Alstom has signed a Technical Support and Spares Supply Agreement (TSSSA) with Great Western Railway (GWR) to assist the introduction of 26 Class 175 trains into service across South West England.
Under the eight-year agreement, valued at approximately £75 million, Alstom will deliver ongoing maintenance support from GWR’s Laira depot in Plymouth. The contract supports more than 15 roles, including engineers, material planners and administrators, as well as many more in Alstom’s wider supply chain.
The first trains are expected to enter passenger service later this year, following recommissioning and driver training. Owned by Angel Trains, the Class 175s will predominantly operate on key regional routes, including services between Exeter St Davids, Penzance, Barnstaple and Okehampton.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Great Western Railway and Angel Trains to bring the Class 175 fleet back into service.”
“With our extensive expertise as the original manufacturer and long-standing maintainer of these trains, we are well placed to ensure their smooth reintroduction and continued reliability,” said Peter Broadley, Business Development Director at Alstom.
The Class 175 diesel multiple units (DMUs) were built by Alstom between 1999 and 2001 in Birmingham. Previously operated by Transport for Wales until 2024, GWR signed the lease for the fleet in March this year.
“We are really pleased to be able to reach agreement with Alstom to support this major investment in our train fleet. The Class 175 are a welcome addition to the GWR train fleet and will provide a tangible boost as we seek to rejuvenate our regional and suburban services.” said Dr Simon Green, Engineering Director for Great Western Railway.
Able to be connected in four, five and six-car formations, the Class 175s will boost the GWR fleet and lead to the removal of some of its oldest and least efficient diesel trains, improving reliability, efficiency and passenger comfort. This supports the train operator’s plans to rejuvenate its regional and suburban services, while preparing the way for decarbonisation.
“We’re pleased to support Great Western Railway as they work to further improve the passenger experience. In partnership with GWR and Alstom, the reintroduction of the Class 175 fleet will provide additional capacity and improved reliability that will benefit customers across the network,” said David Jordan, Chief Operating Officer at Angel Trains.
The Class 175 trains are also the first GWR fleet to utilise Alstom’s HealthHub digital solution for condition-based and predictive maintenance that analyses and displays all the data captured by the train. Every 30 seconds, a train will send data on more than 200 parameters – everything from the speed of the train to the temperature inside the carriages, to the GPS coordinates that give its location. This provides real-time monitoring that alerts the team if there is anything wrong with the train and helps to prevent incidents before they can impact passenger service.
Image credit: Alstom
