It would be extremely wasteful to de-vinyl, repaint fleets of trains and refit thousands of railway staff with new uniforms - to prove what?  That doing that will 'make things better'? 

Until Project Churchward comes to fruition I would imagine.

I would expect GWR vinyls but no full livery change given the amount of time the GWR direct award has to run.

There were 27 units, I think a couple of vehicles (from different units) have had accidents so guessing one unit will be a reform and the two vehicles will be spare parts doners

I wonder how long they will stay ... will there be a repaint program ... how will liveries go under GBR?

10 Mar 2025
Class 175 trains to help Great Western Railway improve reliability across the network[/b]

Great Western Railway (GWR) will welcome 26 Class 175 trains to its fleet to help improve punctuality and reliability for customers, replacing older diesel trains that are more expensive and less environmentally friendly to run. 

The move marks the first stage of the train operator’s plans to rejuvenate its regional and suburban services while preparing the way for decarbonisation.

The 10 two-car trains and 16 three-car trains are expected to start to enter service in Devon and Cornwall later this year, with the entire fleet expected to be operational from the end of next year.

Able to be connected in four, five and six-car formations, the trains will operate predominantly on the line between Exeter St Davids and Penzance, as well as to Barnstaple and Okehampton.

The Class 175s will release trains to improve performance in other areas of the network.

This boost to the fleet will lead to the removal of some of its oldest and least efficient diesel trains, which have become more expensive to maintain as spare parts become more difficult to find on the open market. 

GWR Managing Director, Mark Hopwood, said: 

“The benefits of these trains will be felt by customers across the whole of the GWR network. With more trains we will have more scope to increase resilience where it is needed most, delivering the reliability our communities deserve and need.

“They are a fantastic addition to our fleet and will provide a welcome boost as we seek to rejuvenate our regional and suburban services.

“We’d like to thank our industry partners, and the Department for Transport, for helping us get to this point and we look forward to welcoming the trains into service later this year.”

Chair of the Peninsula Rail Taskforce, Councillor Andrea Davis, said:

“Rail services are a big part of our climate change and economic development offer, and we have been campaigning for extra rolling stock for some time.

“It is also great to hear that the additional trains will mean improvements to services elsewhere across the GWR network, but I am especially delighted with the news for Devon and Cornwall.”

In the run-up to service launch, GWR will undertake a comprehensive programme of training for staff, as well as preparing Laira depot, where the trains will be maintained.

Dear [name]
 
We promised to keep you up to date with improvements in GWR rail services.
 
We have just issued the following media release here announcing that we will add 26 additional trains to our fleet – Class 175s – to improve performance and resilience across our network.
 
These will be used in Devon and Cornwall, and maintained at Laira Depot in Plymouth. Their introduction will also provide the trains needed for Mid-Cornwall Metro and MetroWest in the West of England, and allow us to ultimately remove our remaining Castle Class trains (our old High Speed Trains), which are our least efficient diesel trains and very expensive to continue maintaining.
 
There will need to be a period of driver and guard training and development, so their introduction will not be immediate, but this is really good news for our customers and we wanted you to know as soon as we had been given the official clearance to release the news.
 
I will of course make sure you are kept up to date on progress.
 
Best wishes
 
Tom
 
Thomas Lydon | Head of Public Affairs | Great Western Railway

Might this be a forerunner of making all Cornish services start/stop at Exeter St Davids I wonder?
Hopefully not.

Might this be a forerunner of making all Cornish services start/stop at Exeter St Davids I wonder?
Hopefully not.

Now duly added to the Coffee Shop forum's 'abbreviations & acronyms' page.

The correct name being CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles), the Spanish train manufacturer.

Or, as discussed, other trains will be shortformed.  There are still some trains running around as MULTIPLE units (IETs, Turbos and sprinters) - and it would be possible though unpleasant to inadequate - to provide shorter trains on some services.

At a Local forum this afternoon, GWR were insistent that the Castles will be withdrawn on the current expected date, so it looks as though the 175s will start...

‘More’ as in more from the existing fleet.

Which is May?

Or will more IET’s or other stock simply be drafted in for the interim?

At a Local forum this afternoon, GWR were insistent that the Castles will be withdrawn on the current expected date, so it looks as though the 175s will start...

I'm getting increasingly doubtful that the units will be in service before the end of the summer.

who I believe were Cheap As F***

I'm getting increasingly doubtful that the units will be in service before the end of the summer.

That was another tour of England! Will they still need two Class 37s when they go into service?

175002 arrived a Laira yesterday.

175002 left Ely Tuesday at 1306 (2hours late) hauled between two diesel locos maximum speed 30mph did a tour of England and arrived at Laira  Wednesday at 0735 on time. I suppose the long route was for the speed restriction.

1. A contract award notice informs interested parties that the contracting authority intends to enter into a public contract with a specified supplier (or, where relevant, multiple suppliers).

2. The standstill period is the period between the contracting authority announcing its intention to enter into a contract (by publishing the contract award notice) and actually entering into that contract; the contracting authority cannot enter into the contract during the standstill period. The standstill period provides an opportunity for suppliers to raise any concerns about, or formally challenge, the award decision before the contract is entered into. It must be at least eight working days beginning with the day on which the contract award notice is published.

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

It's a notice to explain why the contract hasn't been put out to tender, as is normally required for new kit, rather than "I'll get back to you when I find my pen". I'm not aware that it caused any cries of "Foul!", so hopefully it will happen soon.

Subject to internal governance approvals and receiving no notice of any intention to legally challenge the award of this contract, First Greater Western Limited intends to award the Contract on a date following conclusion of the voluntary standstill period (i.e. no earlier than 10th September 2024).

I have given 24 hours notice - purely because it's a move from a restricted to a private area to a public one and so everyone who's posted needs an opportunity to object.    Whichever of us wakes first in the morning, Chris.

Personal view - to me the age of a train does not matter.

If it is reliable to run an appropriate advertised timetable, safe, clean, comfortable and affordable that suits me.

It is a done deal, just being held up by “red tape”.

GWR should get their first look at a 175 very soon at Landore. 

GWR are recruiting class 175 specific staff on their recruitment page, which makes me think they’re a pretty much done deal

As readers of the Coffee Shop forum will have seen, I've got some serious 'previous' for moving topics - but purely in the interests of housekeeping and ease of future reference.

However, in this case, if grahame is happy to do it, I'll leave this one to him.  That way, if it even possibly turns out to be the wrong call, he'll get the blame, not me.

CfN 

I was - err - thinking of moving this thread from the Rumour Mill into a public area - the "Rumour Mill" was set up for when we saw just a whiff of smoke and suspected a flame and clearly it's more than that now.

Suggestion - unless anyone objects I will move this tomorrow (Sunday 8th) morning - I see nothing that should be a secret ...

I'm concerned that GWR top brass are saying the deal hasn't yet been agreed by the DfT.   

I was - err - thinking of moving this thread from the Rumour Mill into a public area - the "Rumour Mill" was set up for when we saw just a whiff of smoke and suspected a frame and clearly it's more than that now.

Suggestion - unless anyone objects I will move this tomorrow (Sunday 8th) morning - I see nothing that should be a secret, nor could it it now be suggested that the forum is spreading significant rumours; sure, there are some things to be confirmed and like 769s to Gatwick or new trains from Cardiff to Portsmouth, well founded plans can change.

As we’re in the rumour mill (despite 175s actually coming so not a rumour),according to a GWR employee friend the mess room rumour is Penzance to Cardiff will be split at Exeter once the 175s arrive.
175s working Exeter to Penzance, Falmouth branch and Newquay branch.

As we’re in the rumour mill (despite 175s actually coming so not a rumour),according to a GWR employee friend the mess room rumour is Penzance to Cardiff will be split at Exeter once the 175s arrive.
175s working Exeter to Penzance, Falmouth branch and Newquay branch.

We are where we are.  The long term replacements for the 150s, 158s and 166s still look to be five years away.  If the 175s do come, that will help in the meantime.  Not a cheap option but what else can be done?   The only option available right now not to use IETs on the Cardiff - Penzances is to withdraw much of the service because, currently, there is nothing else to run it.  No-one wants that.

The 175s - if they come - will allow the IETs to go back to main line work and also allow much else too.

Yet more hand me downs and cast offs being used by the West side of the business.

Statement of fact.

The part of the former SW&W which eventually became Wessex Trains is the only TOC from 1994 that has never had any brand new rolling stock built for them. EVER!

Other companies cast offs, 150/1s and 175s.
Redeployed stock Turbos.
And the IETs on the Cardiff WofE services which they were never designed for or originally planned to be used on.

Looks like the 175s are coming to Laira plus the two simulators. The 158s at Exeter to go to Bristol.