| British Rail Class 375 "Electrostar" | |
|---|---|
A repainted Class 375/7 Electrostar EMU No. 375705 at Charing Cross. |
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The interior of a Class 375 |
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| In service | 2001 - Current |
| Manufacturer | ADtranz Derby (now Bombardier) |
| Family name | Electrostar |
| Number built | 140 trainsets |
| Number in service | 112 trainsets |
| Formation | 3 cars per trainset (375/3 only) 4 cars per trainset (others) |
| Capacity | 242-280 (4-car unit)[1] |
| Operator | Southeastern |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 20.4 m (66 ft 11 in)[1] |
| Width | 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in)[1] |
| Height | 3.78 m (12 ft 5 in) |
| Maximum speed | 100 mph (161 km/h) |
| Weight | 133.1 tonnes (131.0 long tons) (375/3 only) 173.6 tonnes (170.9 long tons) (others) |
| Power output | 1 megawatt (1,300 hp) (375/3 only) 1.5 megawatts (2,000 hp) (others) |
| Electric system(s) | 750 V DC 3rd rail 25 kV AC Overhead (375/6 only) |
| Coupling system | Dellner[2] |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Standard gauge |
The British Rail Class 375 Electrostar electric multiple unit train was built by Bombardier Transportation (previously ADtranz) at their Derby Works, from 1999 to 2005. The Electrostar family, which also includes Classes 357, 376, 377, 378 and 379, is the most numerous type of EMU introduced since the privatisation of British Rail.
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These trains are owned by HSBC Rail[3], and leased back to Southeastern for operation from London to Kent and parts of East Sussex.
The first batch of 30 trains (Class 375/6) were fitted with both a pantograph and third-rail shoes for dual voltage, where the remainder of these trains have one coach in each unit with a recess where the pantograph could be fitted, allowing for future conversion to run on AC power from overhead lines. Although the units are normally operated on 750V DC lines only, the class is numbered in the 3xx series which usually refers to AC operation. The option is available for the 375/6 units to be leased to a network which operates on 25kV AC overhead lines.
Southern's Class 375 units have since been converted to Class 377. The ex-375s, akin to Southern's 377/3, have a mixture of grey, plum and blue seats as opposed to the 377/2 and 377/4 (there were two batches of the 377/1: 101-139 All have the mixed seating colours, whereas 140-169 have green uniformed seating). The 375/3, 375/6 and 375/7 types all have smaller headlight and a slightly different interior than the 375/8 and 375/9. The 375/3, 375/6 and 375/7 all have glass overhead racks, and the poles in the train bend straight down.
The class 375/8 and 375/9 have holes in the overhead racks, and the poles bend right the way around. Out of all the seating arrangements in 375s, the 375/9 stands out as it has 2+3 seating layout, unlike all other 375 series. The layout in the interior is also different. The chairs are more upright and not as comfortable as the 375/3, 375/6, 375/7 or 375/8, but the legroom is better. The 375/9 was designed with rush hour commuters in mind. On the exterior of a 375/8 and 375/9 there are a few small differences with the headlights. The 375/8 and 375/9 have bigger headlights and they are of the LED type which can change to white or red.
The Class 375 is the principal new train used by Southeastern, and has replaced the expired Mark 1 derived stock on mainline services to Kent; all the Southeastern units have also been converted from Tightlock to Dellner couplers,[2] but unlike the Southern fleet, they have not been reclassified as 377s. The 375/8 and 375/9 sub-classes were built with Dellner couplers from new.
From August 2011, Southeastern have begun a minor refresh of the interiors of the units, with a full re-trim of the seating in the company's new purple moquette (as seen on the refreshed 465/466 units) and the addition of new CCTV cameras.
Electrostars also work the following outer suburban Southeastern routes interchangeably with Class 465/9 units:
Since 31st October 2011 one Class 375/3 has worked on the Medway Valley line per day, on weekdays only.
| Class | Type | Operator | No. Built | Year Built | Cars per Set | Unit nos. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 375/3 | Express | Southeastern | 10 | 2001–2002 | 3 | 375301-310 | 28 Southern units reclassified as Class 377 in 2005 |
| Class 375/6 | 30 | 1999–2001 | 4 | 375601-630 | Dual-voltage units | ||
| Class 375/7 | 15 | 2001–2002 | 375701-715 | - | |||
| Class 375/8 | 30 | 2004–2005 | 375801-830 | - | |||
| Class 375/9 | Outer suburban | 27 | 2003–2004 | 375901-927 | - |
| Unit | Name |
|---|---|
| 375 608 | Bromley Travelwise |
| 375 610 | Royal Tunbridge Wells |
| 375 611 | Dr. William Harvey |
| 375 619 | Driver John Neve |
| 375 623 | Hospice in the Weald |
| 375 624 | White Cliffs Country |
| 375 701 | Kent Air Ambulance Explorer |
| 375 703 | Dickens Traveller |
| 375 830 | City of London |
Note that unit 375 624 (White Cliffs Country) was re-liveried with the Southeastern trial livery and currently does not have its name displayed.
A Diagram of a Class 375 in the new Southeastern Trial livery.
A diagram of a class 375 in the livery seen on 375/8s&/9s
A diagram of a class 375 in the livery seen on 375/3s/6s&/7s
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