cities.
Originally British Rail coined the "Sprinter" name for the units, mainly to promote the superior acceleration capabilities of the units compared with the First-Generation DMUs they replaced. Ads such as "The Sprinters are coming" were locally advertised in newspapers when these trains were scheduled to be introduced. Great play was also made of, in many cases, reduced journey times.
