Rail Express Magazine 279 - August 2019 Edizione posteriore

LOVE them or hate them – and, to be fair, there are probably more in the
latter camp than the former, even amongst enthusiasts – the ‘Pacer’ fleets have made their mark in railway history.

Introduced in the mid-1980s, they were a low-cost solution for desperately needed new trains on rural routes. But the ‘bus body on a wagon frame’ idea was soon to be their downfall, as rough riding, poor reliability and the infamous wheel-squeal led to them gaining the wrong kind of reputation amongst the travelling public. Upgrades inside and out, plus a move to more appropriate routes, meant things got better in the 1990s until the booming passenger numbers of the post-Privatisation era saw them come into the spotlight again for overcrowding, particularly in urban areas across the North and South Wales. For the anti-railways brigade, they were a stick with which to beat the Government and operators for being old, cramped and not fit for purpose. Now the end is finally in sight as replacement stock is being introduced, but it looks like the ‘Pacers' will have one last role to play as a political football. The end of the year deadline for trains to meet new disability legislation is fast approaching, and all of the ‘Pacers’ were due to be gone by then. But the first one is not being withdrawn (by Northern) until August, so it seems highly unlikely the rest will go in the following five months.

The result? Some brave soul will have to grant a derogation so the trains can continue into 2020. This should be a sensible and practical move to smooth the transition to new stock, but it will doubtless be one that railway-bashing media and commentators will jump on to their advantage. It is no wonder the National Railway Museum wants a ‘Pacer’ set for its collection, as what a story it will have to tell to future generations!