British Rail Class 180
| Company type | Diesel multiple unit train |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Founder | Alstom |
| Headquarters | Washwood Heath , United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
| Products | Diesel-hydraulic multiple unit passenger trains |
| Parent | Alstom |
British Rail Class 180
The British Rail Class 180 comprises a series of 14 diesel-hydraulic multiple unit passenger trains constructed by Alstom at their Washwood Heath facility between 2000 and 2001, originally intended for First Great Western (FGW). These units belong to the Alstom Coradia 1000 family, sharing lineage with the British Rail Class 175, and were engineered to serve express commuter routes with a maximum speed of .
Owned by the leasing firm Angel Trains, the Class 180s commenced operations with FGW in December 2001. Persistent technical difficulties, notably with their hydraulic transmission systems, prompted FGW to return the fleet by 2009, opting instead for refurbished InterCity 125 trains. Subsequently, the units were placed in storage until acquired by other operators.
In 2008, Hull Trains transitioned from its Class 222 fleet to operate Class 180s, continuing until these were superseded by Class 802 trains in 2020. Beginning in 2009, Grand Central leased several Class 180s and operated them exclusively until November 2023, when they began integrating Class 221 units on select routes. Five refurbished sets briefly re-entered FGW service in May 2012 before being transferred to Grand Central.
Four former Hull Trains vehicles were reassigned to East Midlands Railway, entering service in January 2020 but withdrawn by May 2023. Other prospective operators such as First Harrogate Trains and Platinum Trains sought to utilize Class 180s; however, their applications for track access were rejected by the Office of Road and Rail (ORR).
Background
Under its commitment to operate the Greater Western franchise, First Great Western (FGW) was mandated to enhance express service frequency between London Paddington and Cardiff to a half-hourly schedule. To fulfill this requirement, FGW needed additional high-speed rolling stock. In October 1997, FGW placed an order with Alstom for fourteen five-carriage Alstom Coradia diesel multiple-units (DMUs), akin to the Class 175s procured for sister company First North Western, but designed for speeds up to .
The inaugural unit was revealed on 18 April 2000; however, late-stage complications postponed comprehensive mainline testing until December that year. Despite a six-month delay, Alstom assured that the trains would enter passenger service by the May 2001 timetable update. The first unit officially entered regular operation in December 2001. Due to these delays, FGW introduced Class 47 hauled Mark 2 sets on London Paddington to Penzance routes starting May 2001 to release InterCity 125 sets for expanded Cardiff services.
Description
The Class 180 fleet consists of fourteen sets, numbered from 180101 to 180114, each formed of five cars: two Standard Class Driving Motor vehicles, two Standard Class Intermediate Motor cars, and one First Class Intermediate Motor coach. All carriages are powered by a Cummins QSK19 diesel engine delivering at 2,100 rpm.
These trains employ a hydraulic transmission system provided by Voith, featuring a three-speed configuration with built-in hydrodynamic braking, rated at a short-term power output of 750 kW and continuous power of 420 kW. Each coach has one powered bogie driving both axles. The total weight of each unit is approximately 278 tonnes. Coupling between units is achieved using Scharfenberg couplers.
Grand Central
Grand Central originally intended to deploy two Class 180 units on its London King's Cross to Sunderland route after obtaining rights to operate a fourth daily service in each direction. By early 2009, the company was running two Class 180s alongside three High Speed Trains (HSTs). Although the units were first planned to operate as a ten-car formation, they were subsequently separated to allow greater operational flexibility. The fleet initially carried the name Zephyr before reverting to the established Adelante designation. Maintenance for these trains is performed at Crofton TMD.
In 2010, Grand Central expanded its fleet by leasing three more Class 180 sets to introduce services to . Although these services were initially marketed under the Grand Northern brand, a subsidiary of Grand Union, they operated under the Grand Central banner to facilitate fleet interchangeability.
Prior to entering service, Railcare upgraded the trains with features such as Wi-Fi and power sockets at each seat. In August 2011, unit 180112 was christened James Herriot at London King's Cross, marking the debut of Grand Central’s refreshed logo and an orange stripe livery. The Class 180s began revenue operations in September 2009, with the Bradford route launching on 23 May 2010.
Several other units received individual names: unit 180107 was named Hart of the North in 2010; unit 180105 was designated The Yorkshire Artist by Ashley Jackson in 2011; and unit 180108 was named William Shakespeare in 2018.
Starting in July 2016, Arriva Rail North utilized a Class 180 subleased from Grand Central to operate a peak morning service between Halifax and Leeds via Bradford, which helped alleviate shortages by releasing other DMUs.
In 2017, Grand Central acquired five additional Class 180 units formerly operated by First Great Western, facilitating the replacement of HSTs and enabling service expansion. A refurbishment program for all ten sets commenced in 2018 at Arriva TrainCare, Eastleigh.
Most recently, in August 2023, Grand Central leased two Class 180 sets that had been withdrawn earlier that year by East Midlands Railway.
First Great Western
The Class 180 fleet, known as Adelante, was initially operated by First Great Western (FGW) on routes connecting , , and , with occasional extensions to Paignton.
The fleet encountered ongoing technical difficulties, particularly with rapid door closures. As a result, FGW began replacing the Class 180s with older HST sets previously used by Midland Mainline. Subsequently, FGW re-leased five Class 180 units for express commuter services running from London Paddington to , Worcester, , and .
Due to increasing passenger numbers and reliability challenges, FGW procured additional refurbished HST sets by late 2007, which supplanted Class 180s on express commuter routes. Between 2007 and 2009, most Class 180 units were returned to leasing company Angel Trains. FGW retained three units until cascaded HSTs from National Express East Coast became available; these remaining sets were then deployed on early-morning Oxford-London runs and later on the Cotswold Line. FGW's final Class 180 service operated on 30 March 2009, after which the remaining units were stored at Oxley TRSMD.
In 2009, five Class 180s (numbers 102-104, 106, and 108) were leased by East Coast for intended services that were eventually canceled; these units subsequently returned to FGW to bolster capacity in the Thames Valley area. Additionally, three units saw temporary service with Northern Rail. The Class 180s were reintroduced on the Cotswold Line, allowing for redeployment of and Turbo DMUs across Thames Valley routes.
On 28 May 2012, refurbished Class 180 trains resumed passenger operations under maintenance at Old Oak Common TMD. By the late 2010s, following the introduction of new-build Class 800 trains, all five FGW Class 180 units were transferred to Grand Central in 2017.
Northern Rail
During the mid-2000s, Northern Rail took on a lease of three Class 180 trains (numbers 103, 106, and 108), which commenced operations in December 2008. These units served routes between and , extending to and until late 2012. The trains were sub-leased from East Coast while awaiting the procurement of permanent rolling stock. Although the initial agreement was for an 18-month term ending in November 2010 with a planned return to East Coast, the units remained with Northern Rail until December 2011. At that point, they were replaced by Class 150 trains previously operated by London Midland. The final Class 180 was retired on 2 December 2011. Following refurbishment, all three units re-entered service under First Great Western.
Hull Trains
In 2008, Hull Trains leased two Class 180 units to substitute for a damaged Class 222, initially running in conjunction with remaining Class 222s on services between and Hull. Later that year, Hull Trains transferred its Class 222 fleet to East Midlands Trains and expanded its use of Class 180s. These units underwent interior upgrades including the installation of laptop power outlets and new coffee machines, with refits completed by early 2012.
The first Class 180 unit began operations in January 2009, providing increased capacity through an additional carriage. Despite early technical setbacks resulting in reliability challenges, performance steadily improved. Hull Trains enhanced the fleet with thorough interior cleaning, new upholstery, upgraded first-class catering amenities, and a fresh exterior paint scheme featuring FirstGroup’s neon blue colors. Due to persistent reliability issues, Hull Trains temporarily leased HST sets from Great Western Railway in February and April of 2019.
Maintenance duties were initially shared with First Great Western at Old Oak Common TMD in London; after FGW ceased operating Class 180s, most servicing shifted to Bombardier Transportation facilities at Crofton TMD. In early 2020, Hull Trains replaced its Class 180 fleet with newly built Class 802 trains. The former Class 180 vehicles were transferred to East Midlands Railway, with the first entering service in December 2020.
Arriva Rail North
On 11 July 2016, Arriva Rail North commenced leasing one Class 180 from sister company Grand Central to operate a weekday peak service along the Calder Valley Line. By May 2018, this unit was running morning and evening peak trains between Hebden Bridge and Leeds, calling at all stations except .
East Midlands Railway
Within its East Midlands franchise, East Midlands Railway leased four Class 180 sets formerly used by Hull Trains to replace High-Speed Trains (HSTs) with more accessible rolling stock. These worked alongside Class 222 trains on Intercity routes connecting London St Pancras and Nottingham.
The initial two units arrived at Derby Etches Park depot in January 2020, with all four delivered by August despite delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Driver training commenced in September that year. The first unit sporting EMR livery appeared in September, and the entire fleet was operational by December 2020.
In 2021, unit number 180110 was modified into a four-car formation due to corrosion concerns. Between July and September 2022, Class 180 trains provided Summer Saturday services between Derby and Skegness.
Although plans called for replacement by new Class 810 trains, EMR announced in March 2023 that the Class 180 fleet would be withdrawn at the May timetable change ahead of the anticipated introduction of the Class 810s in 2024.
East Midlands Railway officially retired its Class 180 fleet in May 2023.
East Coast
In March 2008, National Express East Coast (NXEC) put forward plans to introduce additional services on the East Coast Main Line, aiming to operate up to nine Class 180 trains alongside its existing InterCity 125 and InterCity 225 fleets. The suggested routes included London to Lincoln, with one daily service extended to Cleethorpes, as well as London to Harrogate via York. Following NXEC's failure, its successor, East Coast, sought to continue these initiatives and temporarily sub-leased three Class 180 units to Northern Rail. Despite this, the proposed services never commenced.
First Harrogate Trains
During the late 2000s, First Harrogate Trains put forward a proposal for services running from London King's Cross to Harrogate using Class 180 units. However, their application for track access was declined by the Office of Rail Regulation, which cited concerns over route duplication with NXEC and the economic implications involved.
Platinum Trains
Also in the late 2000s, Platinum Trains submitted plans for operating Class 180 trains between Aberdeen and London King's Cross. The Office of Rail Regulation rejected their track access request due to an unfavorable ratio of revenue abstraction compared to revenue generation and skepticism about consistently meeting the planned journey times.
Virgin Trains
In 2008, Virgin Trains West Coast leased two Class 180 units from Angel Trains to serve as standby assets on the West Coast Main Line following the loss of a Class 390 Pendolino in the Grayrigg derailment. Ultimately, these units were returned without entering service after a decision was made to deploy a Class 90 locomotive coupled with Mark 3 coaching stock instead.
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | Qty. | Year built | Cars per unit | Unit numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 180 | Grand Central | 10 | 2000–2001 | 5 | 180101–180108, 180112, 180114 |
| Stored | 4 | 180109–180111, 180113 |
Named units
Several trains have been given names to strengthen brand recognition:
- 180105 Ashley Jackson - The Yorkshire Artist
- 180107 Hart of the North
- 180108 William Shakespeare
- 180112 James Herriot
- 180114 Kirkgate Calling