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Class 220 Voyager
Bombardier's four-car diesel-electric train, built for Virgin's CrossCountry routes and run by CrossCountry since 2007. Every car has its own engine and is powered. All 34 are being refurbished in 2026 and 2027.
Drawing to come
- Type
- Diesel-electric multiple unit
- Builder
- Bombardier Transportation, at Bruges (Belgium) and Wakefield
- Built
- 2000–2001
- In service
- since 2001
- Operators
- CrossCountry
- Formation
- 4 cars: coach A (first class, with a cab) to coach F; two units often run together as eight cars
- Trains in fleet
- 34
- Fleets
- CrossCountry: 34
- Top speed
- 125 mph
- Power
- Diesel-electric: a Cummins engine (559 kW) and alternator under every car, feeding two traction motors; 2,240 kW a unit
- Car height
- 3.77 m
- Car width
- 2.73 m
- Profile
- main-line
- Seats per train
- 202
- Total capacity
- 26 first-class and 176 standard seats, with room for 102 standing (CrossCountry's 2023 contract). Built with 26 first and 162 standard seats (SREMG); Bombardier gives 174 seats and Beacon Rail 200
- Status
- In service with CrossCountry: all 34, leased from Beacon Rail. Being refurbished by Alstom at Derby, the first (220033) from February 2026.
Car types
| Code | Car | Length | Doors per side |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMF | Driving motor first (DMF): coach A | 23.85 m | 2 single |
| MS | Motor standard (MS): coaches C and D; coach D has the bike space | 23.00 m | 2 single |
| DMS | Driving motor standard (DMS): coach F | 23.85 m | 2 single |
Sources
- About Our Trains, CrossCountry, accessed 7 October 2026 (built 2001–02 by Bombardier, 125 mph, 4- or 5-car units, coaches A to F, first class in coach A, bikes in coach D)
- National Rail Contract: Cross Country (public register copy), Department for Transport, 19 September 2023, p. 74 (34 four-car units; 176 standard and 26 first-class seats, 102 standing; Beacon Rail; leases to 12 October 2031)
- Cl.220, Beacon Rail (34 units, Bombardier, 2,240 kW, 200 km/h, 200 seats)
- Diesel Electric Multiple Unit, Class 220 'Voyager' - United Kingdom (project page, with technical data), Bombardier Transportation (archived copy), archived 27 December 2017 (93.7 m four-car unit, 2,730 mm wide, 200 km/h, 174 seats; 34 four-car non-tilting sets for CrossCountry)
- Cutting noise and smoothing the ride, Railway Gazette International, 1 August 2000 (34 four-car units (136 cars); a Cummins underfloor engine and alternator in every car, with two traction motors; B5005 bogies)
- References: High-Speed Trains and Electric Multiple Units (EMUs), Voith Turbo, May 2008 (23,850 mm vehicle; Cummins 559 kW engine)
- Class 220, SREMG (formation, single-leaf swing plug doors, 26 first and 162 standard seats as built; built at Bruges and Wakefield; Central Rivers depot)
- Diesel Electric Multiple Unit Class 220 'Voyager': technical drawing (dimensioned general arrangement of a driving car), Bombardier Transportation (archived copy), archived 12 September 2015 (driving car's doors and height (printed))
- New Dawn for Virgin Trains, Virgin Trains (media room), 5 June 2001 (official launch, 5 June 2001; 125 mph; built by Bombardier)
- 'They will make a huge difference': CrossCountry unveils first refurbished Voyager, RAIL (Rich Wilcock), 11 February 2026 (refurbishment by Alstom from February 2026 (220033 first); Beacon Rail the owner; seating layout unchanged)
- Avanti West Coast announces final day for its Class 221 Voyagers, RAIL (David Stubbings), 5 December 2024 (CrossCountry has all 34 (220001 to 220034))
- Voyager trains: seat layout (coaches A to F), CrossCountry, October 2023 (coach letters and seat layout)
- British Rail Class 220, Wikipedia, accessed 7 October 2026 (first passenger run, 21 May 2001; car lengths (cross-check only))
unverified car lengths: Voith gives a 23.85 m vehicle (its 2008 brochure, which also miscounts the fleet as five-car); the intermediate cars' 23.0 m is worked out from Bombardier's 93.7 m four-car unit. SREMG gives 78 ft 2 in (23.83 m) and 74 ft 11 in (22.83 m), and Wikipedia 23.85 m and 22.82 m, which add up to 93.3 m, car height: 3,770 mm as printed on Bombardier's driving-car drawing and read for the site's Class 222 drawing; SREMG gives 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m), doors: one single-leaf plug door at each end of each side of a car, as on Bombardier's drawing of the driving car and SREMG's description; the intermediate cars are not drawn, seats: the contract gives 176 standard seats, Beacon Rail 200 seats in all and Wikipedia 174 standard and 26 first; RAIL says the refurbishment doesn't change the layout, built: Railway Gazette (August 2000) had the first unit on test in Belgium; that construction was split between Bruges and Wakefield is from SREMG and Wikipedia, introduced: Virgin's official launch was 5 June 2001; Wikipedia gives a first passenger run on 21 May 2001