Class 175s to GWR

[3RDGEN]

What is the current situation with driver training? Are many 175s being taken out on mileage runs each day?

003/007/011 came off Laira together this morning, "https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:V82021/2026-02-17/detailed#allox_id=1".

011/003 Ran 5Z12 "https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:V82019/2026-02-17/detailed#allox_id=1" but the following 5Z13 didn't run, perhaps no traincrew available for training or maybe just a test run?

007 has been running around most of the day, "https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:V82014/2026-02-17/detailed#allox_id=0" & "https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:V82013/2026-02-17/detailed#allox_id=0". I would assume these are training runs but maybe unit test runs? Then as above 007 is attempting to run the two passenger services, 13:40 Plymouth - Penzance and it's return.

 

[ThatBloke]

Many staff from Alstom Chester stayed with Alstom and transferred to other Alstom Depots.


Surely any deal would surely involve volunteers and Alstom would give people the option, rather than force people to go. If the deal is right then those that do go would surely be rewarded financially for their time away, which many would go for.


What is the current situation with driver training? Are many 175s being taken out on mileage runs each day?

Whilst I'm sure that Alstom will always respond to urgent requests from a customer in need, even when there is no contract in place.
The situation with technical expertise and support is entirely of GWR's making.
The offer of a full blown technical support package was made to GWR. This was declined by GWR (I assume on the basis of cost) as part of the contract negotiations with Alstom.

Whilst the inevitable issues of getting staff with the correct skills/competences for class 175 to work in the South West are real. What underlies the current diffulties appears to be the misplaced optimism of GWR in the condition of the fleet and the difficulties of upskilling their current staff.

 

[Jrocks]

Back to the 175s: any failures today?

To put it bluntly, yes (to no ones supprise)

 

[XFeed]

A better solution would be to employ local people, have those with experience train them, and remain on-call in case things get really bad

That would be a solution that would work well, I`m sure.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Feb 2026 ==

Do these miraculous fitters who know the 175s inside out and can get them working instantly actually exist?

Yes they sure do

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Feb 2026 ==

Just because Alstom built them 25 years ago, I don't see any particular likelihood that they will still have experts on their staff. Alstom also hasn't operated Chester depot for 4 years, and presumably the staff there have now been TUPEd to CAF, retrained in the 197s and are eager to get that fleet working, and are loyal to their new employer.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Feb 2026 ==

Just because Alstom built them 25 years ago, I don't see any particular likelihood that they will still have experts on their staff. Alstom also hasn't operated Chester depot for 4 years, and presumably the staff there have now been TUPEd to CAF, retrained in the 197s and are eager to get that fleet working, and are loyal to their new employer.

Alstom will still have 175 experts on there staff, as was demonstrated with the Liskeard problem recently, it was only hourly paid staff and salaried team PM`s - Production Managers - attached to each team that were TUPE`d over to CAF in June 2022. In total 6 teams, 5 shift teams and their PM along with a small number of specialist upstairs back office staff plus additional services staff.
At the point of TUPE upper management above PM`s along with the salaried Tech Office staff either left for other roles outside of Alstom or moved to Crewe I think it was.

If I had to have a educated guess I would say that it was someone from the ex Chester Tech office that attended Liskeard.

 

[BillStampy]

Does anyone have any insight into the status of 175101 and 114? Both units are at Laira but I'm unsure if they're undergoing some work, 114 was last out on a training run back in December and 101 has been at Laira for a few weeks having arrived from Wolverton.

Also, any insider knowledge as to whether any more units are due to move soon?

 

[XFeed]

Whilst the inevitable issues of getting staff with the correct skills/competences for class 175 to work in the South West are real. What underlies the current diffulties appears to be the misplaced optimism of GWR in the condition of the fleet and the difficulties of upskilling their current staff.

What I am sure would benefit GWR is to embed people with the relevant experience of 175`s within GWR for the necessary period of time or until the staff are then competent with 175 operation.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Feb 2026 ==

I’m off to Alsthom

Now there`s a blast from the past with that spelling.

At the end of the TfW lease there were still a couple of cab TMS screens around still displaying this previous spelling of Alstom.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 17 Feb 2026 ==

Many staff from Alstom Chester stayed with Alstom and transferred to other Alstom Depots

Only Alstom salaried staff left Chester at the point of transfer, hourly paid employees and a small number of salaried staff attached to teams along with a small number of other specialised staff remained.

 

[tfw756rider]

Now there`s a blast from the past with that spelling.

At the end of the TfW lease there were still a couple of cab TMS screens around still displaying this previous spelling of Alstom.

Really?! Wow, I didn't realise that the old spelling made it onto any 175s (or 175 parts) at all! The units were ordered in 1997 from (GEC) Alsthom, but if I have this right, the company was renamed to Alstom in late 1998, before the 175s started build in 1999.

 

[adc82140]

Are there still people within GWR who worked on the Class 180s at OOC? From what I remember they were "Adelante Whisperers" and managed to get them working well. Could this knowledge be passed on to Laira for the 175s?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Are there still people within GWR who worked on the Class 180s at OOC? From what I remember they were "Adelante Whisperers" and managed to get them working well. Could this knowledge be passed on to Laira for the 175s?

The 180s left GWR 9 years ago.
There's probably still some knowledge floating about but I doubt it would be easy to track down who still remembers.

 

[Razorblades]

The 180s left GWR 9 years ago.
There's probably still some knowledge floating about but I doubt it would be easy to track down who still remembers.

9 years? When I was dealing with them in 2011 they were shared between Grand Central at Heaton, Hull Trains at Botanic Gardens and Northern at Newton Heath!

 

[pokemonsuper9]

9 years? When I was dealing with them in 2011 they were shared between Grand Central at Heaton, Hull Trains at Botanic Gardens and Northern at Newton Heath!

Reading the Wikipedia article in more detail (I previously just looked for the end date)
They were with GWR from December 2001 - March 2009, then reintroduced in May 2012 - 2017 being replaced by 800s.

That would match with them not being with GWR in 2011

 

[FGW_DID]

Does anyone have any insight into the status of 175101 and 114? Both units are at Laira but I'm unsure if they're undergoing some work........

Both stopped at Laira, undergoing exam work and other maintenance.

 

[BillStampy]

Both stopped at Laira, undergoing exam work and other maintenance.

Thank you. Probably stuff required to be done before they can enter service.

 

[grecian ern]

with all the ongoing problems, i'm wondering what a visit to Wolverton entails. why were some units sent direct to Laira and Long Rock from Ely, there appears to be no difference in performance between them. no doubt all will be well in the end.

 

[REVUpminster]

Here we go again. Third time usually lucky.

Realtime Trains | 5V84 1210 Wolverton Centre Sidings to Laira T.& R.S.M.D. | 20/02/2026

Real-time train running information for 5V84 1210 departure from Wolverton Centre Sidings to Laira T.& R.S.M.D. on 20/02/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[northernbelle]

Here we go again. Third time usually lucky.

Realtime Trains | 5V84 1210 Wolverton Centre Sidings to Laira T.& R.S.M.D. | 20/02/2026

Real-time train running information for 5V84 1210 departure from Wolverton Centre Sidings to Laira T.& R.S.M.D. on 20/02/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Possibly 175113.

 

[BillStampy]

Possibly 175113.

Probably, it went with 175101 from Ely to Wolverton.
I certainly hope so, it was always my favourite unit and I hope to see this move at Reading.

 

[The Prisoner]

001 and 007 out on training/test this morning 5Z13 0751 Plymouth to Plymouth seemingly successfully

001 then on the 1340 Plymouth to Penzance and return 2C26 1340 Plymouth to Penzance

007 looks to be following it on another test 5Z23 1401 Plymouth to Plymouth to Par and back followed by another trip to Penzance and back 5Z24 1600 Plymouth to Plymouth

If all this happens (big IF!) does this finally mean we can see more than one passenger return trip per day soon?!

 

[REVUpminster]

001 and 007 out on training/test this morning 5Z13 0751 Plymouth to Plymouth seemingly successfully

001 then on the 1340 Plymouth to Penzance and return 2C26 1340 Plymouth to Penzance

007 looks to be following it on another test 5Z23 1401 Plymouth to Plymouth to Par and back followed by another trip to Penzance and back 5Z24 1600 Plymouth to Plymouth

If all this happens (big IF!) does this finally mean we can see more than one passenger return trip per day soon?!

Looking at previous posts here and elsewhere 175001 seems to be reliable. 175007 hasn't been to Wolverton and little is seen of the others that have been through Wolverton. The ill fated 175002 has been at Laira over a year as has 175114. I had expected 175101 to have come out of Laira on a training run or passenger.
Sitting in the salt air at Laira might not being doing them much good if they haven't all gone rusty in all the rain.

 

[BillStampy]

001 ran seemingly flawlessly today, which is a positive sign. 007's still running about on training, fingers crossed for a second diagram soon. Hoping for another 3-car to head down tomorrow too!

 

[REVUpminster]

001 ran seemingly flawlessly today, which is a positive sign. 007's still running about on training, fingers crossed for a second diagram soon. Hoping for another 3-car to head down tomorrow too!

There are only 3 cars at Wolverton. Only 1 2car left at Ely and 175008 which is beyond repair

 

[FGW_DID]

001 ran seemingly flawlessly today, which is a positive sign. 007's still running about on training, fingers crossed for a second diagram soon. Hoping for another 3-car to head down tomorrow too!

There’s already 3 175/0 diagrams!

 

[tfw756rider]

There’s already 3 175/0 diagrams!

Probably means two sets of passenger services, with one 175 working one and another 175 working another.

 

[BillStampy]

175 is now active and on Traksy at Wolverton, I'll confirm the unit(s) if nobody else does by the time it gets to Reading.

Edit: 175112 on its own, sped through Reading.

 

[Apedlar12]

Not sure if this is actually true, but according to RTT 175001 and 175007 are operating 2C26/2P21 today...

 

[TheLastMinute]

Well, well, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it! Another small step forward.

 

[REVUpminster]

Not sure if this is actually true, but according to RTT 175001 and 175007 are operating 2C26/2P21 today...

True. The beauty of the Saltash cam is you can turn it back to 1350hr and two units crossed the bridge with 001 in front.

 

[Apedlar12]

Ah great, hopefully that happening becomes more frequent.

Having a look at the diagrams for next week, it appears that units should be heading to Newquay for the first time.

 

[REVUpminster]

175 is now active and on Traksy at Wolverton, I'll confirm the unit(s) if nobody else does by the time it gets to Reading.

Edit: 175112 on its own, sped through Reading.

It's now running 83 minutes early if anyone wants to catch it on CoastCams at Dawlish.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

It's now running 83 minutes early if anyone wants to catch it on CoastCams at Dawlish.

Was checking to see if I could rewind any of them to see the refurbished CrossCountry and it just was right there!