Class 175s to GWR

[Apedlar12]

3. Newquay has moved over to 150 operation now, with the 175 having been moved to mainline duties. That is until the altered diagrams came into force this week.

Thanks. So with the altered diagrams starting does that mean that both the Newquay diagram and the mainline diagram (2P01/3C05/2P05) are both booked 150s for now?

 

[Jrocks]

Thanks. So with the altered diagrams starting does that mean that both the Newquay diagram and the mainline diagram (2P01/3C05/2P05) are both booked 150s for now?

Yup, thats the altered diagrams for the moment. When we get the 175s back to a reliable state, I believe 2P01, 3C05, 2P05 etc will go to 175 operation, with the newquay sticking with 150s on both services

 

[DannyMich2018]

In a few week's time when the Colleges and Schools go back and commuting returns to higher levels if the 175 situation doesn't improve how will GWR resource the busy Barnstaple College train and others? Be interesting few weeks ahead.
Could GWR cancel services on some routes and run replacement buses?

 

[stevieinselby]

Overformed trains are not always a good thing... This scenario is imaginary but can be used to explain the point:

A train Exeter to Plymouth is booked to be a 4 car turbo. This is great as all coaches fit on every platform it is due to call at. One day, it is a 5 car turbo due to a shortage of 2 car turbos (it ends up being a 2 and 3 car joined together). Now the train doesnt fit at all stations its booked to call at. This will mean one unit has to be locked out of use. Now a 5 car train is running around with only one unit open, so the train only actually has 2 or 3 coaches depending on which unit is leading, instead of the booked 4.

In that situation, why would you send out a 2+3 formation knowing that one of the units would have to be locked out of use? Surely you would leave the 2-car unit behind and just run with the 3-car unit, and then at least you are going to have 3 cars rather than having to squeeze passengers into 2 for one direction.

 

[Jrocks]

In that situation, why would you send out a 2+3 formation knowing that one of the units would have to be locked out of use? Surely you would leave the 2-car unit behind and just run with the 3-car unit, and then at least you are going to have 3 cars rather than having to squeeze passengers into 2 for one direction.

For unit positioning, trains joining on route, trains splitting on route... multiple different reasons.

This is the whole reason why 2E30 of an evening now has to start at Plymouth vice Penzance on a normal weekday. The 3 car 158 that comes up from Penzance joins with a 2 car 150. The 150 is leading from Plymouth to Exeter, so as a result the 3 car 158 has to get locked out. As a result, you CANNOT have 2E30 start at Penzance as all passengers would have to get off of the 158 and onto the 150. That therefore is not a through service and it cannot be timetabled that way!

 

[Amlag]

Does the heavily subsidised (and often unreliable) Newquay branch line really need 17 trains each way M-S out of the main tourist season ?

 

[XFeed]

For unit positioning, trains joining on route, trains splitting on route... multiple different reasons.

This is the whole reason why 2E30 of an evening now has to start at Plymouth vice Penzance on a normal weekday. The 3 car 158 that comes up from Penzance joins with a 2 car 150. The 150 is leading from Plymouth to Exeter, so as a result the 3 car 158 has to get locked out. As a result, you CANNOT have 2E30 start at Penzance as all passengers would have to get off of the 158 and onto the 150. That therefore is not a through service and it cannot be timetabled that way!

Sounds like a continual planning merry go round headache

I think that I will just stick to knowing about 175s, much easier

 

[REVUpminster]

So far 175003 working 2C05 and 175115 doing the training run. These have been the more reliable trains together with 006, 111.

Incidentally 2F07 still "overformed" with the same units which suggests one of the middle cabs is faulty. They have done it before and keeps a unit in service,
2F08 is a two car turbo, 2F11, usually a three car 158 cancelled (one hour gap). 0823 Okehampton cancelled (two hour service for rest of day).

 

[Snow1964]

More knock on effects of 175 availability.

Due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton fewer trains are able to run.
Impact:
Train services running to and from these stations may be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Basically no spare train at Exeter to take over faulty one until end of today

One of the trains that operates the Exeter St Davids to Okehampton service has developed a fault that needs mechanical attention. We do have another train that is operating the service, which means we can only operate half of the service for the rest of today.

Live Train Times and Journey Updates | Great Western Railway

See the Great Western Railway TrainTracker for live departure times and up-to-the-minute train journey updates.

www.gwr.com

 

[TastyMaltesers]

So far 175003 working 2C05 and 175115 doing the training run. These have been the more reliable trains together with 006, 111.

You jinxed it, 175003 was late out of Exeter with a problem.

 

[stevieinselby]

This is the whole reason why 2E30 of an evening now has to start at Plymouth vice Penzance on a normal weekday. The 3 car 158 that comes up from Penzance joins with a 2 car 150. The 150 is leading from Plymouth to Exeter, so as a result the 3 car 158 has to get locked out. As a result, you CANNOT have 2E30 start at Penzance as all passengers would have to get off of the 158 and onto the 150. That therefore is not a through service and it cannot be timetabled that way!

So don't join it to the 150, run that ECS if you need to get it somewhere else, and then you can run the whole service from Penzance through to Exeter as a 3-car 158.

 

[TastyMaltesers]

So don't join it to the 150, run that ECS if you need to get it somewhere else, and then you can run the whole service from Penzance through to Exeter as a 3-car 158.

The 150 has to get to Exeter of course. Running that as its own ECS would require a driver, that could have been dropped off at Plymouth, to continue back to Exeter. It's never as simple as it seems!

 

[REVUpminster]

You jinxed it, 175003 was late out of Exeter with a problem.

It'll hopefully make up time on it's layover at Penzance.

115 is important training train for Exeter crews need it for end of August and .........don't want to jinx that.

Maybe 004 will put in an appearance. If Exeter depot staff cannot get it in order then nobody can.

 

[CR165022]

Incidentally 2F07 still "overformed" with the same units which suggests one of the middle cabs is faulty. They have done it before and keeps a unit in service,

150216 was on it's own on Monday before getting pulled from service on 2F20, and then came back out later in the day coupled with 247 and has obviously stayed coupled to it since, so would suggest 216 is the unit with the faulty cab.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Aug 2026 ==

2F11, usually a three car 158 cancelled (one hour gap). 0823 Okehampton cancelled (two hour service for rest of day).

The 2F11 diagram has been taken over by 166206 and 150265 has taken over the 2nd Okehampton, despite being on Liskeard-Looe this morning.

 

[Apedlar12]

The 2F11 diagram has been taken over by 166206 and 150265 has taken over the 2nd Okehampton, despite being on Liskeard-Looe this morning.

Looks like 150238 took over from 150265 on Looe, which unfortunately has led to 2E04/2C18/2P17/2C31/2P27 now being cancelled as a result of the unit swaps.

 

[apbj]

Looks like GWT are short of IETs, too. 1A78 PNZ-PAD, which is normally 5 until PLY then becomes 5+5, remained 5 all the way this morning. (Also no reservations, late, and no catering because of the subsequent overcrowding, so a full house )

 

[CR165022]

Looks like GWT are short of IETs, too. 1A78 PNZ-PAD, which is normally 5 until PLY then becomes 5+5, remained 5 all the way this morning. (Also no reservations, late, and no catering because of the subsequent overcrowding, so a full house )

166211 is also replacing an IET on Exeter-Cardiff

 

[REVUpminster]

166211 is also replacing an IET on Exeter-Cardiff

It's only going to Bristol then an IET. Paignton-Manchester cancelled, but Paignton-Swansea tour train running although it may have chucked out it's passengers at Torquay. Paignton has had lots of tour trains midweek this year but the fire, if it's stopped people getting off and on, has cost the town a lot of money.

 

[Apedlar12]

175003 was replaced by 802001 on 2C32 at Plymouth, and it is now continuing the diagram for the rest of the day.

 

[Jrocks]

175003 was replaced by 802001 on 2C32 at Plymouth, and it is now continuing the diagram for the rest of the day.

No fault, was to boost capacity as 2C31 was cancelled aswell.

 

[brad465]

Looks like GWT are short of IETs, too. 1A78 PNZ-PAD, which is normally 5 until PLY then becomes 5+5, remained 5 all the way this morning. (Also no reservations, late, and no catering because of the subsequent overcrowding, so a full house )

Might be because at least one of them was tired of the lack of rain in recent weeks so decided to produce rain itself inside from what I presume is the air con unit:

20K views · 279 reactions | There is no rain outside but inside #foryoupage #Viral #trending #positivity #welshtiktok | Keith Thomas

There is no rain outside but inside #foryoupage #Viral #trending #positivity #welshtiktok

www.facebook.com

(Link contains video of water leaking out of vent in ceiling)

 

[TastyMaltesers]

Might be because at least one of them was tired of the lack of rain in recent weeks so decided to produce rain itself inside from what I presume is the air con unit:

20K views · 279 reactions | There is no rain outside but inside #foryoupage #Viral #trending #positivity #welshtiktok | Keith Thomas

There is no rain outside but inside #foryoupage #Viral #trending #positivity #welshtiktok

www.facebook.com

(Link contains video of water leaking out of vent in ceiling)

That sort of thing happened on the EMR 810s as well, didn't it? Is it some kind of Hitachi design quirk?

 

[800301]

There is currently a pause with the 175 program as they now want each unit to cover 1000 fault free miles ECS before being put into service to hopefully try and clear out the faults without having causing as much service disruption, if the unit fails for anything the counter will be reset

 

[BillStampy]

There is currently a pause with the 175 program as they now want each unit to cover 1000 fault free miles ECS before being put into service to hopefully try and clear out the faults without having causing as much service disruption, if the unit fails for anything the counter will be reset

This probably should've been done at the start but it's a logical choice. Probably why the empty stock moves to Exeter is two units today.

 

[Snow1964]

175 effects, in peak holiday season

Due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time between Par and Newquay fewer trains are able to run.

Impact:
Train services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.
-
What has happened?
One of the trains that operates the Par to Newquay service has developed a fault that needs mechanical attention. We do have another train that is operating the service, which means we can only operate half of the service for the rest of today.
If you are wanting to travel to Newquay, please check your journey.
-
What are we doing about it?
Our maintenance team are working to try and resolve the issue.

Live Train Times and Journey Updates | Great Western Railway

See the Great Western Railway TrainTracker for live departure times and up-to-the-minute train journey updates.

www.gwr.com

 

[REVUpminster]

This probably should've been done at the start but it's a logical choice. Probably why the empty stock moves to Exeter is two units today.

Did that take place. I can only see 175003 in passenger service. No train to Paignton today.
175115-175006 coming out later.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Aug 2026 ==

Did that take place. I can only see 175003 in passenger service. No train to Paignton today.
175115-175006 coming out later.

It's come out of Laira as 5Z24 arrive 1132 in dk3

It's left for it's trip to Exeter early. Only got to do that 20 times and a thousand miles done. No pesky passengers opening doors, sitting in seats, holding doors open.

 

[paultucker1012]

Did that take place. I can only see 175003 in passenger service. No train to Paignton today.
175115-175006 coming out later.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Aug 2026 ==


It's come out of Laira as 5Z24 arrive 1132 in dk3

It's left for it's trip to Exeter early. Only got to do that 20 times and a thousand miles done. No pesky passengers opening doors, sitting in seats, holding doors open.

Actually, "just" ten return trips per unit would do it.

 

[REVUpminster]

Actually, "just" ten return trips per unit would do it.

I did know that and I suppose if a train started early could do it in a day. Trains that breakdown could be placed in Totnes, Newton Abbott Dawlish Warren until rescued. A "thunderbird" if they still exist, or recreated, could be placed in Newton Abbot sidings.

Funny enough if 175115-175006 lasts until it gets back to Laira 0015 tonight and with 175003 attached those units will be some way to 1000 miles. 2307 at Dawlish cams to see a seven car train.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G15749/2026-08-20/detailed#allox_id=0

Someone will know but I think these are the most reliable units.

 

[BillStampy]

Someone will know but I think these are the most reliable units.

115? Probably not. 006 has been rather inconsistent too.

On the other hand, 175003 seems to be a high scorer.

 

[brad465]

1000 fault-free miles is the equivalent of 6.25 return trips between Plymouth and Penzance, or around 9.6 return trips between Plymouth and Exeter. Doesn't sound like a lot, but obviously considering that several units have to meet this, and the clock is reset whenever there is a fault, this could be lengthy process if not many ECS runs per day are taking place.