The Class 221Super Voyager DEMUs were built as a tilting version of the Class 220. Although visually similar, they were fitted with atilting mechanism and heavier bogies.Virgin CrossCountry received 40 five-car and 4 four-car sets.[5] All passed with the CrossCountry franchise toArriva CrossCountry in November 2007.[4]
With the removal ofWest Coast Main Line services from the CrossCountry franchise in December 2007, 16 were transferred toVirgin Trains West Coast for use onInterCity West Coast services.[6] A further five moved from CrossCountry to Virgin Trains West Coast in December 2008. CrossCountry removed the tilting equipment from its Class 221s to improve reliability and lower cost of maintenance.[7]
Avanti West Coast sent two of their Class 221 Super Voyagers off lease in 2022.[8]
In 2023,Grand Central leased the above two sets to operate services betweenLondon Kings Cross andBradford,[9] with the first of these two units entering service in later that year.[10]
The Class 222Meridian DEMUs are broadly similar to the originalVoyager units, but feature a number of reliability improvements and different internal layout.
The Class 222 was built in the light of experience gained with the 220 and 221 units; in particular, many more components were installed under the floor so as to increase space for passengers. Twenty-seven sets were built:
Midland Mainline ordered 23Meridian units to replace 17Class 170Turbostar units and provide stock for a later cancelledLondon St Pancras toLeeds service.[11] Originally configured as 16 four-car seven and nine-car sets, they were later re-formed into a combination of four, five and eight-car units.[12] All were transferred to the new franchise holderEast Midlands Trains (EMT) in November 2007. When EMT took over the franchise, it removed a car from six of its eight-car sets, to lengthen previously four-car units. The last remaining eight-car unit was reduced to five cars.[13] All passed with the franchise toEast Midlands Railway in 2019.[citation needed]
Hull Trains obtained 4 four-car Class 222/1Pioneers in 2005 to replace four Class 170Turbostar.[14] These units are slightly different internally from the 222/0Meridian trains. Following a maintenance incident and the long-term unavailability of one unit, First Hull Trains replaced its Class 222 fleet with a fleet ofClass 180Adelantes in 2009. The Class 222s were transferred to EMT for use with the rest of the Class 222 fleet.[15][16]
Avanti West Coast's Class 221 units were replaced by theClass 805 andClass 807,[18] while all Class 222 units are scheduled to be replaced by theClass 810.[19] However,Lumo has leased five Class 222 units for their newStirling to London route.[20]
In 2006, a Class 222 unit had to be taken out of service due to a door opening in Northamptonshire on a London-Sheffield service, while the train was at speed.[21]
On 26 May 2006, a passenger was murdered on board 220005 as the train pulled intoOxenholme whilst working the Glasgow to Paignton service.[22]
On 14 March 2008, a fire broke out on a Voyager atBanbury. About 100 passengers were evacuated from the train.[23]
On 20 April 2012, a Class 222 unit caught fire atNottingham. The fire was caused by a buildup of grime which was heated by the movement of the train's wheels.[24]
On 18 July 2018, a Voyager unit caught fire shortly after leavingDerby whilst operating a service toGlasgow Central. All 175 passengers were evacuated.[25]
On 26 September 2019, an electrical explosion occurred in a vestibule on Voyager unit 221132 (coach 60982). Fortunately this was on anECS move and occurred between theCentral Rivers depot andBirmingham New Street and was discovered when the driver changed ends.[26][27]
In 2010 Bombardier proposed the conversion of severalVoyager multiple units into hybrid electric and diesel vehicles capable of taking power from an overhead pantograph (electro-diesels EDMUs). The proposal was namedProject Thor.[28]
In October 2010 it was speculated that 21 additional pantograph vehicles would be manufactured atDerby Litchurch Lane Works, and 21 sets converted, at a cost of approximately £300million,[29] however in 2011 the plant did not have the facilities to manufacture steel carriages,[30] though it was expected that much of the work would take place in the UK, and provide work for the Derby plant.[31] In December 2011 a proposal to electrify 30-35 sets for the CrossCountry franchise, referred to as "eVoyager", was considered by theDepartment for Transport.[32]
^"Transport and the economy: Memorandum from Bombardier Transportation UK Limited (TE 89)".Parliament of the United Kingdom. 10 November 2010. Retrieved4 March 2011.Project Thor, being developed with a number of UK private sector partners, would see 500 existing diesel multiple unit vehicles converted to bi-mode diesel / electric capability, allowing them to operate as electric trains where there is already electrification infrastructure in place, continuing their journey in diesel mode where the wires end.
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