British Rail Class 175

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Class 175, no. 175 111 Brief Encounter at Crewe on 1st June 2003, with a service to Holyhead. This unit is named after the film Brief Encounter, set at Carnforth station.

Class 175, no. 175 115 at Crewe on 1st November 2003, with a late-night service to Holyhead. This unit is painted in First North Western livery.

The Class 175 ‘Coradia’ is a model of diesel multiple unit passenger train used in the United Kingdom. They were built from 1999–2001 by Alstom at Washwood Heath in Birmingham.

They were originally built for First North Western, but since then franchise reorganisations have meant the fleet has been transferred to Arriva Trains Wales who sub-hire some to First TransPennine Express.

[edit] Description

Eleven two-carriage and sixteen three-carriage units were built for First North Western to allow retirement of elderly Class 101 ‘heritage’ DMUs and as replacement of locomotive-hauled trains to Bangor and Holyhead.

The two-carriage units are numbered 175 001–011, with individual carriages numbered 50701–50711 and 79701–79711. The three-carriage units are numbered 175 101–116, with individual carriages numbered 50751–50766, 56751–56766 and 79751–79766.

[edit] Current operations

[edit] Arriva Trains Wales

The Class 175 fleet were transferred to Arriva Trains Wales when they took over responsibility of the North Wales Coast Line in 2004. Services operated by these units include Crewe and Manchester to Bangor, Llandudno, and Holyhead. While Arriva removed the First North Western logos, they did not otherwise change the colour scheme for some time, but as of November 2005, they have started re-painting the fleet in their own livery.

They are still contractually obliged, however, to provide units to First TransPennine Express for services along the Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool North, Windermere, and Manchester Airport route. These routes, like the ones in North Wales, were operated by First North Western until they were removed from the franchise following the establishment of Northern Rail.

Arriva Trains Wales use Class 175 units for their new Cardiff to Holyhead service and Swansea to Manchester service.

[edit] TransPennine Express

After inheriting certain routes from First North Western in February 2004, TransPennine Express still hire units to work services from Manchester Airport to Barrow-in-Furness and Windermere. This situation to continued until they received enough brand-new Class 185 diesel multiple units to be able to dispense with this complicated sub-hire arrangement. From the December 2006 timetable change Transpennine Express no longer hire units

[edit] Fleet details

[edit] Names

• 175003 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cynru
• 175004 Mencap - Pengwern College
• 175007 Brondyffryn Trust
• 175008 Valhalla Blackpool Pleasure Beach**
• 175103 Mum**
• 175107 Coronation St. Rovers Return**
• 175111 Brief Encounter
• 175112 South Lakes Wild Animal Park - Sumatran Tiger
• 175114 Commonwealth Cruiser
• 175116 Peter V L Jones, Community Rail Officer Conwy Valley Line

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: British Rail Class 175

• railfaneurope.net Class 175 Picture Gallery