Northern Rail Pacer old Train carriage, Birchwood,Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK

Pacer is the operational name of the British Rail Classes 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144 diesel multiple unit railbuses, built between 1980 and 1987. Intended as a short-term solution to a shortage of rolling stock (with a lifespan of no more than 20 years), as of 2018 many Pacer railbuses are still in use. The Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations require that all public passenger trains must be accessible to disabled people by 2020. Only one Pacer (the modernised 144e) currently meets this requirement, and the remainder will therefore need to be withdrawn by that date unless they receive an extensive refurbishment. Porterbrook, which owns the Class 143 and Class 144 fleets, has proposed such a refurbishment for the rest of the fleet, while Angel Trains, which owns the Class 142 fleet, does not see such a refurbishment as a viable option