British Rail Class 375
The British Rail Class 375 is an electric multiple unit train that was built by Bombardier Transportation (previously Adtranz) at Derby Litchurch Lane Works, from 1999 to 2005. The class form part of the Electrostar family of units, which also includes classes 357, 376, 377, 378, 379 and 387, is the most numerous type of EMU introduced since the privatisation of British Rail.
British Rail Class 375 Electrostar | |
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Southeastern 375715 leaving Ramsgate EMU Depot in September 2020 | |
The interior of a refurbished Class 375 | |
In service | April 2001 - present |
Manufacturer | Adtranz / Bombardier Transportation Derby Litchurch Lane Works |
Family name | Electrostar |
Replaced | |
Refurbished |
|
Number built | 140 units |
Number in service |
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Formation |
|
Capacity |
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Operator(s) | Southeastern |
Specifications | |
Car length | 20.4 m (66 ft 11 in)[1] |
Width | 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in)[1] |
Height | 3.78 m (12 ft 5 in) |
Maximum speed | 100 mph (161 km/h) |
Weight |
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Power output |
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Electric system(s) |
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Coupling system | Dellner,[2] most units originally had Tightlock couplers when new |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
These units form the basis of Southeastern's mainline fleet.
Description
These trains are owned by Eversholt Rail Group (formerly HSBC Rail) and leased to Southeastern for operation from London to Kent and parts of East Sussex.[3]
The Class 375 is the principal train used by Southeastern, and replaced the slam-door Mark 1 derived stock, which was more than 40 years old and did not meet modern health and safety requirements. All units have been converted from Tightlock to Dellner couplers.[2]
Refurbishment
In May 2015, unit 375301 was moved from Ramsgate Depot to Derby Litchurch Lane Works for a full refurbishment. On 16 May 2015, it was returned to the Kent depot wearing a new livery, similar to, but not based on the 'Highspeed' livery carried by the high speed Class 395 EMU, with a more vibrant shade of blue on the saloon doors and bolder stripes to highlight First Class and Disabled areas. Internally, the unit has received new carpets and lino flooring, new table top covers and the grab poles, side panels and table legs have been re-powder coated. The existing seat covers have been retained, but were dry cleaned to provide a brighter, cleaner interior. This work will also involve combining the two separate First Class sections on four car units into one section in the end of MOSL coach. It is intended for all class 375 units to receive this refurbishment between 2015 and 2018. The original plan was for the first 50 units (375/3s, 375/6s and 375/7s) to be refurbished at Bombardier in Derby and then the remaining units would be transferred for refurbishment at Bombardier Ilford. This plan did not go ahead and the 375/8s and 375/9s were sent to Derby. On 19 September 2015 the last 375/3 unit no 375310 went to Derby for refurbishment. The following week on 26 September the first 375/6 went to Derby for refurbishment.[4] The final 375 to receive the refurbishment and gain the new blue Southestern livery was 375 920, which was returned to Ramsgate depot on 28 April 2018.
Accidents and incidents
- On 8 November 2010, a passenger train operated by unit 375 711 overran Stonegate station, on the Hastings Line in East Sussex, due to low railhead adhesion in the leaf fall season and maintenance errors in respect of the train's sanding apparatus. The train continued to slide beyond the station for 2 miles 36 chains (3.94 km). Following the incident, Southeastern reduced the interval that the sand hoppers were to be refilled from seven days to five days.[5]
- On 24 November 2014, the front carriage of unit 375 611 caught fire from faulty electrical insulation pots at Charing Cross Platform 6. There were no injuries, though both the track and leading carriage required repairs, part of the rail being melted.[6]
- On 26 July 2015, units 375 703 and 375 612 formed a train that collided with a herd of cattle on the line at Godmersham, between Wye and Chilham, Kent. The leading carriage of 375 703 was derailed. There were no injuries amongst the 70 passengers and crew on board.[7][8]
- On 5 January 2018, unit 375 815 hit a fallen tree near Herne Bay. Though damage was sustained to the leading carriage, there were no injuries.
- On 24 October 2018, shortly before midnight unit 375 301 leading 375 906 hit a car abandoned on a level crossing between Teynham and Faversham. The car caught fire and the leading carriage of 375 301 sustained damage to its corridor, bogie and coupling.[9]
Class 375 routes
Main lines
- Charing Cross/Cannon Street – Tunbridge Wells and Hastings fast services
- Charing Cross/Cannon Street – Dover Priory and Ramsgate via Ashford International.
- Victoria – Ramsgate and Dover Priory via Chatham
- Cannon Street - Ramsgate/Broadstairs via Chatham (peak hours only)
Outer suburban
Electrostars also work the following outer suburban Southeastern routes interchangeably with Class 465/9 units:
- Charing Cross/Cannon Street – Tunbridge Wells
- Victoria – Canterbury West, via Ashford International and Maidstone East,
- Victoria - Dover Priory via Denmark Hill and Gillingham (Kent)
- Victoria - Canterbury East/Faversham (Sundays only)
- Charing Cross - Hayes
Medway Valley Line
Class 375/3 units started operating services on the Medway Valley Line from May 2012 to January 2016, and then from September 2016 to present day, with the exception of a few high-speed services from London St Pancras during peak hours. 4-car Class 375s and Class 466 Networkers occasionally appear as well as a substitute unit. When the sea wall between Dover Priory and Folkestone Central collapsed, Class 466 Networkers covered the services along the route until it was repaired in September 2016, with the Class 375/3s being used as a shuttle service between Ramsgate and Dover Priory via Sandwich and Deal.
Sheerness line
From December 2019, Class 375/3 units replaced Class 466 units on the Sheerness line.[10]
Fleet details
Class | Type | Operator | No. in traffic | Year built | Cars per unit | Unit nos. | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class 375/3 | Express & Outer suburban | Southeastern | 10 | 2001–2002 | 3 | 375301–310 | Originally 28 units - Southern's reclassified as Class 377/3 in 2004, following fitting of Dellner couplings. |
Class 375/6 | 30 | 1999–2001 | 4 | 375601–630 | Dual voltage units. | ||
Class 375/7 | 15 | 2001–2002 | 375701–715 | ||||
Class 375/8 | 30 | 2004–2005 | 375801–830 | ||||
Class 375/9 | 27 | 2003–2004 | 375901–927 | 3+2 seating in Standard |
Named units
Unit | Name |
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375 304 | Medway Valley Line 1856 - 2006 |
375 608 | Bromley Travelwise |
375 610 | Royal Tunbridge Wells |
375 611 | Dr. William Harvey |
375 619 | Driver John Neve |
375 623 | Hospice in the Weald |
375 624 | White Cliffs Country |
375 701 | Kent Air Ambulance Explorer |
375 703 | Dickens Traveller |
375 710 | Rochester Castle |
375 714 | Rochester Cathedral |
375 823 | Ashford - Proudly Served By Rail For 175 Years |
375 830 | City of London |
Unit 375 624 (White Cliffs Country) was re-liveried with the Southeastern trial livery and did not have its name displayed. This unit has since been refurbished with the new Southeastern blue livery.
Unit 375 610 (Royal Tunbridge Wells) previously carried a livery with royal blue doors and a gold stripe to mark the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II, this livery was removed upon refurbishment in January 2016, the gold stripe having been removed several years prior.
Gallery
- Southeastern Class 375/3 No. 375306 at Canterbury East
- Southeastern Class 375/7 No. 375714 at London Bridge
- The interior of a refreshed First Class cabin
- The interior of refreshed Standard Class accommodation
- Southeastern Class 375/8 No. 375812 at Ashford International
- Southeastern Class 375/6 No. 375610 Royal Tunbridge Wells at Tonbridge in the former gold stripe livery (stripe was removed)
- Southeastern Class 375/3 No. 375308 at Cuxton in their trial livery
- A pair of refurbished Class 375 No. 375810 and No. 375617 at Dover Priory
- The relocated and refurbished First Class cabin
- A half internal view of the refurbished Standard Class accommodation
References
- Bombardier Electrostar Family page Archived 10 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- "Southern Electrics Group". Archived from the original on 2 February 2014.
- Kent Rail Archived 3 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- "One third of our trains start midlife refresh". Southeastern. 20 May 2015. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- "Station overrun at Stonegate, East Sussex" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
- "Southeastern Train catches fire at Charing Cross Station". Rail Technology Magazine. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- "Southeastern Train travelling between Chilham and Wye derails after hitting cattle". Kent Online. Kent Messenger Group. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- "Derailment at Godmersham, Kent 26 July 2015" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
- "Train hits car near Teynham". KentOnline. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- Nurden, John (12 December 2019). "Santa to ride new Sheppey trains this Saturday". KentOnline. KM Group. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
Further reading
Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Rail Class 375. |