British Rail Class 142

The unit's body is based on that of the original Leyland National bus; many fixtures and fittings of the bus can be found on the units.[10][11] Each unit has a seating capacity of any number between 102[5] and 121 passengers per two-car set. In theory there should be 106 or 121 seats per unit.[12] However, many units have had seats removed to provide additional space for wheelchair access. The same engines and mechanical transmissions were used as on Class 141, as also the same double-folding external doors. Each car has a fuel capacity of 125 gallons.[13]

All 94 Class 142s will be withdrawn by mid-2020, as they do not comply with the Persons with Reduced Mobility Technical Specification for Interoperability (PRM-TSI).[21][22]

Bidders for the Northern franchise that commenced in April 2016 were required to order new DMUs and take on Sprinters and Turbostars (Classes 150, 156, 158 and 170) released by other franchises as replacement.[23] The Long Term Passenger Rolling Stock Strategy for the Rail Industry indicates up to 500 non-electric carriages will need to be built in the short term.[24] Northern withdrawals were scheduled to commence in November 2018 with the last to be removed from traffic in October 2019.[25] This has been slightly delayed until the first Class 195s enter service.

Wales & Borders franchise holder KeolisAmey Wales will replace all of its Class 142s by mid-2020.[26]

In August 2019, Northern retired seven and placed them in store at Heaton TMD.[27][28] Scrapping commenced in December 2019 with 142005 taken to CF Booth, Rotherham.[29] In December 2019, three withdrawn Northern units were transferred to Transport for Wales for spare parts.[30]

In December 2019, both Northern and Transport for Wales were issued derogations to allow use into 2020. Northern Trains are permitted to the use the units until the 31 May 2020, but only whilst coupled to a compliant unit,[31] whilst Transport for Wales are permitted to use the units until 31 July 2020 and can be operated alone.[32]

Seventeen class 142 units have so far been saved/earmarked for preservation. The majority all being ex-Northern operated units. Unit no 142001 is part of the National Collection and preserved at the National Railway Museum Shildon.[33] Additionally, three further units are to be preserved. Unit 142003 is to be purchased by a private individual, two further units 142023 and 142036 are to also be preserved following withdrawal from service in May 2020. 142023 will be based at the Plym Valley Railway and 142036 at the East Kent Railway.

A further few units are also preserved on the Chasewater Railway, the Wensleydale Railway and Whitrope Heritage Centre each.

• 
  BR Western Region Class 142 No. 142025 at Newcastle
• 
  BR/Manchester PTE Class 142 No. 142012 at Edale
• 
  BR Provincial two-tone blue Class 142 No. 142061 at Preston
• 
  BR Provincial with added Network NorthWest branding
• 
  Regional Railways
• 
  Revised Greater Manchester PTE
• 
  First North Western Class 142 No. 142031 at Hunts Cross
• 
  The interior of a refreshed First North Western Class 142
• 
  First Great Western
• 
  Valley Lines
• 
  Arriva Trains Wales
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  Arriva Trains Northern Class 142 No. 142094 at York
• 
  Merseyrail Class 142 No. 142055 at Castleton East Junction
• 
  Northern Rail Class 142 No. 142084 at Castleton East Junction

• Two Class 142 units have been withdrawn through accident damage. The first of which was unit 142059, which was withdrawn in 1991 after colliding with a buffer stop at Liverpool Lime Street. The train had run away down the hill from Edge Hill whilst returning with brake problems. The train was running without passengers at the time and the driver and guard both survived the accident without serious lasting injury. The platforms were evacuated in time before the train struck the buffers.[40]
• The most serious accident involving a Class 142 was at Winsford in 1999.[41] The driver of Class 142 No. 142008 operated by First North Western, running empty from Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street overran a red signal on the slow line and stopped in the path of the 06:15 London Euston to Glasgow Central Virgin Trains express, hauled by a Class 87 electric locomotive, No. 87027 Wolf of Badenoch.[42] The impact, which caused the unit to be written off, severed the Pacer's body from its frames and caused severe internal damage. This raised concerns over the crashworthiness of the design.[43][44]
• On 11 June 2009, a Class 142 (No. 142042) operated by Northern Rail derailed while en route from Blackpool to Liverpool. All but one of the 40 passengers on board escaped injury. An initial investigation was carried out by the UK Rail Accident Investigation Branch which determined that the engine mounted under the rear coach became detached and fell onto the track at a recorded speed of 57 mph, derailing the rear axle. The detachment of the engine caused extensive damage to underfloor equipment, severing control wires and damaging the braking system resulting in an automatic emergency brake application. The engine became detached following the failure of its attachment to the flywheel housing. Two of the three engine mounting points are on the flywheel housing which remained attached to the vehicle. Engine parts were recovered and taken to the engine overhauler's workshops for supervised examination and dismantling. The bearings and other internal engine parts were found to be in order with no signs of overheating or seizure. The engine crankshaft had broken between the big end bearing of the sixth cylinder and the main bearing in the engine casing at the flywheel end. This break exhibited marks characteristic of a fatigue failure. The torque load on the crankshaft of an engine on full power is at its maximum between the last cylinder and the flywheel, the location of the fracture. A piece of the main bearing and its fixing bolt were the first items found in the debris trail towards the derailed train at 453m back from where the train stopped. The engine block was 205m back from the stopped train. The track was damaged over a distance of 330m. The engine had been overhauled and was fitted to 142042 in March 2008. The crankshaft had been used in two other engines before being fitted to this engine. It had been reground and subjected to magnetic particle inspection (MPI) to check for flaws before it was fitted to this engine. The unit had covered 114,577 miles since returning to service. The rebuilt engines were given an interval of 400,000 miles between overhauls. Subsequently, newer more sensitive MPI equipment was introduced by the engine overhaulers.[45] Problems with engines on 142s have been experienced before.[46]
• On 8 August 2009, Arriva Trains Wales unit 142069 derailed during an empty stock movement at Rhymney, South Wales. The unit was preparing to work a morning service with 143625 when it derailed on a set of points and hit the platform edge. 142069 was later removed by road to Cardiff Canton depot and fears were raised that the frame might have been damaged beyond repair. These fears proved unfounded and the unit has since returned to service.
• On 3 October 2009, a unit of the class collided with another train at Darlington.[47]
• On 4 January 2010, unit 142029 collided with a train comprising two Class 159 diesel multiple units at Exeter St Davids. Nine people were injured.[48]
• On 10 April 2011, a cardan shaft failure on 142045 led to an incident at Durham, injuring a member of the public with a piece of ballast kicked up by the detached shaft.[49]
• On 27 April 2012, unit 142091 was working the 1125 Lincoln – Adwick service when it hit a landslide after exiting Clarborough Tunnel near Retford causing major frontal damage to the unit. Two people were taken to hospital with minor injuries, one of these being the driver.[50][51] The landslide was blamed on heavy rain and poor drainage.[51] The unit has since returned to service.
• On 4 October 2016, unit 142072 caught fire at Caerphilly.[52]
• On 9 October 2018, unit 142086 derailed at Sheffield station.[53][54][55]

John Pugh, the then Liberal Democrat MP for Southport, described the 142 trains as "unsafe". However the UK Government's Transport Secretary at the time Geoff Hoon denied this claim saying, "I would not accept that any of that rolling stock is unsafe", and that they constantly upgrade them.[56][57]

In 1987, Hornby Railways launched its first version of the BR Class 142 (Pacer) railbus in OO gauge.[58]

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