The British Rail Class 375 is an electric multiple unit train that was built by

Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian-German rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, headquartered in Berlin, Germany. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing indus ...

(previously Adtranz) at Derby Litchurch Lane Works, from 1999 to 2005. The class form part of the Electrostar family of units, which also includes classes

357 __NOTOC__ Year 357 ( CCCLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Iulianus (or, less frequently, year ...

, 376, 377,

378 __NOTOC__ Year 378 ( CCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valens and Augustus (or, less frequently, year 113 ...

, 379 and

387 __NOTOC__ Year 387 ( CCCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Eutropius (or, less frequently, year 11 ...

, 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

Introduced into service in 2000, these trains are owned by Eversholt Rail Group (formerly HSBC Rail) and leased to Southeastern for operation from London to Kent and parts of East Sussex. The Class 375 is the principal train used by Southeastern, and replaced the slam-door Mark 1 derived stock, which was more than 40 years old and did not meet modern health and safety requirements and replaced the 16 Class 365s which were transferred to WAGN in 2004. All units have been converted from Tightlock to Dellner couplers.

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 (375/3s, 375/6s and 375/7s) 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 East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East ...

, 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 Slide or Slides may refer to: Places *Slide, California, former name of Fortuna, California Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Slide'' (Lisa Germano album), 1998 * ''Slide'' (George Clanton album), 2018 *''Slide'', by Patrick Glees ...

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 Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...

on the line at

Godmersham Godmersham is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village straddles the Great Stour river where it cuts through the North Downs and its land is approximately one third woodland, all in the far east and west ...

, between and ,

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. 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 Faversham is a market town in Kent, England, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2 road (Great Britain), A2, which foll ...

. The car caught fire and the leading carriage of 375 301 sustained damage to its corridor, bogie and coupling.

Operations

Main lines

Class 375s work the following main line routes: *

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; ...

– Tunbridge Wells and

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west a ...

fast services *

– Dover Priory and

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to the Census, there was a populatio ...

via

Ashford International Ashford International railway station is a National Rail station in Ashford, Kent, England. It connects several railway lines, including High Speed 1 and the South Eastern Main Line. Services are operated by Southeastern and Southern. The stat ...

. * Victoria –

and Dover Priory via Chatham * Cannon Street -

/ Broadstairs via Chatham (peak hours only)

Outer suburban

Class 375s also work the following outer suburban Southeastern routes interchangeably with Class 465/9 units: *

– Tunbridge Wells * Victoria – Canterbury West, via

and Maidstone East, * Victoria - Dover Priory via Denmark Hill and Gillingham (Kent) * Victoria - Canterbury East/

(Sundays only)

Medway Valley Line

Class 375/3 Electrostar units started operating services on the Medway Valley Line from May 2012 to January 2016, and then from September 2016 to the present day. Previously Class 466 Networkers were the regular units on this line with the occasional Class 465 Networker or 4-car 375 Electrostar being used as a substitute. The Networkers are no longer used on this route as the Class 466s are now non-compliant with the new PRM-TSI law and the volume of traffic cannot support Class 465s or 4-car Class 375s/377s. * Strood – Maidstone West/ Paddock Wood/

Tonbridge Tonbridge ( ) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated population ...

Sheerness line

From December 2019, Class 375/3 units replaced Class 466 units on the Sheerness line due to the latter being non-compliant with the new PRM-TSI law.

Fleet details

Named units

Unit 375 624 (White Cliffs Country) 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 (Royal Tunbridge Wells) previously carried a livery with royal blue doors and a gold stripe to mark the

Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II The Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration held in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50 years a ...

, this livery was removed upon refurbishment in January 2016, the gold stripe having been removed several years prior.

Gallery

Image:Canterbury East railway station ED07, August 2013.JPG, Southeastern Class 375/3 No. 375306 at Canterbury East Image:Hugh llewelyn 375 714 (6647160885).jpg, Southeastern Class 375/7 No. 375714 at London Bridge Image:375804 First Class Interior.jpg, The interior of a refreshed First Class area Image:375804 Standard Class Interior.jpg, The interior of refreshed Standard Class accommodation Image:375812 A Ashford International.JPG, Southeastern Class 375/8 No. 375812 at

Image:375610 at Tonbridge.jpg, Southeastern Class 375/6 No. 375610 ''Royal Tunbridge Wells'' at

in the former gold stripe livery (stripe was removed) Image:375308 arriving at Cuxton.jpg, Southeastern Class 375/3 No. 375308 at Cuxton in their trial livery Image:375810 and 375 number 617 Dover Priory to London Victoria 1P20 (32909149040).jpg, A pair of refurbished Class 375 No. 375810 and No. 375617 at Dover Priory Image:Southeastern Railway Class 375 Electrostar at Birchington-on-Sea June 2019.jpg, 375619 at Birchington-on-Sea in the newer dark blue livery Image:375601 First Class Interior.jpg, The relocated and refurbished First Class cabin Image:375601 Standard Class Internal.jpg, A half internal view of the refurbished Standard Class accommodation