The Class 165 and 166 Networker Turbos at 30 Something, Still Going Strong

The Class 165 and Class 166 Networker Turbo is a suburban diesel multiple unit passenger train.

The fleet was constructed by British Rail Engineering Limited at its York Works between 1990 and 1992.

They were designed to work the Thames Valley and Chiltern Division of Network SouthEast. A mixture of both two car and three car versions were built.

An express version was subsequently built and designated as the Class 166 Networker Turbo Express.

They are visually similar to the Class 365 and Class 465 Networker electric multiple units built by BREL around the same time.

They replaced a variety of first generation slam door diesel multiple units operated by Network SouthEast as well as well the remaining loco hauled Network Express services operating out of London Paddington.

Following the privatisation of British Rail, the franchise to operate the Class in the Thames Valley was won by the Go-Ahead Group. They operated using the Thames Trains brand name from 1996 to 2004.

Between April 2004 until March 2006 First Group took over the Thames Trains franchise and rebranded it as First Great Western Link.

On the 6th November 2002 as part of a franchise reorganisation by the Strategic Rail Authority, it was announced that the Great Western, Thames Trains and Wessex Trains franchises would be combined to form the Greater Western franchise.

This new larger franchise was initially rebranded as First Great Western. On the 20th September 2015 whole company was subsequently rebranded as the Great Western Railway with a new green livery and GWR branding.

Today Chiltern Railways still operate a fleet of 39 Class 165/0s comprising of 28 two car sets and 11 three car sets.

GWR operate a fleet of 36 Class 165/1s comprising of 20 two car sets and 16 three car sets as well as 21 Class 166s.

Following the electrification of the Great Western mainline out of London Paddington the Class no longer operate services through the Thames Valley. They can however, still be found working GWR services over non electrified lines and branches in southern and south west England.