... as more Super Voyagers and entire fleet refurbishment is confirmed for Crosscountry

of Class 221 Super Voyager diesel-electric multiple units will be boosted by a further five of the trains from leasing company Beacon Rail. These have been secured in addition to the seven Class 221s announced last October, when the Department for Transport awarded a new National Rail Contract to the Arriva-backed long-distance operator ( Railways Illustrated issue 249).

The 12 five-coach trains are to come from those due to be returned to Beacon Rail by Avanti West Coast (221101-118) when the new Hitachi Class 805 and 807 trains enter service with AWC later this year, although the exact identities of which sets are moving to Crosscountry have not yet been confirmed. All of the trains are maintained by Alstom at its Central Rivers depot.

These will be added to the existing Crosscountry fleet of 34 four-coach Class 220 Voyagers (220001-034) and 24 Class 221s (221119-141/144), eventually providing an overall fleet of 70 Class 220/221s, with the operator stating that its acquisition will provide about 25% more seating capacity than at present. It is expected that the first of the cascaded trains will be introduced into service from June this year.

It is also planned that Crosscountry’s entire fleet of Class 170s, 220s and 221s will undergo overhauls to improve the passenger environment of the trains. The Class 170s are used on regional services, while the Class 220s/221s are operated on long-distance services. The operator said that the planned two-year refurbishment project will transform the on-board experience for passenger by the summer of 2026.

Alstom’s managing director of rolling stock and services for UK and Ireland, Peter Broadley, said: “For more than 20 years, Crosscountry’s Voyagers have proudly served towns and cities around Great Britain, travelling millions of miles in the process. We now look forward to giving these iconic Alstom-built trains some well-deserved TLC with a comprehensive overhaul that will include new seats, on-board technology enhancements, and an exterior repaint.

“Not only will the refurbishment delight fare-paying customers with increased levels of comfort and accessibility, but the overhaul programme will also support UK suppliers and skilled jobs around the country.”

Crosscountry has been suffering from regular occurrences of overcrowding on some of its long-distance journeys in recent months, as reported, following the decision to withdraw the operator’s small fleet of high-speed trains from service last September.