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British Rail Class 375

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British Rail Class 375
Electrostar
Southeastern (Govia) Class 375 leaving Ramsgate EMU Depot
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
OperatorsSoutheastern
Specifications
Car length20.39 m (66 ft 11 in) (end cars)
19.98 m (65 ft 7 in) (middle cars)
Width2.80 m (9 ft 2 in) [citation needed]
Height3.78 m (12 ft 5 in) [citation needed]
Maximum speed100 mph (161 km/h)
Weight133.1 t (131.0 long tons; 146.7 short tons) (375/3)
173.6 t (170.9 long tons; 191.4 short tons) (Others) [citation needed]
Traction motors6–8 × 250 kW (340 hp)
Power output
  • 375/3: 1,000 kW (1,300 hp)
  • Others: 1,500 kW (2,000 hp)
[citation needed]
Acceleration0.62 m/s2 (1.4 mph/s)
Electric system(s)
Current collector(s)
Coupling system
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Notes/references
Sourced from [3] unless otherwise noted.

The British Rail Class 375 Electrostar is an electric multiple unit train that was built at Derby Litchurch Lane Works, thirty units by Adtranz from 1999 to 2001, and 110 units by Bombardier Transportation (successors to Adtranz) from 2001 to 2004. The class form part of the Electrostar family of units, which also includes classes 357, 376, 377, 378, 379 and 387, the most numerous type of EMU introduced since the privatisation of British Rail.

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

Description

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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,[3] 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.[4]

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 and replaced the 16 Class 365s which were transferred to WAGN in 2004. All units have been converted from Tightlock to Dellner couplers.[2]

Refurbishment

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Front window view
The cab view of a Class 375

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.[5] The final 375 to receive the refurbishment and gain the new blue Southeastern livery was 375 920, which was returned to Ramsgate depot on 28 April 2018.

Accidents and incidents

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  • 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.[6]
  • 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.[7]
  • 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.[8][9]
  • 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.[10]

Operations

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Main lines

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Class 375s work the following main line routes:

Outer suburban

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Class 375s also work the following outer suburban Southeastern routes interchangeably with Class 377/5 and Class 465/9 units:

Medway Valley Line

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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 Electrostars

Sheerness line

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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.[11]

Fleet details

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Class Type Operator No. in traffic Year built Cars per unit Unit nos. Notes
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.

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

Originally formed DMOC-PTOSL-MOSL-DMOC.

Refurbished to DMOS-PTOSL-MOCL-DMOS.

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

Refurbished to DMOS-TOSL-MOCL-DMOS.

375/8 30 2004–2005 375801–375830
375/9 27 2003–2004 375901–375927 Refurbished to DMOC-TOSL-MOSL-DMOC with 3+2 seating in Standard class. First class was at both ends of the train prior to its removal.[12]

Named Units

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Some units have received names:

  • 375304 Medway Valley Line 1856-2006[13]
  • 375608 Bromley Travelwise[13]
  • 375610 Royal Tunbridge Wells[13]
  • 375611 DR William Harvey[13]
  • 375619 Hospice in the Weald[13]
  • 375624 White Cliffs Country[13]
  • 375701 Kent Air Ambulance Explorer[13]
  • 375703 Dickens Traveller[13]
  • 375830 City of London[13]
  • 375829 Verena Holmes (1889–1964) Woman in Engineering[14]

References

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  1. ^ System Data for Mechanical and Electrical Coupling of Rail Vehicles in support of GM/RT2190 (PDF). London: Rail Safety and Standards Board. 22 June 2011. p. 4. SD001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Southern Electrics Group". Archived from the original on 2 February 2014.
  3. ^ a b "CLASS 375". eversholtrail.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Class 375". www.kentrail.org.uk. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012.
  5. ^ "One third of our trains start midlife refresh". Southeastern. 20 May 2015. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  6. ^ "Station overrun at Stonegate, East Sussex" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  7. ^ "Southeastern Train catches fire at Charing Cross Station". Rail Technology Magazine. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Southeastern Train travelling between Chilham and Wye derails after hitting cattle". Kent Online. Kent Messenger Group. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  9. ^ "Derailment at Godmersham, Kent 26 July 2015" (PDF). Rail Accident Investigation Branch. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  10. ^ "Train hits car near Teynham". KentOnline. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  11. ^ Nurden, John (12 December 2019). "Santa to ride new Sheppey trains this Saturday". KentOnline. KM Group. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  12. ^ "First Class travel". southeasternrailway.co.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Electrostar Fleet Lists". Modern Locomotives Illustrated. No. 194. April 2012. pp. 88–95.
  14. ^ "Stock Update". The Railway Magazine. No. 1468. July 2023. p. 87.

Further reading

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to British Rail Class 375.
  • "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.
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