Great Western Railway has cut six weekday services from sale starting Monday 7 September 2026, between Penzance and Plymouth/Exeter, aiming to reduce frequent cancellations caused by unreliable trains.
The timetable reductions, which also affect a smaller number of Saturday services, remove these trains from sale, meaning passengers on withdrawn trains will not be eligible for delay repay.
Class 175 Trains Require Extensive Recommissioning and Face Technical Problems
The affected trains are second-hand Class 175 units originally built from 1999 to 2001 and redeployed by GWR for regional stopping services in Devon and Cornwall. Of the 26 units being delivered, only 15 have so far arrived, and on any given day
only one or two are operating reliably.
GWR said in communication to stakeholders that the Class 175 trains “have required a higher level of recommissioning work than expected following a prolonged period in storage and out of service,” with additional technical faults emerging during expanded passenger service demanding immediate attention.
Dartmoor Line Disruptions and Recent Service Performance
From 19 to 25 August 2026, the Dartmoor Line experienced three separate service disruptions linked to technical faults on the new Class 175 trains. This week-long period of unreliability contributed to reduced service frequencies.
Since 1 September 2026, 94% of branch line services, including the Barnstaple and Okehampton lines, have
run and nearly 85% of those trains arrived within three minutes of their scheduled times, according to GWR.
Joint Technical Investigation with Angel Trains and Alstom
To address the faults, GWR formed a technical investigation team with Angel Trains, the fleet owner, and Alstom, the original manufacturer. The team will conduct a forensic review of all reported defects to better understand failure causes and enhance maintenance and repair standards.
GWR acknowledged performance and punctuality on Devon and Cornwall routes “hasn’t been good enough recently,” and said it is planning timetable cuts to improve service reliability and reduce short-notice cancellations.
“We’ve already put in place plans to improve performance,
uplifting our monitoring and maintenance regimes,” a GWR spokesperson said, adding that the operator is working closely with colleagues and their trade unions.
Passenger Impacts Due to Reduced Services
Passengers traveling between Penzance and Exeter from 7 September 2026 will face reduced weekday train frequencies and potentially increased cancellations due to the timetable cuts.
Withdrawn services will not qualify for delay repay, and travelers who regularly use routes affected by the Class 175 fleet issues, including the Dartmoor Line, have experienced recent disruptions related to the trains’ technical faults.
