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British Rail Class 175

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British Rail Class 175 Coradia
File:Class 175 train approaching Cardiff Central.jpg
Transport for Wales 175107 in Cardiff in October 2018
Interior of Arriva Trains Wales 175112 in 2009
In service20 June 2000 – present
ManufacturerAlstom[1]
Built atWashwood Heath[2]
Family nameCoradia[1]
Replaced
Constructed1999–2001[1]
Number built27 sets[1]
Number in service27 sets
Formation175/0: 2 cars per train set (DMSL-DMSL)
175/1: 3 cars per train set (DMSL-MSL-DMSL)[1]
Capacity136 seats per 2-car unit[1]
OperatorsTransport for Wales
DepotsChester
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel[1]
Car lengthDriving end vehicles 23.71 m (77 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Centre cars 23.03 m (75 ft 6+3⁄4 in)[1]
Width2.73 m (8 ft 11+1⁄2 in)[1]
DoorsSwing plug at vehicle ends[1]
Articulated sectionsFlexible diaphragm within unit only[1]
Maximum speed100 mph (160 km/h)[1]
Weight97.85 t (96.30 long tons; 107.86 short tons) or 144.14 t (141.86 long tons; 158.89 short tons) per set[1]
Prime mover(s)One per car
Cummins N14[1]
Engine type14-litre 6-cylinder turbo-Diesel[1]
Power output450 hp (340 kW) per engine[1]
TransmissionVoith T211 hydraulic transmission
ZF final drive[1]
2 axles driven per car
Braking system(s)Friction/Hydrodynamic retarder (Retarders bypassed due to unreliability)
Safety system(s)AWS, TPWS
Coupling systemScharfenberg[3]
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 175 is a type of diesel multiple unit passenger train operated by Transport for Wales in the United Kingdom. The fleet of 27 sets were built between 1999 and 2001 by Alstom at Washwood Heath.

Owned by Angel Trains, they were originally leased to First North Western, before transferred to Arriva Trains Wales and then Transport for Wales.

Description

In July 1997, North West Trains placed an order with Alstom for 27 sets. The original order was for eleven two-carriage units with a top speed of 100 mph, seven three-carriage units with a top speed of 100 mph and nine three-carriage units with a top speed of 125 mph.[4][5] This was reconfigured to eleven two-carriage and sixteen three-carriage units all with a top speed of 100 mph.[6] As they were constructed, the old locomotive sheds at Chester were replaced with a purpose-built facility in order to service the Class 175 units.[2][7] Units were tested at low speed at the Severn Valley Railway before further testing and driver training at the Old Dalby Test Track from November 1999.[8][9] The first unit entered service on 20 June 2000.[10][11]

The two-carriage units are numbered 175001–011, and the three-carriage units 175101–116. Carriages are labelled as coaches A–B–C, with two-car units having no coach B. Each train has provision for two disabled passengers in coach A, and storage for two bicycles in coach C.

Early reliability problems meant that some services were operated by old rolling stock at short notice.[12][13] Remedial work included improving brakes and bogies,[14] and the reliability of the units is now greatly improved.[15]

Class 175 Coradias are fitted with a passenger information system, which consists of onboard LED display and audio announcements of train destinations and arrivals.[1]

Operations

First North Western 175111 at Crewe in June 2003
Arriva Trains Wales 175001 at Cardiff Central in September 2018

The Class 175 fleet was operated by First North Western (FNW) from Birmingham New Street, Crewe and Manchester to Llandudno, Holyhead, Barrow and Windermere.[16]

As part of a restructure of franchise areas, in October 2003 FNW's services on the North Wales Coast Line from Birmingham and Manchester to Llandudno and Holyhead were transferred to the Wales & Borders franchise.[17] All 27 Class 175s were transferred to Wales & Borders, who then sublet 11 to FNW. This arrangement continued when FNW's Manchester to Barrow and Windermere services passed to First TransPennine Express (FTPE) in February 2004.[18] After FTPE took delivery of Class 185s, this arrangement ceased in December 2006.[16]

All passed with the Wales & Borders franchise to Arriva Trains Wales in October 2003. Their sphere operation was extended to South Wales via the Welsh Marches Line to Cardiff, Swansea, Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven.[16] All passed with the franchise to Transport for Wales in October 2018. A refurbishment programme commenced at Alstom's Widnes factory in 2019.[19][20] In December 2020, it is proposed to introduce them on services to Bristol.[21] All are scheduled to be replaced by Class 197s by 2023.[22]

Accidents and Incidents

On 16 January 2010, 175103 operating the 08:30 service from Manchester Piccadilly to Milford Haven struck two cars at Moreton-on-Lugg crossing between Hereford and Leominster.[23] The front seat passenger in one of the cars was fatally injured, although there were no casualties on the train. The train did not derail. The signaller had raised the barriers in error when the train was approaching the crossing,[24] and he was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in July 2010.[25][26]

The same service collided with a trailer on the Morfa Main level crossing near Kidwelly on 31 January 2011. No-one was injured, but the unit involved, 175108, received nearly £82,000 worth of damage due to striking the trailer at 75 miles per hour (121 km/h). The farmer in charge of the trailer was sentenced to a 36-week suspended jail sentence and was ordered to carry out 200 hours of community work.[27][28]

On 19 December 2011, 175002 collided with a lorry at the Llanboidy level crossing near Whitland.[29] The train was operating the service from Milford Haven to Manchester Piccadilly and the driver of the lorry was arrested on suspicion of endangering safety.[30]

Class 175 units have caught fire in 2004 at Preston (175008), 2009 at Prestatyn, 2011 at Manchester Piccadilly, 2017 both at Shrewsbury (175109) and between Chester and Crewe, 2018 at Deganwy, and in 2019 both near Pontrilas (175107) and at Gowerton (175102).[31][32][33][34][35][36]

In February 2018, the entire Class 175 fleet was temporarily withdrawn from service for safety checks.[37] After further investigation, it was found that a track fault between Newport and Cwmbran had caused wheel damage to several class 175 units, and also some Class 158s.[38]

Fleet details

Class Operator No. built Year built Cars per set Unit nos.
Class 175/0 Transport for Wales 11 1999–2001 2 175001 – 175011
Class 175/1 16 1999–2001 3 175101 – 175116
Transport for Wales Class 175/0
Transport for Wales Class 175/1

Named units

Some of the class have received names:

All except for Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru were named by First North Western. The nameplates were all removed in 2009 when the fleet was repainted into Arriva Trains Wales livery.[46]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Class Data Page". Angel Trains. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Exciting new era of high speed travel". First North Western. n.d. Archived from the original on 28 November 1999.
  3. ^ "Mechanical And Electrical Coupling Index". Rail Safety and Standards Board. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  4. ^ First British 200 km/h DMUs Railway Gazette International September 1997 page 559
  5. ^ North Western to get 125mph streamliners in £64m deal with GEC Alsthom The Railway Magazine issue 1158 October 1997 page 55
  6. ^ First North Western drops plans for 125mph DMUs The Railway Magazine issue 1176 April 1999 page 9
  7. ^ New Chester depot will be a £17m supershed The Railway Magazine issue 1174 February 1999 page 18
  8. ^ Class 175 tests start on the Severn Valley Railway Rail issue 365 8 September 1999 page 7
  9. ^ "Class 175 Coradia DMU". traintesting.com. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
  10. ^ Angel Trains (21 June 2000). "Angel Trains delivers first of 27 Class 175 Coradia trains" (Press release). Retrieved 17 March 2009.
  11. ^ Last-minute panic leads to Class 175 passenger debut The Railway Magazine issue 1192 August 2000 page 10
  12. ^ "Select Committee on Transport Appendices to the Minutes of Evidence". 11 June 2003. Retrieved 14 March 2009. Section 2.3:unit availability was over 60% on only one occasion
  13. ^ "About us - History". Riviera Trains. Archived from the original on 29 March 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2009. With the ongoing poor availability of Arriva Trains Wales North Wales Coast Class 175 units...
  14. ^ "About Us". Train Maintenance Solutions. Retrieved 14 March 2009.
  15. ^ "How do you solve a problem like Coradia?". Modern Railways (January 2007): 50.
  16. ^ a b c The Alstom Class 175 DMUs Today's Railways UK issue 184 April 2017 pages 40-47
  17. ^ Wales & Borders to be responsible for Class 175 fleet Entrain issue 19 July 2003 page 44
  18. ^ First/Keolis takes over Trans-Pennine Express Entrain issue 28 April 2004 page 32
  19. ^ Alstom completes first Class 175 DMU refurbishment Railway Gazette International 24 July 2019
  20. ^ First refurbished Class 175 back in Welsh traffic Rail issue 884 31 July 2019 page 28
  21. ^ TfW targets Swansea to Bristol services Modern Railways issue 850 July 2019 page 13
  22. ^ £800m fleet renewal plan for new Welsh franchise International Railway Journal 4 June 2018
  23. ^ Hulme, Charlie (19 January 2010). "Level Crossing fatality on the Marches line". The North Wales Coast Railway Notice Board. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  24. ^ Fatal accident at Moreton-on-Lugg, near Hereford, 16 January 2010 (PDF) (Report). Rail Accident Investigation Branch, Department for Transport. July 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  25. ^ Hulme, Charlie (26 July 2010). "Moreton-on-Lugg accident: man arrested". The North Wales Coast Railway Notice Board. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  26. ^ "Arrest after level crossing death in Herefordshire". BBC News. 19 July 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  27. ^ "Kidwelly train crash farmer 'incredibly stupid'". BBC News. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  28. ^ Samuel, A (31 October 2011). "Farmer who caused train crash given suspended prison sentence". Rail.co. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  29. ^ "Train and lorry collide on level crossing near Whitland". BBC News. 19 December 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  30. ^ "Whitland train crash: Lorry driver, 48, is arrested". BBC News. 19 December 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  31. ^ Hulme, Charlie (14 November 2011). "Fire drama at Manchester Piccadilly". The North Wales Coast Railway Notice Board. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  32. ^ "Train evacuated after engine fire". BBC News. 26 August 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  33. ^ Hulme, Charlie (21 November 2011). "The fire in 175 110 - update". The North Wales Coast Railway Notice Board. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  34. ^ Rowden, Nathan. "Trains cancelled and delayed after Shrewsbury Railway Station blaze drama - with pictures and video". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  35. ^ "Eighty evacuated over train fire reports". 15 February 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  36. ^ Holmes, David (24 October 2017). "Train fire caused disruption between Chester and Crewe". chesterchronicle. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  37. ^ Austin, Sue (28 February 2018). "Rail chaos as Arriva Trains Wales cancels services for urgent safety checks on damaged wheels". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  38. ^ "North Wales Coast Railway Notice Board: Arriva's Troubled Week". 8 March 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  39. ^ Llandudno and Conwy Valley Railway Society (2006). "News 2006". Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2009. At Bangor station on 2nd August 2005 Bryn Terfel named 175003 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru
  40. ^ a b "The Encyclopaedia of Modern Traction Names - M". TheRailwayCentre.com. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
  41. ^ a b "The Encyclopaedia of Modern Traction Names - B". TheRailwayCentre.com. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
  42. ^ "The Encyclopaedia of Modern Traction Names - V". TheRailwayCentre.com. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
  43. ^ a b "The Encyclopaedia of Modern Traction Names - C". TheRailwayCentre.com. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
  44. ^ "The Encyclopaedia of Modern Traction Names - S". TheRailwayCentre.com. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
  45. ^ "The Encyclopaedia of Modern Traction Names - P". TheRailwayCentre.com. Retrieved 17 March 2009.
  46. ^ "North Wales Coast Line - Notice Board". 22 February 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2009. It is confirmed that the name Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru on 175 003 did not survive the repainting experience. ATW seem to be removing all names as trains are repainted...[permanent dead link]
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