British Rail Class 375

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

British Rail Class 375 Electrostar
Southeastern 375 715.jpg
Southeastern Class 375 unit 375715 leaving Ramsgate EMU Depot in September 2020
375601 Standard Class Interior.jpg
The interior of a refurbished Class 375
In service2000–present
Manufacturer
Built atDerby Litchurch Lane Works
Family nameElectrostar
Replaced
Constructed1999–2005
Refurbished2015–2018
Number built140
Number in service
Formation
  • 375/3: 3 cars per unit
  • Others: 4 cars per unit
Capacity
  • 375/3: 176 seats
  • 375/9: 273 seats
  • Others: 236 seats
Operator(s)Southeastern
Specifications
Car length
  • Driving cars:
  • 20.39 m (66 ft 11 in)
  • Non-driving cars:
  • 19.98 m (65 ft 7 in)[1]
Width2.80 m (9 ft 2 in)
Height3.78 m (12 ft 5 in)
Maximum speed100 mph (161 km/h)
Weight
  • 375/3: 133.1 t (131.0 long tons; 146.7 short tons)
  • Others: 173.6 t (170.9 long tons; 191.4 short tons)
Power output
  • 375/3: 1,000 kW (1,300 hp)
  • Others: 1,500 kW (2,000 hp)
Acceleration0.62 m/s2 (1.4 mph/s)[1]
Electric system(s)
Current collection method
Coupling system
  • Dellner[2]
  • (Subclasses /3, /6, and /7 converted from Tightlock)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

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.

These units form the basis of Southeastern's mainline fleet.

Description[]

The exterior of a Class 375 prior to refurbishment
The interior of First Class prior to refurbishment
The interior of Standard Class prior to refurbishment

Introduced into service in 2000,[1] 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]

Operations[]

Main lines[]

Class 375s work the following main line routes:

Outer suburban[]

Class 375s also work the following outer suburban Southeastern routes interchangeably with Class 465/9 units:

Medway Valley Line[]

Class 375/3 Electrostar units started operating services on the Medway Valley Line from May 2012 to January 2016, and then from September 2016 to the present day. Previously Class 466 Networkers were the regular units on this line with the occasional Class 465 Networker or 4-car 375 Electrostar being used as a substitute. The Networkers are no longer used on this route as the Class 466s are now non-compliant with the new PRM-TSI law and the volume of traffic cannot support Class 465s or 4-car Class 375s/377s.

Sheerness line[]

From December 2019, Class 375/3 units replaced Class 466 units on the Sheerness line due to the latter being non-compliant with the new PRM-TSI law. [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 375301–375310 Formed DMOC-TOSL-DMOS.

Units 375311–375338 were transferred to Southern, converted from Tightlock to Dellner couplers, and renumbered 377301–377328.

Class 375/6 30 1999–2001 4 375601–375630 Dual-voltage units.

Originally formed DMOC-PTOSL-MOSL-DMOC.

Refurbished to DMOS-PTOSL-MOCL-DMOS.

Class 375/7 15 2001–2002 375701��375715 Originally formed DMOC-TOSL-MOSL-DMOC.

Refurbished to DMOS-TOSL-MOCL-DMOS.

Class 375/8 30 2004–2005 375801–375830
Class 375/9 27 2003–2004 375901–375927 Refurbished to DMOC-TOSL-MOSL-DMOC with 3+2 seating in Standard class. First class at both ends of the train.
Class 375/3
Class 375/7/8

Named units[]

Unit Name
375 304 Medway Valley Line 1856 - 2006 (name removed)
375 608 Bromley Travelwise (name removed)
375 610 Royal Tunbridge Wells (name removed)
375 611 Dr. William Harvey (name removed)
375 619 Driver John Neve
375 623 Hospice in the Weald
375 624 White Cliffs Country (name removed)
375 701 Kent Air Ambulance Explorer
375 703 Dickens Traveller (name removed)
375 710 Rochester Castle
375 714 Rochester Cathedral
375 823 Ashford - Proudly Served By Rail For 175 Years
375 830 City of London (name removed)

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 area

  • 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

  • 375619 at Birchington-on-Sea in the newer dark blue livery

  • The relocated and refurbished First Class cabin

  • A half internal view of the refurbished Standard Class accommodation

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "CLASS 375". eversholtrail.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Southern Electrics Group". Archived from the original on 2 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Class 375". www.kentrail.org.uk. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012.
  4. ^ "One third of our trains start midlife refresh". Southeastern. 20 May 2015. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Station overrun at Stonegate, East Sussex" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  6. ^ "Southeastern Train catches fire at Charing Cross Station". Rail Technology Magazine. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Southeastern Train travelling between Chilham and Wye derails after hitting cattle". Kent Online. Kent Messenger Group. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  8. ^ "Derailment at Godmersham, Kent 26 July 2015" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Train hits car near Teynham". KentOnline. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  10. ^ Nurden, John (12 December 2019). "Santa to ride new Sheppey trains this Saturday". KentOnline. KM Group. Retrieved 3 September 2020.

Further reading[]

  • "Connex increases 'Electrostar' EMU order by another 25 units". Rail. No. 341. EMAP Apex Publications. 7–20 October 1998. p. 8. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.
Retrieved from ""