175s to GWR

[whole diary]

[IndustryInsider]

I wonder how long they will stay ... will there be a repaint program ... how will liveries go under GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)?

Until Project Churchward comes to fruition I would imagine.

I would expect GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) vinyls but no full livery change given the amount of time the GWR direct award has to run.

[anthony215]

There were 27 units, I think a couple of vehicles (from different units) have had accidents so guessing one unit will be a reform and the two vehicles will be spare parts doners

I believe it's 26 units as 175008 has suffered considerable damage i believe things one unit that caught fire while being operated by tfw.

I can speak from.experience as a regular traveller on them that they are lovely units especially after the interior refurbishment done by tfw

[Chris from Nailsea]

I wonder how long they will stay ... will there be a repaint program ... how will liveries go under GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)?

Until Project Churchward comes to fruition I would imagine.

I would expect GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) vinyls but no full livery change given the amount of time the GWR direct award has to run.

Hmm. 

Is there actually any need to remove vinyls, or change liveries on trains, or uniforms on staff?

They will still be the same stations, trains and staff - it's just the 'behind the scenes direction' that will change, so far as the wider travelling public will know.

It would be extremely wasteful to de-vinyl, repaint fleets of trains and refit thousands of railway staff with new uniforms - to prove what?  That doing that will 'make things better'? 

[TonyK]

It would be extremely wasteful to de-vinyl, repaint fleets of trains and refit thousands of railway staff with new uniforms - to prove what?  That doing that will 'make things better'? 

I'm not usually one to advocate change for change's sake, but some rebranding is inevitable and should be done quickly, but not from TfW^▸ (Transport for Wales) to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) so close to the end of the franchise as we know it. The Big Bang will come as the first services are readied under our new transport flagship, Great British Railways.

The first step is new uniforms for public-facing staff to show that there is a difference, even if it's the only sign of one. That will have to happen one day, so may as well be done soon.  British companies should make and supply all the kit.

For rolling stock, prudence should over-ride eagerness. I'm sure we call all manage with the trains still in the old livery, as we have many times before, until a need for change arises. Relatively small things such as safety cards, maps, displayed posters etc can be stuck over the previous livery until refurb time comes around, with exterior vinyl being replaced as and when trains are due for a refresh. For stations, the same sort of minimalist approach will suffice until major overhaul becomes necessary - after all, it's a railway station. Nobody is going to confuse it with anything else just because it still has an old company logo somewhere.

If my own experience of such matters happening in government are anything to go by, the uniforms will be issued first to anyone working all day every day in windowless offices on the uppermost floors of a high-rise office block. They will have been ordered from Temu or Shein, and because they can't be exchanged in the case of minor cosmetic issues because someone at DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) didn't read the small print, the government may find it cheaper to change the name of the organisation to match the new "GRATE BRITTISH RAILWAY" corporate dress. A station newly refurbished or with the paint just dry after a billion-pound rebuild will be the first to be repainted in the wrong colour, followed by the newest train on the network. After months of cancellations because of more trains than usual being repainted, a strike will be announced in time for the start of the World Cup.

[anthony215]

According to the article in rail magazine  175008 will not be moving toGWR but will be stripped for spares and scrapped.

Castle HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) to be withdrawn from service as well as some class150s

[grahame]

From Plymouth Live

New GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) trains set to transform South West travel

Great Western Railway (GWR) is set to roll out a fleet of 26 Class 175 trains, replacing its ageing diesel fleet with a more efficient and environmentally friendly alternative. The move is expected to enhance punctuality and reliability for passengers while paving the way for future decarbonisation.

The fleet upgrade, which marks the first phase of GWR’s regional and suburban service improvements, will introduce 10 two-car and 16 three-car trains. These units will enter service in Devon and Cornwall later this year, with full deployment expected by the end of next year.

Confirming good news - but will it really "transform South West travel"?

[eightonedee]

Confirming good news - but will it really "transform South West travel"?

In the breathless world of shock horror probe Reach local newspapers (or perhaps some cheap AI they now use to write this stuff?) - it does, as it will (partly) replace stories on 40 year old trains breaking down in Devon!

BTW^▸ ('by the way'), I agree with CfN on the repaint/vinyl issue. All they need is a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) logo on the side for the time being, much in the way the C2C stock drafted in at the height of the cracking IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) crisis did, or the Thames Trains liveried Turbos acquired FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Link logos for a couple of years after termination of the former's franchise. Spend the time and money saved on more maintenance of the rest of the current fleet.

[Mark A]

Confirming good news - but will it really "transform South West travel"?

Not exactly a transformation: the doors being at the ends of the carriages are welcome though.

It may be just me: 1/3  2/3 doors combined with longer distance travel is a bit meh: e.g. on runs such as Cardiff and up the Marches it feels as if TfW^▸ (Transport for Wales) are using the likes of 197s for the wrong purpose.

Mark

[IndustryInsider]

BTW^▸ ('by the way'), I agree with CfN on the repaint/vinyl issue. All they need is a GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) logo on the side for the time being, much in the way the C2C stock drafted in at the height of the cracking IET^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) crisis did, or the Thames Trains liveried Turbos acquired FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Link logos for a couple of years after termination of the former's franchise. Spend the time and money saved on more maintenance of the rest of the current fleet.

Yes, I think that is sensible and kind of what I meant in my earlier post.

The exteriors should be in a decent enough state as they had not long gone from Arriva to TfW^▸ (Transport for Wales) livery and the TfW one is very neutral anyway.

As for transformational qualities?  We all know what we’re going to get.  A mid-life train with very good interior layouts, but relatively low capacity and slightly questionable reliability.

[old original]

Quick question, as they are expected to run Exeter - Penzance... how Dawlish proof are they?

[IndustryInsider]

No roof mounted equipment, so should be OK.

[anthony215]

Quick question, as they are expected to run Exeter - Penzance... how Dawlish proof are they?

They coped between Llanelli and Ferryside where they have a sea wall on parts of thw eoute

[REVUpminster]

https://youtu.be/Or7ht9527LI

175002 at Newton Abbot 23 June 2025 on it's third training run reversing in platform 3. The previous two had reversed in platform 1/

[GBM]

More training runs today between Plymouth and Newton Abbot 5D01, et seq..

[a-driver]

I wonder how long they will stay ... will there be a repaint program ... how will liveries go under GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)?

Until Project Churchward comes to fruition I would imagine.

I would expect GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) vinyls but no full livery change given the amount of time the GWR direct award has to run.

Hmm. 

Is there actually any need to remove vinyls, or change liveries on trains, or uniforms on staff?

They will still be the same stations, trains and staff - it's just the 'behind the scenes direction' that will change, so far as the wider travelling public will know.

It would be extremely wasteful to de-vinyl, repaint fleets of trains and refit thousands of railway staff with new uniforms - to prove what?  That doing that will 'make things better'? 

They will have to be put in GWR colours, and I'd guess they will choose to vinyl them as its the cheapest option.

Legally they can't run in their TfW^▸ (Transport for Wales) livery.