British Rail Class 221

British Rail Class 221 Super Voyager
CrossCountry Class 221 at Leamington Spa in 2015
Standard Class interior of a CrossCountry Class 221
In service12 April 2002 – present (2002-04-12 – present)
ManufacturerBombardier Transportation
Built at
Family nameVoyager
Replaced
Constructed2001–2002
Number built44
Number in service38
Successor
Formation
  • 4-car units:
    DMSL-MSRB-MSL(A)-DMFL
  • 5-car units:
    DMSL-MSRB-MSL(A)-MSL(B)-DMFL
Diagram
  • DMSL vehicles: DF210
  • MSRB vehicles: DG201
  • MSL vehicles: DG202
  • DMFL vehicles: DF101
Fleet numbers221101–221144
Capacity
  • As built:
  • 4-car units: 186 seats
    (26 first-class, 160 standard)
  • 5-car units: 246 seats
    (26 first-class, 220 standard)
OwnerBeacon Rail
Operators
Depots
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Car length
  • DM vehs.: 23.85 m (78 ft 3 in)
  • Others: 23.67 m (77 ft 8 in)
Width2.73 m (8 ft 11 in)
Height3.75 m (12 ft 4 in)
DoorsSingle-leaf swing plug
WheelbaseBogies: 2.700 m (8 ft 10.3 in)
Maximum speed125 mph (200 km/h)
Axle loadApprox. 17 t (17 LT; 19 ST)
Traction systemAlstom Onix 800 IGBT, two traction motors per car
Prime moversCummins QSK19-R, one per car
Engine typeInline-6 turbo-diesel
Displacement19 L (1,159 cu in) per engine
Power output
  • 559 kW (750 hp) per engine
  • 350 kW (470 hp) per traction motor
UIC classification1A′A1′+1A′A1′+...+1A′A1′
BogiesBombardier HVP
Braking systemsElectro-pneumatic (disc) and rheostatic
Safety systems
Coupling systemDellner 12
Multiple workingWithin class, and with Class 220
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The British Rail Class 221 Super Voyager is a class of tilting diesel-electric multiple unit express passenger trains built in Bruges, Belgium and Wakefield, by Bombardier Transportation in 2001–02.

The class is similar to the Class 220 Voyager, but was built with a tilting mechanism. Additionally, most have five coaches, and they have a different bogie design. They have a maximum speed of 125 mph (200 km/h).

The trains are divided between two operators, CrossCountry (36 sets) and Grand Central (2 sets). CrossCountry sets had their tilt function disabled in 2008 to improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs, and Grand Central sets do not use theirs, although they remain in place. There are also a number of additional sets in storage, having been stood down from Avanti West Coast in December 2024.

Details

Classes 220 (left) and 221 (right) showing the differing bogie designs

The Class 221 units were produced as five- or four-coach sets. Each coach is equipped with a Cummins QSK19 diesel engine producing 560 kW (750 hp) at 1,800 rpm, driving an electrical generator which powers two motors, each driving one (inner) axle per bogie via a cardan shaft and final drive. 1,200 miles (1,900 km) can be travelled between refuellings. The coach bodies, the engines and most of the equipment of the Class 221 are the same as the Class 220, but the bogies are very different: the Class 220 Voyager B5000 bogies have inside-frames which expose the whole of the wheel faces, while the Class 221 SuperVoyager Y36 bogies have a more traditional outside-framed bogie. Unlike the Class 220, the Class 221 was built with a hydraulic-actuated tilting system to run at high speed around bends, though this has now been disabled from the 24 sets operated by CrossCountry.

Each coach weighs between 55 and 57 tonnes, with a total train weight of 281.9 tonnes for a five-car set (227 tonnes for a four-car set). The trains have air-operated (pneumatic) and rheostatic brakes, with an emergency stopping distance of 350 m (1,150 ft) at 60 mph (97 km/h).

Formation and passenger facilities

The first class interior on a CrossCountry Class 221
Bicycle compartments on a CrossCountry Class 221
The electronic information display board on Virgin Trains West Coast Class 221, showing a destination of Holyhead

In November 2010, Virgin Trains reformed its 3 four-car sets into 2 five-car sets and a residual spare two-car set by inserting the two intermediate (non-driving) cars from 221144 into 221142 and 221143, giving 20 five-car sets (and two spare driving cars). This was aimed at providing more flexibility and consistency in operating Birmingham-Scotland and London-North Wales services.

The trains have been criticised for providing insufficient space for luggage and bicycles.

The formation and capacity of each unit depends on the operator.

Operator Cars per set First Class Seats Standard Class Seats Wheelchair spaces Bicycle storage Formation
Avanti West Coast 5 26 230 2 4 Coach A Quiet Zone, Coach D Shop, Coach E First Class.
CrossCountry 236 3 Coach A First Class, Coach D bicycle rack and luggage storage, at seat catering service.
4 174

Operations

All units are owned by Beacon Rail, after they were purchased from Voyager Rail Leasing, a consortium of Lloyds Banking Group and Angel Trains.

Avanti West Coast

Avanti West Coast Class 221 at Crewe in 2024, in a light Avanti ends livery.
Virgin Trains West Coast Class 221 at Watford Junction in 2008
Virgin Trains West Coast Class 221 in its 'Flowing silk' livery at Birmingham New Street in 2019

In December 2019, Avanti West Coast placed an order for 10 seven-car Class 807 electric units which have replaced its Class 221 fleet, along with 13 Class 805 bi-mode units as part of £350 million contract with Hitachi. These were planned to enter service in 2023.

In June 2022, 221142 and 221143 were the first Class 221 units to be returned to their owners after their leases to Avanti West Coast ended. With the introduction of the Class 805 units, seven Class 221s have so far been transferred to CrossCountry in 2024. Avanti West Coast withdrew its final pair of Class 221s on 14 December 2024.

CrossCountry

CrossCountry Class 221 at Manchester Piccadilly in 2015
Ex-Avanti West Coast Class 221 operating with Cross Country at Wolverhampton in 2024

CrossCountry's Class 221 units operate alongside Class 220 units on the routes inherited from Virgin CrossCountry. Since these routes are not cleared for tilting operation (with the exception of Wolverhampton to Stockport), in 2008 the tilting equipment was locked out of use and shortly afterwards was isolated altogether, replacing the hydraulic rams with fixed tie-bars. This change was made to improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs. In 2024, seven Class 221 units were transferred from Avanti West Coast.

In October 2026 it was announced that Cross Country are to receive the 6 stored units and the two units with Grand Central.

Grand Central

In June 2023, it was announced that Grand Central would be leasing two Class 221 units (numbers 221142 and 221143) for use on services between London Kings Cross and Bradford Interchange.

The units first entered service with Grand Central in 2023.

Accidents and incidents

Grand Central Class 221 at London Kings Cross

When first introduced, Class 221 units would frequently be stopped due to waves breaking over the sea wall at Dawlish in storm conditions, inundating the resistor banks and causing the control software to shut down the whole train. This problem was fixed by an upgrade to the control software.

On 8 December 2005, unit 221125 suffered an exhaust fire at Starcross. Other members of the Voyager class suffered similar fires in the 2005-2006 period due to an incorrectly performed engine overhaul.

On 25 September 2006, unit 221136 collided with a car on the track at Moor Lane, Copmanthorpe, North Yorkshire. The 14:25 Plymouth to Edinburgh was decelerating on its approach to York station at 9pm when it collided with the car, which had crashed through a fence on to the line. Despite being derailed in the 100-mile-per-hour (160 km/h) crash, the train remained upright. Nobody on board was injured.

On 4 July 2009, unit 221112 was involved in a collision with a set of freight train container doors on the Eden Valley Loop at Penrith. At 16:27, Virgin Trains service 1M86 from Edinburgh to Birmingham New Street passed service 4M16, a container freight train which was in the Loop. The train struck one or both open doors of wagons 12 and or 13 of the container train. The train crew heard the impacts and stopped to report the damage to their control at 16:28. The train suffered damage to all cars consisting of scratching to bodywork, in particular the doors, as well as severe damage to one door step. The Super Voyager was one of three trains to be damaged by the container doors; a Class 390 and a Class 185 were also involved.

Ex-Avanti West Coast Class 221 in storage at Derby Litchurch in 2025

On 20 November 2013, a Virgin Super Voyager (unit 221105) overran the platform and ran into the buffers at Chester. One passenger was taken to hospital. The RAIB report concluded that this was due to exceptionally low adhesion between wheels and rails, combined with the train's sanding system being inadequate. The report recommended that the sanding equipment on the class be upgraded.

In June 2014, one vehicle in CrossCountry unit 220007 was damaged after it caught fire at Eastleigh Works.

Fleet details

Class Operator Qty. Year built Cars per unit Unit numbers
221 Grand Central 2 2001–2002 5 221142–221143
CrossCountry 32 221107–221135, 221137–221139
Stored 6 5 221101–221106

Vehicle numbering

Individual vehicles, as-built, were numbered in the ranges as follows:

Vehicle
Units
 DMSL MSRB MSL(A) MSL(B) DMFL
221101–221140 60351–60390 60751–60790 60951–60990 60851–60890 60451–60490
221141–221144 60391–60394 60791–60794 60991-60994 — 60491–60494

Named units

All units have received names:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Marsden, C. J. (2007). "Class 221 'Super Voyager'". Traction Recognition. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 150–151, 254. ISBN 978-0-7110-3277-4. OCLC 230804946. OL 16902750M.
  2. ↑ "Grand Central to receive new £300 million battery hybrid fleet". Grand Central. 4 April 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2026.
  3. ↑ "CMA clears Beacon takeover of Eversholt". News Front. Modern Railways. Vol. 83, no. 929. February 2026. p. 9.
  4. 1 2 "Our trains". Grand Central. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  5. ↑ "Grand Central to lease two Voyagers". Today's Railways UK. No. 258. August 2023. p. 10.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 References: High-Speed Trains and Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) (PDF). Heidenheim: Voith Turbo. May 2008. pp. 20–21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Technical Data, Vehicles and Cabs". Modern Locomotives Illustrated. No. 221. October 2016. pp. 16–23.
  8. 1 2 Every Track - QSK19 for Rail Applications (PDF) (09/08 ed.). Daventry: Cummins Ltd. Bulletin 4087201. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  9. ↑ "Cutting noise and smoothing the ride". Railway Gazette International. 1 August 2000. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2010. 216 SuperVoyager cars capable of tilting 6° ... will use the well-proven Y36 bogie with hydraulic tilt actuation.
  10. ↑ System Data for Mechanical and Electrical Coupling of Rail Vehicles in support of GM/RT2190 (PDF). London: Rail Safety and Standards Board. 22 June 2011. p. 4. SD001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Our Super Voyager Trains". www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Class 221 data". The Railway Centre. 2 June 2008. Archived from the original on 27 October 2007.
  13. 1 2 Miles, Tony (August 2008). "CrossCountry stops tilting". Modern Railways. p. 71.
  14. ↑ "Virgin eliminate four car Voyagers". RailNews. Stevenage. 3 December 2010. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2010. Virgin Trains is no longer operating any Class 221 Super Voyager trains as four-car units.
  15. ↑ Clement, Barrie (12 January 2004). "GNER boss calls Virgin trains 'cheap and nasty'". The Independent. London.
  16. ↑ "About Our Trains - Experience". Virgin Trains.
  17. ↑ "Intercity West Coast Franchise Agreement (Interim)" (PDF). Department for Transport.
  18. ↑ "Voyager Trains" (PDF). Cross Country.
  19. ↑ "Beacon Rail buys Voyager DEMU fleet". Railway Gazette. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  20. ↑ Pritchard, Robert; Hall, Peter (2013). British Railways Locomotives & Coaching Stock 2013. Sheffield: Platform 5 Publishing. pp. 246–7, 373. ISBN 978-1-909431-02-7.
  21. ↑ "What's In Store | Avanti West Coast". www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  22. ↑ "Rolling Stock Special: New Trains on order". Today's Railways UK. No. 241. March 2022. p. 30.
  23. ↑ Holden, Michael (14 June 2022). "First two Avanti West Coast Voyager trains return to Beacon Rail". RailAdvent. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  24. ↑ "Class 805s In Service with Avanti West Coast". To The Trains. 2 June 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  25. 1 2 "CrossCountry gets more Voyagers as refurbishment plan agreed". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  26. 1 2 Russell, David (February 2025). "Avanti bids farewell to its last '221s'". Rail Express. No. 345. p. 22.
  27. ↑ "Eight more Voyagers for CrossCountry". Modern Railways. 12 October 2026. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  28. 1 2 "Class 221 Super Voyager". Units. Rail Express. No. 326. Horncastle: Mortons Media Group. July 2023. p. 21. ISSN 1362-234X.
  29. ↑ "Virgin Trains chaos 'over by Christmas'". BBC News. 20 November 2002. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  30. ↑ "Voyager Train fleet "think smart" to operate past Devon sea storms" (Press release). Virgin Trains. 2 December 2002. Archived from the original on 16 October 2006.
  31. ↑ "Virgin Trains Cross Country news" (PDF). April 2006. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2006.
  32. ↑ "Car driver killed in rail crash". The Guardian. London. 26 September 2006. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  33. ↑ Rail Accident Report: Container doors hit passenger trains, Penrith Station and Eden Valley Loop, Cumbria, 4 July 2009 (PDF) (Report). Rail Accident Investigation Branch. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  34. ↑ "Passenger taken to hospital after Chester collision". RailNews. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  35. ↑ "Train crashes into Chester Station barrier". BBC News. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  36. ↑ "Report 26/2014: Buffer stop collision at Chester station". Rail Accident Investigation Branch. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  37. ↑ "Fire crews tackle train blaze in Eastleigh". Hampshire Chronicle. Newsquest Media Group. 28 June 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  38. ↑ Pickering, Graeme (May 2025). "CrossCountry ready to introduce remaining 221s". Traction & Stock. The Railway Magazine. Vol. 171, no. 1490. p. 76.
  39. 1 2 Russell, David (July 2025). "Class 221 Super Voyager Sprinter". Units. Rail Express. No. 350. p. 22.
  40. ↑ Bendall, Simon; Coward, Andy (August 2024). "Avanti takes Voyagers off-lease". News. Railways Illustrated. No. 258. p. 20.
  41. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 "220, 221 & 222 fleet list". Modern Locomotives Illustrated. No. 221. October 2016. pp. 80–82.
  42. 1 2 3 4 Rapson, David (April 2020). "Name Game". Powerscene. Rail Express. No. 287. p. 83.
  43. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rapson, David (August 2020). "Name Game". Powerscene. Rail Express. No. 291. p. 17.
  44. 1 2 3 4 5 Rapson, David (February 2020). "Name Game". Powerscene. Rail Express. No. 285. p. 83.
  45. ↑ Rapson, David (January 2020). "Name Game". Powerscene. Rail Express. No. 284. p. 83.