Class 175s to Great Western Railway (GWR)

[whole diary]

[REVUpminster]

Ely Mif :9:  175004/005/008/010 175103/104/105/109/110 (175008 is in two halves)

Wolverton : 10 : 175101/102/106/107/108/111/112/113/115/116

Laira : 8:  175002/007/009 175114; 175001/003/006/011 are refurbished.

Updated 10 December 2025

[grahame]

It is reported ...

175 units to enter passenger service ... Monday 15th December to Friday  19th December
2C26 1340 Plymouth Penzance
2P21 1552 Penzance Plymouth will be a pair of 2 car 175 units.

and

The other 2 Castle Class HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) diagrams will be covered by other DMU^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit)'s.
One of former the Castle Class HST diagrams will be covered by using the DMU of Looe branch which is shut due to a week long engineering block

I can't help feeling that in passenger facilities and comfort, a 150 is a step down from an HST, though for sure it is cheaper to run.

[TaplowGreen]

Scarcely credible, however it's reported elsewhere that fighting broke out amongst the spotters on one of the final HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) runs this morning - turfed off at Truro apparently.

One would hope that no members of this esteemed forum were involved - whoever he was, he's certainly a cheeky boy! 

https://x.com/themblades1889/status/1999819955705880721?s=20

[Timmer]

Scarcely credible, however it's reported elsewhere that fighting broke out amongst the spotters on one of the final HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) runs this morning - turfed off at Truro apparently.

One would hope that no members of this esteemed forum were involved - whoever he was, he's certainly a cheeky boy! 

https://x.com/themblades1889/status/1999819955705880721?s=20

Can only assume someone was sitting in his seat.

Seriously though, sad to see this happening on the last day of HST operations on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) or at any time on a train.

[REVUpminster]

The last HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) is turning out to be 2P97 Newquay to Plymouth departing 14 late at 2136 standing in for a failed 150 since 1416hrs.
If it's a case there isn't one 175 in passenger operation on Sunday or Monday then Mark Hopwood has presided over a complete fiasco.

[old original]

Quite ironic that a HST^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) had to stand-in for a unit that will probably have to cover the HST this week.....

[REVUpminster]

How today is supposed to work; 2 units  come off Laira coupled, they carry out some ECS^▸ (Empty Coaching Stock) moves (presumably more crew training) then they split. One unit stays ECS and 175003 becomes 2C26 passenger to Penzance.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P22971/2025-12-15/detailed#allox_id=0

As at 1036. It is now 175001

[REVUpminster]

175001 has departed Plymouth for Penzance. It was sitting in the dock platform all morning.

[IndustryInsider]

If it's a case there isn't one 175 in passenger operation on Sunday or Monday then Mark Hopwood has presided over a complete fiasco.

In the nick of time then! 

[TaplowGreen]

10:14 Plymouth to Penzance due 12:12
10:14 Plymouth to Penzance due 12:12 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

13:14 Penzance to Plymouth due 15:10
13:14 Penzance to Plymouth due 15:10 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

Looking good so far! 

[REVUpminster]

175001 is due out at 1340 Plymouth-Penzance-Plymouth same as Monday

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P22971/2025-12-16/detailed#allox_id=0

175003 is out now on a training run to Penzance and back.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:V63761/2025-12-16/detailed#allox_id=1

[bobm]

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).com

https://news.gwr.com/news/first-of-great-western-railways-recommissioned-class-175-trains-enters-passenger-service

The first of Great Western Railway’s recommissioned Class 175 trains has entered into passenger service ahead of their phased rollout next year.

Yesterday’s 1340 Plymouth-Penzance service was operated by 175001. It then operated the 1552 return service.

GWR leased 26 Class 175 trains earlier this year as part of plans to rejuvenate its regional and suburban services.

The full fleet will be introduced throughout 2026, operating predominantly between Exeter St Davids and Penzance, as well as to Barnstaple and Okehampton.

In the early stages of the rollout, services operated by the 175s will vary to support wider training and maintenance needs.

It follows the retirement of GWR’s four remaining Castle Class sets on Saturday. The Class 43 locomotives and Mark 3 coaches, which operated on the Great Western network for almost 50 years, are due to be returned to their leasing companies in the new year.

[grahame]

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).com

The first of Great Western Railway’s recommissioned Class 175 trains has entered into passenger service ahead of their phased rollout next year.

Oh early - that's good 

But rather more serious, the winter lull in leisure holiday passenger numbers will give GWR the opportunity to get more of these into service and I don't suppose shortforms rather that MULTIPLE units on these trains will lead to too much overcrowding in January and February.  A window of opportunity.

[IndustryInsider]

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).com

The first of Great Western Railway’s recommissioned Class 175 trains has entered into passenger service ahead of their phased rollout next year.

Oh early - that's good 

But rather more serious, the winter lull in leisure holiday passenger numbers will give GWR the opportunity to get more of these into service and I don't suppose shortforms rather that MULTIPLE units on these trains will lead to too much overcrowding in January and February.  A window of opportunity.

Yes, good timing really as Cornwall/Devon go quieter than most routes over winter when compared with the summer rush.  A little bit of breathing space.

Hopefully there will be enough 175 units in service by next May to provide adequate summer capacity, including the release one for the extra Par<>Newquay services, and get some IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) released back to bolster the length of longer distance trips and new services such as Oxford<>Bristol.

It will be a bit of a 'sticking plaster' for 5+ years until new units as part of Operation Churchward come on stream, but way better than nothing.

[John D]

From GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway).com

The first of Great Western Railway’s recommissioned Class 175 trains has entered into passenger service ahead of their phased rollout next year.

Oh early - that's good 

But rather more serious, the winter lull in leisure holiday passenger numbers will give GWR the opportunity to get more of these into service and I don't suppose shortforms rather that MULTIPLE units on these trains will lead to too much overcrowding in January and February.  A window of opportunity.

It will be a bit of a 'sticking plaster' for 5+ years until new units as part of Operation Churchward come on stream, but way better than nothing.

Probably closer to net nothing,  than a complete stopgap.

If you exclude the 3x4coach =12 Castle HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) that were replaced,
the extra Newquay service (3-4 coach in summer),
a Portishead train 3 cars,
Extra 2 carriages for increased capacity for Oakhampton Interchange,
restoring short 3car to 4car on Cardiff-Portsmouth (8 vehicles),
Transfer of two 5car IETs^▸ (Intercity Express Train - replacement for HSTs (manufactured by Hitachi in Kobe, Japan)) from SW to Bristol-Oxford (10 vehicles),

Leaves less than 30 carriages extra, and based on some of the recent growth figures in South West in the ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road, formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) station usage (many are 5+% per year, with few nearer 8%), so could be 25-40% growth in 5 years.  Is the 175 fleet more a token effort than a real solution for at least 5 years.

I realise getting the 175s was a struggle, but when trying to secure them started (back in 2023 ?) DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) was still in post Covid mode.  Could argue it still is thinking like that rather than regional growth away from London.  But as we have such a start-stop train ordering policy I don't really know where any trains could actually come from if needed in 2-3 years time.