British Rail Class 375

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 options 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, 375/6 and 375/7 all have glass overhead racks, and the poles in the train bend straight down. The class 375/8 and 375/9 have holes in the overhead racks, and the poles bend right the way around. Out of all the seating arrangements in 375s, the 375/9 stands out as it has 2+3 seating layout, unlike all other 375 series. The layout in the interior is also different. The chairs are more upright and not as comfortable as the 375/3, 375/6, 375/7 or 375/8, but the legroom is better. The 375/9 was designed with rush hour commuters in mind. On the exterior of a 375/8 and 375/9 there are a few small differences with the headlights. The 375/8 and 375/9 have bigger headlights and they are of the LED type which can change to white or red. The Class 375 is the principal new train used by Southeastern, and has replaced the expired Mark 1 derived stock on mainline services to Kent; all the Southeastern units have also been converted from Tightlock to Dellner couplers, but unlike the Southern fleet, they have not been reclassified as 377s. The 375/8 and 375/9 sub-classes were built with Dellner couplers from new.

Main lines

 * Charing Cross/Cannon Street – Tunbridge Wells and Hastings fast services,
 * Charing Cross/Cannon Street – Ramsgate via Tonbridge and Folkestone Central
 * Victoria – Ramsgate and Dover Priory via Chatham
 * Cannon Street - Ashford via Maidstone East
 * Cannon Street - Ramsgate via Swanley
 * Charing Cross - Dover Priory via Ashford International

Outer suburban
Electrostars also work the following outer suburban Southeastern routes interchangeably with Class 465/9 units:
 * Charing Cross/Cannon Street – Tunbridge Wells
 * Charing Cross/Cannon Street – Ashford via Sevenoaks,
 * Victoria/Blackfriars – Ashford, via Maidstone East,

Diagrams
A Diagram of a Class 375 in the new Southeastern Trial livery. A diagram of a class 375 in the livery seen on 375/8s&/9s A diagram of a class 375 in the livery seen on 375/3s/6s&/7s