British Rail Class 175

British Rail Class 175 Coradia 1000

Company type	Diesel multiple unit passenger train
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1999
Founder	Alstom
Headquarters	Birmingham , United Kingdom
Products	Passenger trains (diesel multiple units)
Parent	Alstom

The British Rail Class 175 Coradia 1000 represents a diesel-hydraulic multiple unit (DHMU) passenger train belonging to the Alstom Coradia 1000 series.

An order for 27 units was placed with the French manufacturer Alstom in July 1997, with production taking place between 1999 and 2001 at the Washwood Heath facility in Birmingham. Initial intentions to operate some sets at speeds of 125 mph were later dropped. Driver instruction and evaluation were conducted at the Old Dalby Test Track starting November 1999. The inaugural Class 175 began commercial operation under First North Western on 20 June 2000. Ownership of the fleet resides with Angel Trains, which has leased the units to various service providers.

The fleet's initial operation by First North Western transitioned to Wales & Borders, followed by service under Arriva Trains Wales from December 2003, once early technical issues had been largely addressed. Some sets were briefly operated by First TransPennine Express. In February 2018, all units were temporarily removed from service for safety examinations. By October 2018, management shifted to Transport for Wales Rail Services, and subsequently in February 2021, control passed to the government-owned Transport for Wales Rail.

Background

In July 1997, North Western Trains commissioned 27 diesel multiple units from French manufacturer GEC Alsthom (which was rebranded as Alstom in 1998) at a cost of £64 million. The order comprised eleven two-car and sixteen three-car sets, originally including some designed for a top speed of 125 mph. These trains were adapted from the Alstom Coradia Juniper range with an emphasis on ride comfort and were intended to replace rolling stock exceeding four decades in age. Production was carried out at Alstom’s Washwood Heath plant located in Birmingham.

The specification was later altered so that all units would be limited to a maximum speed of 100 mph. To maintain the new fleet, a dedicated maintenance depot costing £17 million was constructed at Chester TMD, outfitted for refueling, cleaning, washing, and routine servicing of Class 175 trains.

Testing commenced with slow-speed runs on the Severn Valley Railway, followed by additional trials and operator training at Old Dalby Test Track starting November 1999. The first Class 175 entered passenger service on 20 June 2000.

Description

The Class 175 is a diesel multiple-unit (DMU) designed for long-distance travel, available in configurations of either two or three carriages, numbered from 175001 to 175011 for two-car units and from 175101 to 175116 for three-car formations. Carriages are designated A–B–C; two-car sets do not include a B coach. Interiors were specifically tailored for the original operator, North Western Trains.

Passenger amenities include airline-style at-seat entertainment systems that enable listening to radio broadcasts and pre-recorded audio via headphones. Noise mitigation features incorporate a floating floor system, acoustic ceiling panels, extensive insulation, and a low-noise air conditioning unit. Passenger information is provided through onboard LED screens and audio announcements. Each set offers seating for two disabled passengers in coach A and includes space for two bicycles in coach C.

Externally, the Class 175 features an aerodynamically refined design with a skirted undercarriage that reduces drag and noise levels, improving fuel efficiency over older models. Its suspension system combines air springs with conventional springs, delivering reportedly smoother ride quality compared to the British Rail Class 465.

Operations

The Class 175 fleet was first introduced by First North Western (FNW) on services linking , , and , extending to destinations such as , , , and . These units swiftly superseded older locomotive-hauled trains along these routes.

Initial deployment encountered reliability issues, resulting in limited availability of units and occasional reliance on older rolling stock as replacements. Focused modifications, particularly to the braking systems and bogies, led to notable improvements in dependability.

In October 2003, FNW's services on the North Wales Coast Line, along with all 27 Class 175 vehicles, were transferred to the Wales & Borders franchise; however, 11 units were leased back to FNW. This setup continued until December 2006 when First TransPennine Express (FTPE) introduced new DMUs.

By December 2003, the entire Class 175 fleet had moved to Arriva Trains Wales, which expanded their use into South Wales via the Welsh Marches Line, serving key locations including , , , and . In October 2018, control passed to Transport for Wales Rail Services, which announced intentions to replace the Class 175s with newly built DMUs by 2023.

Starting in 2019, a full refurbishment program was carried out at Alstom’s Widnes facility. Enhancements included reupholstered seating, installation of USB and power outlets at seats, new carpeting, refreshed interiors, and an updated external paint scheme. The refurbishment of the final unit concluded in January 2022. In February 2021, operations transitioned to the Welsh Government-owned Transport for Wales Rail.

From February 2023, TfW Rail began withdrawing Class 175 trains from service, placing several units into storage before returning five—two of which had sustained fire damage—to lessor Angel Trains by May 2023. The remaining units were retired by the end of that year and replaced by newer DMUs.

In August 2024, Rail Express reported that Great Western Railway intended to lease the Class 175 fleet; this arrangement was officially confirmed in November 2024 with a signed lease agreement. The first unit arrived on 27 November 2024. On 10 March 2025, First Group and Great Western Railway announced they had secured leases for 26 of the 27 units to operate services across Devon and Cornwall later that year, with full fleet deployment anticipated by the close of 2026.

Accidents and incidents

On 16 January 2010, unit 175103 operating the 08:30 service from to collided with two vehicles at the Moreton-on-Lugg level crossing located between and . A front-seat passenger in one car died as a result; no injuries occurred among train passengers or crew, and the train remained on the tracks. The signaller had erroneously lifted the crossing barriers shortly before the train’s arrival and was subsequently convicted under health and safety laws, receiving a £1,750 fine plus community service.

The same service was involved in another collision on 31 January 2011 when it struck a trailer at Morfa Main level crossing near Kidwelly. Although no one was hurt, unit 175108 sustained damage estimated at nearly £82,000. The farmer responsible received a suspended sentence of 36 weeks alongside community service requirements.

On 19 December 2011, unit 175002 collided with a lorry at Llanboidy level crossing near Whitland. Authorities arrested the lorry driver on suspicion of compromising safety.

Several fires have affected Class 175 units over time: in 2004 at (175008), in 2009 at , in 2011 at Manchester Piccadilly, in 2017 at (175109) as well as between and , in 2018 at , and in both Pontrilas (175107) and (175102) during 2019.

Following detection of damaged wheels in February 2018, all Class 175 trains were temporarily removed from service for safety inspections. Investigations revealed that a track defect between and had caused wheel damage across multiple trains including Class 175s and certain s.

On 8 February 2023, unit 175008 operated by Transport for Wales Rail caught fire while traveling from to . Two additional fires occurred at on both 22 February and 1 March. These incidents were attributed to debris buildup within underfloor engine compartments after CAF assumed control of Chester Traincare Centre from Alstom and discontinued routine underframe cleaning procedures. TfW Rail responded by launching a corrective program involving thorough cleaning and replacement of engine intercoolers.

In response to these safety concerns, TfW Rail temporarily suspended all Class 175 units that had not undergone cleaning by early March. This caused operational disruptions which gradually diminished as cleaned trains returned to active service.

Fleet details

Class	Operator	Quantity	Construction years	Cars per set	Unit numbers
175/0	Great Western Railway	3	1999–2001	2	175002, 175007, 175009
	Stored	7			175001, 175003-175006, 175010-175011
		1		1	175008
175/1	Great Western Railway	1		3	175114
	Stored	15			175101-175113, 175116

Named units

A number of units received names, mainly designated by First North Western before their repaint into Arriva Trains Wales colors in 2009:

• 175003 - Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru
• 175004 - Mencap - Pengwern College
• 175006 - Brondyffryn Trust
• 175008 - Valhalla (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
• 175103 - Mum
• 175105 - Bruce
• 175107 - Coronation Street Rovers Return
• 175111 - Brief Encounter
• 175112 - South Lakes Wild Animal Park - Sumatran Tiger
• 175114 - Manchester 2002 - Commonwealth Cruiser
• 175116 - Peter V. L. Jones, Community Rail Officer Conwy Valley Line

During the fleet’s repainting in 2009, all nameplates apart from that of Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru were removed.

External links

• Testing the Class 175s