The Class 153s of Northern Rail

Passengers in the North of England have seen a plethora of liveries over the years, but the ones of Northern Rail, operated by Serco/Abellio (previously operated by Arriva and now the DfT), certainly stand out.

Bringing colour to passenger commutes

These bold purple-and-blue-branded trains began brightening up dull platforms when the livery first appeared in 2004, when Serco/Abellio took over the Northern Rail franchise. They inherited rolling stock from many of their predecessors, including classic BR second generation DMU’s like the Class 150 and 158, and EMU’s such as the Class 319 and 321. The bright new paint scheme helped to unify the brand and ensured customers had no doubt about who they were travelling with.

Also amongst their fleet were the Class 153s. This family of diminutive single-car units had faithfully operated on rural railway lines since the 1990s. They were converted from the two-car Class 155 DMUs, but could still work in tandem with other DMUs, giving them the flexibility to bolster peak services.

An enduring design

The Northern Rail paint scheme depicted in our Hornby OO gauge Class 153 model didn’t appear until the late 2000s. Unfortunately, the Serco-Abellio Northern Rail franchise experienced ongoing operational challenges, which led to its takeover by Arriva in 2016. However, many of the fleet were not repainted and kept the same design into the early 2020s, making it a modern scheme that many modellers will recognise.

Northern Rail had the largest fleet of Class 153 units in the country, and they were extremely well travelled. With routes stopping at Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, Leeds and Sheffield in Yorkshire, all the way down into Nottinghamshire, they were a mainstay of the network for many years.

The Hornby Northern Rail Class 153 model

Our Hornby model depicts the Class 153 in those striking colours, faithfully representing the single-car unit at its peak operation. The complex livery has been painstakingly researched and replicated, with an eye-catching glossy finish, so that you can recreate a Northern scene on your model railway layout.

The accessories bag includes optional NEM couplings, and you can upgrade to HM7000 control by adding a 21-pin decoder (sold separately). Bring a little Northern charm to your layout with this superb Class 153 model.