Class 175s to GWR

[Cheers Drive]

Thanks for all the replies on my other post
Very nice experience as a passenger extremely comfortable seats loads of leg room much brighter inside this is a massive upgrade to the hitachi horrible things

 

[185143]

Thanks for all the replies on my other post
Very nice experience as a passenger extremely comfortable seats loads of leg room much brighter inside this is a massive upgrade to the hitachi horrible things

Personally speaking, I much prefer an upright seat. You're pretty much in a reclined position on the 175/180s.

IETs have the much better interior as far as I'm personally concerned, though I know that won't be a popular view!

 

[Goldfish62]

Thanks for all the replies on my other post
Very nice experience as a passenger extremely comfortable seats loads of leg room much brighter inside this is a massive upgrade to the hitachi horrible things

Yes, a train from those heady times when seats were still actually designed for comfort! I remember Ian Walmsley in Modern Railways talking about the work that was put in on the comfort side of things.

 

[Razorblades]

Yes, a train from those heady times when seats were still actually designed for comfort! I remember Ian Walmsley in Modern Railways talking about the work that was put in on the comfort side of things.

Jones-Garrard of Leicester looked after the styling and design of the Coradias, which fed through into the very accomplished interiors. Whilst their Darth Vader 'face' for the 460s was a fairly Marmite statement, the 175 and 180 passenger comfort was very well received at the time and stands-up to this day. Bear in mind that the DfT didn't have a stake in the relationships between manufacturer, operator and leasing company at this time.

 

[RPI]

Personally speaking, I much prefer an upright seat. You're pretty much in a reclined position on the 175/180s.

IETs have the much better interior as far as I'm personally concerned, though I know that won't be a popular view!

I think you're in a very niche group of passengers there

 

[185143]

I think you're in a very niche group of passengers there

Indeed!

And I've done Aberdeen-London-Penzance in standard without any discomfort at all.

 

[BillStampy]

Has anyone got any insider knowledge into when a 2nd passenger diagram will be added? They've been running 2C26/2P21 for about 2 months with the 175s now. 175001 and 002 both performing excellently yesterday and today on that front.

 

[GoneSouth]

Indeed!

And I've done Aberdeen-London-Penzance in standard without any discomfort at all.

I’d rather do that on a Voyager but sadly you can’t do it directly anymore

 

[Goldfish62]

Has anyone got any insider knowledge into when a 2nd passenger diagram will be added? They've been running 2C26/2P21 for about 2 months with the 175s now. 175001 and 002 both performing excellently yesterday and today on that front.

In December's Modern Railways Mark Hopwood was quoted as saying that three diagrams were planned by the end of January, which gives you some idea of how far behind things are.

 

[BillStampy]

In December's Modern Railways Mark Hopwood was quoted as saying that three diagrams were planned by the end of January, which gives you some idea of how far behind things are.

Oh... that's not ideal.
Edit - I've just taken a look into next week on RTT, 5C00 comes off Laira and forms 2C00's diagram which hasn't changed to a 15x diagram yet. 5Z21 comes off the same platform 3 minutes after departure to head to DK3, possibly a 2nd passenger diagram?

 

[Jrocks]

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I’d rather do that on a Voyager but sadly you can’t do it directly anymore

So would I, 100% any day.
And I have done it directly

 

[GoneSouth]

So would I, 100% any day.
And I have done it directly

It’s quite an undertaking, just getting to the start point for the early departure was bad enough. It would have been a 3 day outing for me, and 3 days on XC would be about the same cost as buying a small car

Wonder what it would be like on a 175! Most people have good things to say about how comfortable they are, but full end to end of the country, not sure about that? Most uncomfortable journey I ever had must have been a 321 from Kings Cross to Leeds, windows open, it’s was ridiculously rattley!

Anyway, looking forward to getting back down to Cornwall a couple of times over the summer so hope I meet one of the 175s along the way. Will certainly be an improvement on a 150! Are they cleared to do any of the branches, or just the mainline?

 

[fgwrich]

Are they cleared to do any of the branches, or just the mainline?

At the moment, Newquay is cleared and has recently seen 002 on test runs along the branch. Given the combined services will soon run to Falmouth I suspect it won’t be long before one heads down there for a test run.

 

[XFeed]

Thanks for all the replies on my other post
Very nice experience as a passenger extremely comfortable seats loads of leg room much brighter inside this is a massive upgrade to the hitachi horrible things

Thanks for the pictures of 002 and I do notice that the 79 car is non multi for some reason ?

In picture 1 adjacent to this cars coupler manual release handle I can see the silver plate, which is usually black, in an unusual position as if there has been some work/investigation carried out in that area as the plate protects vulnerable plastic pipework and fittings.

 

[185143]

So would I, 100% any day.
And I have done it directly

I did it on a Voyager too! Admittedly in 1st class.

I intended to be on the Voyager the day I did it on IETs. But NorthLink and Mother Nature had other ideas. Yes I did travel from Shetland to Penzance cos why not

 

[REVUpminster]

At the moment, Newquay is cleared and has recently seen 002 on test runs along the branch. Given the combined services will soon run to Falmouth I suspect it won’t be long before one heads down there for a test run.

It only went to Newquay because the main line to Newton Abbot was closed. Very unlikely to do Newquay although having said that who knew a HST would work the Newquay branch on it's last day.
The 175s are needed on Barnstaple/Okehampton to release the 150s (four units) for Newquay-Falmouth. Trains these days are electronically cleared before they make a test run.

 

[Snow1964]

In December's Modern Railways Mark Hopwood was quoted as saying that three diagrams were planned by the end of January, which gives you some idea of how far behind things are.

Clearly the project is in crisis

The official announcement was August 2024 which is 19 months ago, following months of rumours, so nearer 2 years if include the unannounced rumour period.

There was a period last year when last 3 HST diagrams ending last December would have directly switched to 175s with new timetable. Subsequently as mentioned above, had Mark Hopwood saying 3 diagrams by end of January. But this also failed to happen.

Now just 3 weeks before the Easter school holidays when South West starts to ramp up for the busy season, still virtually nothing regarding 175s

 

[3RDGEN]

The official announcement was August 2024

The official announcement was actual a year ago yesterday, 10th March 2025, service enter later in 2025 the full fleet by then end of 2026. They did run an odd service in 2025 but we will see if full fleet roll out is achieved or how late they are next year.

https://news.gwr.com/news/class-175...ailway-improve-reliability-across-the-network

Great Western Railway (GWR) will welcome 26 Class 175 trains to its fleet...., The 10 two-car trains and 16 three-car trains are expected to start to enter service in Devon and Cornwall later this year, with the entire fleet expected to be operational from the end of next year.

Oh... that's not ideal.
Edit - I've just taken a look into next week on RTT, 5C00 comes off Laira and forms 2C00's diagram which hasn't changed to a 15x diagram yet. 5Z21 comes off the same platform 3 minutes after departure to head to DK3, possibly a 2nd passenger diagram?

The RTT details for 2C00 and subsequent services quotes 90mph stock from next week however the return from Penzance works to/from Exeter so if it is a 175 then that would be the first passenger run to Exeter?

 

[FGW_DID]

Has anyone got any insider knowledge into when a 2nd passenger diagram will be added? They've been running 2C26/2P21 for about 2 months with the 175s now. 175001 and 002 both performing excellently yesterday and today on that front.

Week commencing March 16th.
There are 4 working diagrams. LA801, 802 803 & 804.

Monday & Friday 2C26 / 2P21 will run as a 2 car (LA801).
LA802 is for Training at Laira
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 2C26 / 2P21 is booked as a 4 car. (LA801 & 802)

The third diagram (LA803) has the following workings:

5C00 04:49 ECS Laira - Plymouth
2C00 05:33 Plymouth - Penzance
2E06 07:45 Penzance - Exeter SD
2C20 11:27 Exeter SD - Penzance
2P20 15:15 Penzance - Plymouth
5P20 ECS to Laira

The fourth diagram (LA804) remains an ECS training run:
5Z21 5Z22 5Z23 5Z24 5Z16

 

[RPI]

It only went to Newquay because the main line to Newton Abbot was closed. Very unlikely to do Newquay although having said that who knew a HST would work the Newquay branch on it's last day.
The 175s are needed on Barnstaple/Okehampton to release the 150s (four units) for Newquay-Falmouth. Trains these days are electronically cleared before they make a test run.

It went to Newquay for route clearance testing where the stepping distances at each station etc were measured, wasn't merely a training run.

 

[BillStampy]

Week commencing March 16th.
There are 4 working diagrams. LA801, 802 803 & 804.

Monday & Friday 2C26 / 2P21 will run as a 2 car (LA801).
LA802 is for Training at Laira
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 2C26 / 2P21 is booked as a 4 car. (LA801 & 802)

The third diagram (LA803) has the following workings:

5C00 04:49 ECS Laira - Plymouth
2C00 05:33 Plymouth - Penzance
2E06 07:45 Penzance - Exeter SD
2C20 11:27 Exeter SD - Penzance
2P20 15:15 Penzance - Plymouth
5P20 ECS to Laira

The fourth diagram (LA804) remains an ECS training run:
5Z21 5Z22 5Z23 5Z24 5Z16

Much appreciated mate. Good to see 4-cars should be on the way soon and a unit to Exeter.

 

[GilfachFargoed]

Clearly the project is in crisis

The official announcement was August 2024 which is 19 months ago, following months of rumours, so nearer 2 years if include the unannounced rumour period.

There was a period last year when last 3 HST diagrams ending last December would have directly switched to 175s with new timetable. Subsequently as mentioned above, had Mark Hopwood saying 3 diagrams by end of January. But this also failed to happen.

Now just 3 weeks before the Easter school holidays when South West starts to ramp up for the busy season, still virtually nothing regarding 175s

3 diagrams from next week, 6 weeks beyond the end of January, slightly delayed but I would argue hardly 'in crisis'.

 

[Tetragon213]

3 diagrams from next week, 6 weeks beyond the end of January, slightly delayed but I would argue hardly 'in crisis'.

Still severely delayed, and quite problematically so, as it meant the Castle Class HST sets were effectively retired with nothing to take their place for at least several more months. Heck, a Castle had to cosplay a 150 on the Newquay branch on the last day. The program is so critically behind schedule that it borders on embarrassing, especially since, as was pointed out, we are fast approaching the Easter Holidays with a motley collection of rolling stock that, at first glance, appears woefully inadequate for the task of dealing with the imminent holiday traffic.

I have very little faith that the 3 diagrams you mention can match, let alone exceed, the capacity provided by the now-retired Castles, and fully expect "Shock Horror overcrowding in the South West!" headlines in tabloids, or "Got fined for missing my train because it was so overcrowded, please help!" and "GWR Holiday Nightmares: overcrowding" posts in the forums during/after Easter if they don't get a bloody good move on with the 175s.

 

[REVUpminster]

The only only trains in passenger service are the two cars. 101, 112,114 (which has been at Laira over a year) seem to be not even being given a run out. The knock-on effect is the 158s remain at Exeter instead of going to Bristol.
Perhaps if they had persevered with 769s...........?

 

[RPI]

There was an update (internally) today, over the next couple of months it will be stepped up, one of the main issues has been corrosion that needs repairing, the corrosion has led to water ingress to the electrics which is the root cause of a lot of failures. There was a plan laid out but I can't remember much about the detail, other than 5 units a day will be used for training soon. From what I gather, there are still no Penzance drivers trained son them.

 

[brad465]

Week commencing March 16th.
There are 4 working diagrams. LA801, 802 803 & 804.

Monday & Friday 2C26 / 2P21 will run as a 2 car (LA801).
LA802 is for Training at Laira
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 2C26 / 2P21 is booked as a 4 car. (LA801 & 802)

The third diagram (LA803) has the following workings:

5C00 04:49 ECS Laira - Plymouth
2C00 05:33 Plymouth - Penzance
2E06 07:45 Penzance - Exeter SD
2C20 11:27 Exeter SD - Penzance
2P20 15:15 Penzance - Plymouth
5P20 ECS to Laira

The fourth diagram (LA804) remains an ECS training run:
5Z21 5Z22 5Z23 5Z24 5Z16

There was an update (internally) today, over the next couple of months it will be stepped up, one of the main issues has been corrosion that needs repairing, the corrosion has led to water ingress to the electrics which is the root cause of a lot of failures. There was a plan laid out but I can't remember much about the detail, other than 5 units a day will be used for training soon. From what I gather, there are still no Penzance drivers trained son them.

Looks like we're finally reaching the "tipping point", where enough training and testing has taken pace that a sudden increase in both more training and introduction into service is possible.

 

[XFeed]

There was an update (internally) today, over the next couple of months it will be stepped up, one of the main issues has been corrosion that needs repairing, the corrosion has led to water ingress to the electrics which is the root cause of a lot of failures. There was a plan laid out but I can't remember much about the detail, other than 5 units a day will be used for training soon. From what I gather, there are still no Penzance drivers trained son them.

Unfortunately 175s have suffered corrosion during their lifetime in certain areas which has resulted in water ingress and we experienced it occasionally above the 3901 and 4901 electrical cupboards which are A + B sides No2 end of each car.

 

[Goldfish62]

I have very little faith that the 3 diagrams you mention can match, let alone exceed, the capacity provided by the now-retired Castles, and fully expect "Shock Horror overcrowding in the South West!" headlines in tabloids, or "Got fined for missing my train because it was so overcrowded, please help!" and "GWR Holiday Nightmares: overcrowding" posts in the forums during/after Easter if they don't get a bloody good move on with the 175s.

There's no need to worry, because according to some people on these forums trains in Cornwall run around empty all the time.

 

[Cheers Drive]

^tbf I get a lot of trains in Cornwall and they’re rarely packed except for rush hour trains in the day you do see entire empty carriages, even now at 3.30PM this train (class158) has about three ppl max and it’s struggling or slow driver at least can open windows on these though