UK’s Great Western Railway (GWR) is set to introduce 26 Class 175 trains into its fleet, aiming to enhance punctuality and reliability while replacing older diesel trains that are more costly and less environmentally sustainable to operate.
The introduction of these trains marks the initial phase of GWR’s broader strategy to modernise its regional and suburban services, paving the way for future decarbonisation efforts.
The fleet will comprise 10 two-car and 16 three-car trains, with the first units expected to enter service in Devon and Cornwall later this year. The full fleet is anticipated to be operational by the end of next year. These trains, capable of running in four, five, and six-car formations, will primarily operate on routes between Exeter St Davids and Penzance, as well as to Barnstaple and Okehampton.
The addition of the Class 175s will enable the redeployment of other trains to improve performance across the wider GWR network. This transition will also facilitate the removal of some of the oldest and least efficient diesel trains, which have become increasingly costly to maintain due to the limited availability of spare parts.
“The benefits of these trains will be felt by customers across the whole of the GWR network. With more trains we will have more scope to increase resilience where it is needed most, delivering the reliability our communities deserve and need. They are a fantastic addition to our fleet and will provide a welcome boost as we seek to rejuvenate our regional and suburban services. We’d like to thank our industry partners, and the Department for Transport, for helping us get to this point and we look forward to welcoming the trains into service later this year,” GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said.
Ahead of their introduction, GWR will undertake a comprehensive training programme for staff while also preparing the Laira depot, where the trains will be maintained.
The British Rail Class 175 Coradia 1000 is a diesel-hydraulic multiple unit (DHMU) passenger train part of Alstom’s Coradia 1000 series.
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