British Rail Class 222Meridian
East Midlands Railway Class 222 atNottingham
RefreshedEast Midlands Railway Standard Class interior
In service	31 May 2004 – present
Manufacturer	Bombardier Transportation
Built at	Bruges
Family name	Voyager[1]
Replaced	InterCity 125 Class 170
Constructed	2003–2005
Refurbished	2011–2012 2023-present[2]
Number built	27 sets
Number in service	26
Successor	Class 810
Formation	4 & 9 car sets (as built) 5 & 7 car sets (present)
Fleet numbers	222001–222023 222101–222104
Owners	Eversholt Rail Group[3]
Operators	Current: East Midlands Railway Future: Lumo Former: Hull Trains Midland Mainline
Lines served	Current: Midland Main Line Oakham to Kettering Line Future: London Euston toStirling
Specifications
Car body construction	Steel
Car length	23.85 m (78 ft 3 in) end cars 22.82 m (74 ft 10 in) other
Width	2.73 m (8 ft 11 in)
Wheel diameter	780–716 mm (30.7–28.2 in)(maximum–minimum)[4]
Wheelbase	Bogies: 2.250 m (7 ft 4.6 in)[4]
Maximum speed	125 mph (200 km/h)
Traction system	One per car,Alstom alternator, 750v asynchronous ONIX IGBT drive with AGATE traction control, asynchronous traction motors (2 per car)
Prime mover(s)	Cummins QSK19-R(one per car)
Engine type	Inline-6turbo-diesel[5]
Displacement	19 L (1,159 cu in) per engine[5]
Power output	559 kW (750 hp) per engineat 1800rpm
Acceleration	0.8 m/s2 (1.8 mph/s)[6]
UIC classification	1A′A1′+1A′A1′+...+1A′A1′
Bogies	Bombardier B5005[7]
Braking system(s)	Rheostatic and electro-pneumatic
Safety system(s)	AWS,TPWS
Coupling system	Dellner 12[8]
Multiple working	Within Class
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

TheBritish Rail Class 222Meridian is a group of five- or seven-cardiesel-electric multiple-unithigh-speed passenger train capable of 125 mph (200 km/h).^[6] Twenty-seven sets were built byBombardier Transportation inBruges, Belgium.

The Class 222 is part of theBombardier Voyager family, so it is similar to theClass 220Voyager andClass 221Super Voyager trains used byCrossCountry andGrand Central. In comparison, the Class 222 has a different interior and also have more components fitted under the floors to free up space within the body. Built forMidland Mainline andHull Trains, today the class is operated byEast Midlands Railway and is branded as theMeridian fleet.^[9]

All are equipped with aCummins QSK19diesel engine of 559 kW (750 hp) at 1,800 rpm.^[10] This powers agenerator, which suppliescurrent to motors driving two axles per coach. Approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km) can be travelled between each refuelling.

Class 222 haverheostatic braking using the motors in reverse to generate electricity which is dissipated as heat through resistors situated on the roof of each coach; this saves on brake pad wear.^{[citation needed]}

In common with the Class 220, B5000 lightweight bogies are used - these are easily recognisable since the entire outer surface of the wheel is visible, with inboard axle bearings.^{[citation needed]}

The Class 222 is fitted withDellner couplers,^[8] as on Class 220Voyager and Class 221Super Voyager trains,^[8] though these units cannot work together in service because the Class 222 electrical connections are incompatible with the Class 220 and Class 221 trains.^{[8][clarification needed]}

With the exception ofEMR Connect services, no route operated by East Midlands Railway is fully electrified. As a result, the majority of its fleet is composed of diesel trains such as the Class 222.

Midland Mainline introduced the first of 23 Class 222 units on 31 May 2004, branding themMeridian. These replaced all theClass 170Turbostars and some of theHigh Speed Trains, having better acceleration than both of them. Initially, the 23 units ordered for Midland Mainline were four-car and nine-car. Over time these have been gradually modified to the current formations. The four-car units ordered byHull Trains had an option when constructed to be extended to five cars if required.^[11]

Seven of the sets were nine-car Class 222Meridians intended for an enhancedLondon St Pancras toLeeds service, but after the trains had been ordered, theStrategic Rail Authority decided not to allow them to run the service.^[12] The nine-carMeridians were used on London-Nottingham and some London-Sheffield services.

When the trains were ordered, Midland Mainline overestimated the number of first-class passengers, and the four-carMeridians had less standard-class seating than the three-carTurbostars they replaced. Coach D subsequently had a section of first-class seating declassified for use by standard-class passengers.

At the end of 2006, Midland Mainline removed a carriage from each of the nine-car sets and extended seven of the four-car sets, using the removed carriages.

Following the formation of the new East Midlands rail franchise in November 2007, the entire fleet of Class 222Meridians was inherited byEast Midlands Trains, which operated the expanded East Midlands rail franchise, including all routes previously run by Midland Mainline.

In 2008 further rearrangements were made to the sets: another carriage was removed from the eight-carMeridians, except for unit 222007, which was reduced to five cars with two of the first-class coaches converted to part standard and part first class.^[13] The surplus coaches were then added to the four-carMeridians. These changes, which took place from March to October 2008, resulted in six seven-car sets (222001–222006) and 17 five-car sets (222007–222023).

The seven-car trains are almost exclusively used on the fast services between London St Pancras and Sheffield. Since the retirement of theHSTs, they have commenced working London St Pancras to Leeds via Sheffield. The five-car trains are mainly used between London St Pancras and Sheffield, Nottingham or Corby on semi-fast services, and at off-peak times. The four-car trains supplement the five-car trains on these services, or can alternatively form standalone services.

In December 2008, the Class 222Meridians started work on the hourly London St Pancras to Sheffield services, because they have faster acceleration than the High Speed Trains and so were able to reduce the Sheffield to London journey time by 12 minutes. The hourly Nottingham service was then transferred to High Speed Train running to cover for theMeridians now working the hourly Sheffield fast service.^[14]

In February 2009, units 222101 and 222102 transferred from Hull Trains to East Midlands Trains, and were quickly repainted in the East Midlands Trains white livery. Unit 222104 followed later in the year, and unit 222103 a further few months later after repairs had been completed: unit 222103 had been out of service for two years since early 2007, when the unit fell from jacks at Bombardier'sCrofton works.

In August 2019, following the Department for Transport's awarding of the East Midlands franchise toAbellio, all of the 222 fleet transferred to new operatorEast Midlands Railway.^{[citation needed]}

Hull Trains introduced Class 222Pioneer units, to replace itsClass 170Turbostars in May 2005. The units reduced journey times betweenHull andLondon King's Cross by up to 20 minutes. ThePioneers had a different interior colour scheme and less first-class seating than theMeridians.^{[citation needed]}

First Hull Trains' fleet consisted of four four-carPioneer units.^{[citation needed]}

First Hull Trains decided to use onlyClass 180 units from 2009 onwards. The Class 222 units were transferred to East Midlands Trains in 2008/09^[15] and are now brandedMeridian.

All are scheduled to be returned toEversholt Rail Group in the future onceClass 810 units replace them entirely on EMR Intercity services.^[16][17]

In June 2025, it was announced thatLumo is going to lease 5 six-car Class 222 units. These will operate a service fromLondon Euston toStirling.^[18]

In 2005,HSBC Rail took delivery of the seven nine-car trains planned for use by Midland Mainline on its London-Leeds service, but the trains were left idle when theStrategic Rail Authority prevented Midland Mainline from operating this service. HSBC Rail made contact withNorthern Ireland Railways andIarnród Éireann, with a view to their leasing these units for use byEnterprise.^[19] Using these trains on theBelfast-Dublin line was one of a number of options, which also included the purchase of additional22000 Class railcars or cascaded coaching stock. In the event, the trains entered service with MML providing the fast services from London to Nottingham, thus releasingHigh Speed Trains.

Grand Central, on the announcement of its open-access operation toSunderland in the summer of 2006, planned to run its services using five Class 222 units, with the intention of starting by the end of that year. However, this never happened, pushing back the planned start date while the company looked for alternatives. Grand Central finally started operating in December 2007 using three High Speed Trains.^[20]

East Midlands Trains refurbished its entire Class 222 fleet. The refurbishment included new seat covers and carpets in standard class. First class received new leather seat covers along with a new colour scheme and carpets. The refurbishment started in February 2011 and was complete by spring 2012.^[21][22]

In 2024,East Midlands Railway began a refurbishment program on its entire Class 222 fleet, the program mainly involved the refurbishment of the seating in standard class.^[2]

• On 10 June 2006, unit 222009 working 1D17 10:30 London to Sheffield had to be taken out of service due to a door being discovered open atDesborough, Northamptonshire whilst at speed. TheRail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report determined that the incident was probably caused by a sequence of events which would not have been possible with a traditional manually operated mechanical door: a combination of a piece of dirt incorporated in the door lock switch during manufacture and a software bug in the door control system allowed the door to remain unlocked after the train called at Luton, but prevented this condition being detected. Deflation and inflation of the pneumatic door seals, initiated automatically by detectors responding to the train stopping and starting at subsequent stations, then gradually prised the door out of its socket until at a point north of Kettering it became able to open. This condition was detected and an automatic brake application initiated, whereupon the inertial forces caused the door to slide open fully; however the indications presented in the driver's cab were ambiguous and were interpreted as caused by faulty systems, and he, therefore, cancelled the brake application. The train was finally halted at Desborough summit after a passenger reported that the door was open.^[23]
• On 20 February 2010, unit 222005 working 1F45 14:55 London to Sheffield derailed nearEast Langton,Leicestershire. Two wheels on Coach E in the middle of the train came off the track; on approaching the site of the derailment the train was travelling at close to 100 mph (160 km/h). No other wheels derailed and the train remained upright. There were also reports that one or more road vehicles on an adjacent highway were struck and damaged by debris as the derailed train passed.^{[citation needed]} 222005 was moved from the site the next day after a replacement bogie was fitted and was for a few months formed of vehicles of 222101 and 222022 including a standard class cab end which was temporarily renumbered until the damaged vehicles were returned to the set in mid-June. The derailment caused damage to theMidland Main Line nearKibworth for a distance of two miles, the line underwent emergency repairs byNetwork Rail to get the stretch of line back open for start of service on 24 February 2010. The RAIB investigated the incident and found that it was caused by a complete fracture of the axle, due to a bearing stiffening to the point where it would no longer rotate properly. The RAIB recommended that a review of gearbox and axle design be undertaken, and that the Class 222 and similar classes' final drive oil sampling regime be improved.^[24]
• On 20 April 2012, at 08:44, an East Midlands Trains Class 222 unit pulled into Nottingham station where both the driver and station staff noticed smoke coming from underneath one of the carriages. The engine underneath the carriage had caught fire from overheating – which occurred due to day-to-day grime which had built up underneath the train and then been heated up by the movement of the wheels. Both the train and the station were evacuated, but there were no injuries.^[25]
• On 14 February 2016, unit 222005 was in collision with a conveyor boom left foul of the line atBarrow-upon-Soar,Leicestershire. The lead vehicle suffered substantial damage and the driver was shaken but uninjured. No injuries were reported amongst the 85 passengers, although a fitter working on the boom was severely injured. The RAIB determined that poorly maintained electrical components on the wagon conveyor boom caused the boom to rotate further than intended, leaving it fouling the main line.^[26][27][28]

The followingMeridians have been named:

• Marsden, Colin J. (2011).Traction Recognition (2nd ed.). Ian Allan. pp. 168–171.ISBN 9780711034945.OCLC 751525080.

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