Great Western Railway to introduce new trains on services through Plymouth

Great Western Railway (GWR) is set to replace some of the trains on its Exeter to Penzance services with trains which were originally built for routes in Wales.

The Class 175 trains, which were built between 1999 and 2001 and withdrawn by their former operator - Transport for Wales - in 2024, will replace the High Speed Trains which have been operating since 1976. The High Speed Trains have, since 2019, run in fixed four-carriage sets on local services between Exeter and Penzance, whereas the Class 175s will be able to run in flexible formations of up to six carriages, offering a 33% greater seating capacity.

Lord Peter Hendy, the Rail Minister, said that the Class 175s were “crucial to the sustainability and growth of our network,” as replacing the older trains will provide a more efficient service. Mark Hopwood, Managing Director of GWR, described the new trains as a “fantastic addition to our fleet.”

It is hoped that the introduction of the new trains will be completed by the end of 2026, after maintenance and training work has been completed; the first sets will be introduced in May of this year. Once in service, the Class 175s will be used on routes which operate through Plymouth, providing the city with a more efficient service on journeys between Exeter and Penzance. The Class 175s will also be more comfortable than the trains they replace, offering passengers more legroom and a brighter onboard atmosphere.

The introduction of the Class 175s will enable GWR to free up older trains which can be used for travel between Cardiff and Portsmouth. The Class 175s will also replace some older trains on services between Barnstaple and Okehampton. The trains will be based and maintained at Plymouth’s Laira Depot, which currently maintains some of GWR’s long-distance intercity trains (which will still be used for longer services, for example from Penzance to London) as well as the older High Speed Trains which will be replaced by the Class 175s.

Image courtesy of Great Western Railway.