New Zealand British Rail Mark 2 carriage

British Rail Mark 2
The eight Capital Connection S class carriages hauled by WAB 794 on an excursion near Woodville on 31 August 2003
Interior of Wairarapa Connection carriage SW 5658
In service	1971–present (UK) 1998–present (NZ)
Manufacturer	British Rail Engineering Limited
Built at	Litchurch Lane Works, Derby, England
Constructed	1971–75
Entered service	1998–present
Refurbishment	Hillside Engineering, Dunedin Hutt Workshops, Lower Hutt
Number built	1,876 (UK)
Number in service	144 (NZ)
Fleet numbers	BR numbers allocated at time of original build
Capacity	S servery: 30 S standard: 60 SA: 67 SD: 49 SE: 75 SEG: 44 SES: 63 SW: 64 SWG: 37 SWS: 37
Operator(s)	KiwiRail Scenic Tranz Metro Transdev Auckland
Depot(s)	Thorndon (S, SE, SW), Westfield (SA, SD)
Line(s) served	North Island Main Trunk (Wellington–Palmerston North, Pukekohe–Britomart) North Auckland Line (Westfield - Waitakere) Auckland - Newmarket Line Wairarapa Line (Wellington–Masterton)
Specifications
Car body construction	Steel
Car length	19.66 metres (64 ft 6 in)
Width	2.82 metres (9 ft 3 in)
Height	3.58–3.65 metres (11 ft 9 in–12 ft 0 in)
Floor height	1.00–1.08 metres (3 ft 3 in–3 ft 7 in)
Doors	4× electrically-operated plug doors (S, SE, SW) 4× electrically operated twin sliding doors (SA, SD)
Maximum speed	160 km/h (100 mph) (as built) 100 km/h (60 mph) (S, SE, SW) 90 km/h (60 mph) (SA, SD)
Weight	S servery: 29.3 tonnes (28.8 long tons; 32.3 short tons) S standard: 28.40 tonnes (27.95 long tons; 31.31 short tons) SA: 31.00 tonnes (30.51 long tons; 34.17 short tons) SD: 35.00 tonnes (34.45 long tons; 38.58 short tons) SE: 33.25 tonnes (32.72 long tons; 36.65 short tons) SEG: 34.25 tonnes (33.71 long tons; 37.75 short tons) SES: 33.25 tonnes (32.72 long tons; 36.65 short tons) SW: 33.25 tonnes (32.72 long tons; 36.65 short tons) SWG: 34.25 tonnes (33.71 long tons; 37.75 short tons) SWS: 32.25 tonnes (31.74 long tons; 35.55 short tons)
Power supply	SD: Perkins / Leroy Somer – FG Wilson P110E rated at 110KVA SEG, SWG: diesel alternator rated at 230KVA (type unknown)
Train heating	Heating and air-conditioning in all classes
Bogies	x28020plus and S-Ride
Braking system(s)	S: 26C SA, SD, SE, SEG, SES, SW, SWG, SWS: 26C with graduated release function
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) (originally 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge)

The New Zealand British Rail Mark 2 carriages were built by British Rail Engineering Limited for British Rail in the early 1970s. From the mid-1990s, some were exported to New Zealand and after being rebuilt/refurbished and re-gauged, entered service.

They are used on the Capital Connection (S class), owned and operated by KiwiRail Scenic; and on the Metlink Wairarapa Connection (SW/SWG/SWS class and SE/SEG/SES class), owned by Greater Wellington Regional Council and operated under contract by Tranz Metro. They were used on Auckland Transport commuter trains in Auckland (SA/SD class), operated under contract by Transdev Auckland, until being replaced by the AM class in 2014. The carriages generally replaced NZR 56-foot carriages, some of which had been in use for almost 70 years.

The British Rail Mark 2 was the second design of carriage by British Railways (BR). The first Mark 2 was a prototype First Corridor (FK), 13252, built in 1963.

Between 1964 and 1975, 1,876 Mark 2 carriages were constructed at Derby Carriage and Wagon Works. There were seven sub-classes, 2 & 2A to 2F. The 2D to 2F classes, unlike their predecessors, were air-conditioned and could be distinguished by having sheet glass windows. All of those imported into New Zealand were from these latter three subclasses. When introduced they were used on all mainline services in the United Kingdom. They were gradually superseded by British Rail Mark 3 carriages.