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.
Description
These trains are owned by HSBC Rail, 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,...
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