British Rail Class 375
The British Rail Class 375 is an electric multiple unit train that was built by Bombardier Transportation at Derby Litchurch Lane Works, from 1999 to 2005. The class form part of the Electrostar family of units, which also includes classes 357, 376, 377, 378, 379 and 387, is the most numerous type of EMU introduced since the privatisation of British Rail.
These units form the basis of Southeastern's mainline fleet.
Description
These trains are owned by Eversholt Rail Group and leased to Southeastern for operation from London to Kent and parts of East Sussex.The first batch of 30 trains 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 750 V 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 25 kV AC overhead lines. Southern's Class 375 units have since been converted to Class 377.
The Class 375 is the principal train used by Southeastern, and replaced the slam door Mark 1 derived stock which came to an end of their useful lives on mainline services to Kent and East Sussex and which did not meet up with modern health and safety requirements. All the Southeastern units have also been converted from Tightlock to Dellner couplers, but unlike the Southern fleet, the Southeastern units were not reclassified as 377s. The 375/8 and 375/9 sub-classes were built with Dellner couplers from new, and a different pattern of headlight. The only noticeable difference from the Class 377 is that none of the 375s have an external CCTV.
The Class 375 has GPS-based Selective door opening, so if the train is too long for a particular station, the doors which are overhanging the platform will not open.
From August 2011, Southeastern has 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 and the addition of new CCTV cameras. The seats in first class have now been fitted with larger, more prominent seat bolstering to distinguish them from the standard class seats and the first class areas have been re-carpeted.
Refurbishment
In May 2015, unit 375301 was moved from Ramsgate Depot to Derby Litchurch Lane Works for a full refurbishment. On 16 May 2015, it was returned to the Kent depot wearing a new livery, similar to, but not based on the 'Highspeed' livery carried by the high speed Class 395 EMU, with a more vibrant shade of blue on the saloon doors and bolder stripes to highlight First Class and Disabled areas. Internally, the unit has received new carpets and lino flooring, new table top covers and the grab poles, side panels and table legs have been re-powder coated. The existing seat covers have been retained, but were dry cleaned to provide a brighter, cleaner interior. This work will also involve combining the two separate First Class sections on four car units into one section in the end of MOSL coach. It is intended for all class 375 units to receive this refurbishment between 2015 and 2018. The original plan was for the first 50 units to be refurbished at Bombardier in Derby and then the remaining units would be transferred for refurbishment at Bombardier Ilford. This plan did not go ahead and the 375/8s and 375/9s were sent to Derby. On 19 September 2015 the last 375/3 unit no 375310 went to Derby for refurbishment. The following week on 26 September the first 375/6 went to Derby for refurbishment. The final 375 to receive the refurbishment and gain the new blue Southestern livery was 375 920, which was returned to Ramsgate depot on 28 April 2018.Accidents and incidents
- On 8 November 2010, a passenger train operated by unit 375 711 overran station, on the Hastings Line in East Sussex, due to low railhead adhesion in the leaf fall season and maintenance errors in respect of the train's sanding apparatus. The train continued to slide beyond the station for. Following the incident, Southeastern reduced the interval that the sand hoppers were to be refilled from seven days to five days.
- On 24 November 2014, the front carriage of unit 375 611 caught fire from faulty electrical insulation pots at Platform 6. There were no injuries, though both the track and leading carriage required repairs, part of the rail being melted.
- On 26 July 2015, units 375 703 and 375 612 formed a train that collided with a herd of cattle on the line at Godmersham, between and, Kent. The leading carriage of 375 703 was derailed. There were no injuries amongst the 70 passengers and crew on board.
- On 5 January 2018, unit 375 815 hit a fallen tree near Herne Bay. Though damage was sustained to the leading carriage, there were no injuries.
- On 24 October 2018, shortly before midnight unit 375 301 leading 375 906 hit a car abandoned on a level crossing between Teynham and Faversham. The car caught fire and the leading carriage of 375 301 sustained damage to its corridor, bogie and coupling.
Class 375 routes
Main lines
- Charing Cross/Cannon Street – Tunbridge Wells and Hastings fast services
- Charing Cross/Cannon Street – Dover Priory and Ramsgate via Ashford International.
- Victoria – Ramsgate and Dover Priory via Chatham
- Cannon Street - Ramsgate/Broadstairs via Chatham
Outer suburban
- Charing Cross/Cannon Street – Tunbridge Wells
- Victoria – Canterbury West, via Ashford International and Maidstone East,
- Victoria - Dover Priory via Denmark Hill and Gillingham
- Victoria - Canterbury East/Faversham
- Charing Cross - Hayes
Medway Valley Line
- Strood – Maidstone West/Paddock Wood/Tonbridge
Sheerness Branch Line
Fleet details
Named units
| Unit | Name |
| 375 304 | Medway Valley Line 1856 - 2006 |
| 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 |
| 375 710 | Rochester Castle |
| 375 714 | Rochester Cathedral |
| 375 823 | Ashford - Proudly Served By Rail For 175 Years |
| 375 830 | City of London |
Unit 375 624 was re-liveried with the Southeastern trial livery and did not have its name displayed. This unit has since been refurbished with the new Southeastern blue livery.
Unit 375 610 previously carried a livery with royal blue doors and a gold stripe to mark the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II, this livery was removed upon refurbishment in January 2016, the gold stripe having been removed several years prior.