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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.
Shown
Scale
307 ft (93.7 m) (the cars’ lengths added)
Class 220 Voyager · schematic drawing GB Trains · gbtrains.uk/stock/220/ · CC BY 4.0
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Liveries 2
CrossCountryCrossCountryColours from a photograph of 220003; layout from Commons diagramsBeing replaced: the refurbished red, cream and yellow livery, from February 2026Being replacedShown aboveCrossCountryCrossCountry refurbished (red, cream and yellow)all 34 are in the programme (with the 221s, 70 trains over two years from February 2026); 220033 was first, unveiled on 10 February 2026 and back in service on 24 FebruaryReplacing the plum and silver the drawing above shows, unit by unit.from 2026Not drawn yet
Former liveries 1
Virgin CrossCountryFormer2001 to 2007/08Not drawn yet
- Type
- Diesel-electric multiple unit
- Builder
- Bombardier Transportation, at Bruges (Belgium) and Wakefield
- Family
- Class 22x, with Class 221 Super Voyager, Class 222 Meridian
- 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
- 124 mph (200 km/h)
- Power
- Diesel-electric: a Cummins engine (559 kW) and alternator under every car, feeding two traction motors; 2,240 kW a unit · how it works
- Bogies
- Bombardier B 5005 bogies · drawn with the same bogie component as Class 172 Turbostar, Class 222 Meridian
- Train length
- 307 ft (93.7 m) (the cars’ lengths added)
- Coupled
- 2 × 4 cars, about 615 ft (187 m) (the units’ lengths added)
- Car height
- 12 ft 4 in (3.77 m)
- Car width
- 8 ft 11 in (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 since February 2026 (220033 first, back in service on 24 February).
Car types
| Code | Car | Length | Doors per side |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMF | Driving motor first (DMF): coach A | 78 ft 3 in23.85 m | 2 single |
| DMS | Driving motor standard (DMS): coach F | 78 ft 3 in23.85 m | 2 single |
| MS | Motor standard (MS): coaches C and D | 75 ft 6 in23.00 m | 2 single |
Sources
How we source figures → · Spotted a mistake? Tell us → (opens in a new tab)
Show the 27 sources from Wikimedia Commons, Bombardier Transportation, CrossCountry and 10 more
- About Our Trains CrossCountry, accessed 7 October 2026built 2001–02 by Bombardier, 125 mph (201 km/h), 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. 7434 four-car units; 176 standard and 26 first-class seats, 102 standing; Beacon Rail; leases to 12 October 2031
- Cl.220 Beacon Rail34 units, Bombardier, 2,240 kW, 200 km/h (124 mph), 200 seats
- Diesel Electric Multiple Unit, Class 220 'Voyager' - United Kingdom (project page, with technical data) Bombardier Transportation (archived copy), archived 27 December 2017307 ft (93.7 m) four-car unit, 8 ft 11 in (2,730 mm) wide, 200 km/h (124 mph), 174 seats; 34 four-car non-tilting sets for CrossCountry
- Cutting noise and smoothing the ride Railway Gazette International, 1 August 200034 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 200878 ft 3 in (23,850 mm) vehicle; Cummins 559 kW engine; the B 5005 bogie, 7 ft 5 in (2,250 mm; drawing)
- Class 220 SREMGformation, 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 2015the drawing: the driving car's doors, windows, bogie centres and heights, measured, and matched to the Class 222's
- New Dawn for Virgin Trains Virgin Trains (media room), 5 June 2001official launch, 5 June 2001; 125 mph (201 km/h); built by Bombardier
- 'They will make a huge difference': CrossCountry unveils first refurbished Voyager RAIL (Rich Wilcock), 11 February 2026refurbishment by Alstom from February 2026 (220033 first); Beacon Rail the owner; seating layout unchanged
- Alstom reveals first refurbished CrossCountry Voyager train in the UK Alstom, 10 February 2026the refurbishment of all 34 at Derby over two years from February 2026, 220033 first (status, summary)
- CrossCountry's first refurbished Voyager entered passenger service Railvolution, 26 February 2026the first refurbished Voyager back in passenger service on 24 February 2026 (status)
- Avanti West Coast announces final day for its Class 221 Voyagers RAIL (David Stubbings), 5 December 2024CrossCountry has all 34 (220001 to 220034)
- Voyager trains: seat layout (coaches A to F) CrossCountry, October 2023coach letters and seat layout
- British Rail Class 220 Wikipedia, accessed 7 October 2026first passenger run, 21 May 2001; car lengths (cross-check only); the Virgin CrossCountry livery's name and years
- Diesel Electric Multiple Unit Class 222 'Meridian' & 'Pioneer': technical drawing (side elevation and plans of a 4-car unit) Bombardier Transportation (archived copy), archived 25 August 2014the drawing: the Class 222 driving and intermediate cars, reused
- B5000 bogie data sheet (0477/BOG/09-2004), archived copy Bombardier Transportation, September 2004the drawing: bogie wheelbase and wheels
- Class 220 CrossCountry Diagram (side view of a four-car unit) Wikimedia Commons (FuSSionZ, CC BY-SA 3.0), 2 January 2015the drawing: layout of the intermediate cars' windows, the window bands, the plum cab and the cantrail lines (layout only); which way the middle cars face: the window-band display at the coach F end (set T12F, Kyle, 29 October 2026)
- Class 222 East Midlands Railway Diagram (side view of a four-car unit in EMR's 2019 branding, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Vauxhallvauxhall), 24 December 2019the drawing: the underframe equipment and door-button lights, via the Class 222
- Coventry railway station MMB 10 220003 (a CrossCountry Voyager's leading car, three-quarter view) Wikimedia Commons (mattbuck, CC BY-SA 3.0), 1 April 2010colours of the CrossCountry livery; the upper grille beside the display (set T10, Kyle, 27 October 2026); the cab coupler: its position, heights and shape (set BC5, 20 October 2026); the cab-roof louvre over the crew door (set T12, Kyle, 28 October 2026)
- Trains 2 054 (220018 and 221133 coupled at Durham, photograph, March 2008, CC BY-SA 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (Britishrailclass91), March 2008the bogie drawing's layout (220018's leading bogie; layout only); the two grilles behind the crew door, seen on 220018 and measured on 221133 (set T10, Kyle, 27 October 2026)
- 222003 Class 222 Meridian Tornado 24 March 2009 Sheffield Midland station pic 1 (photograph, public domain) Wikimedia Commons (Ultra7), 24 March 2009the bogie drawing's layout, checked (a Class 222's B 5005 bogies; layout only)
- Coupled (CrossCountry 220031 and 221140 nose to nose at Plymouth, photograph, 17 February 2024, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (Tim Green, from Flickr), 17 February 2024the cab dome's edge and the coupler pocket (set CAVOY3)
- Train reflections 3 (an East Midlands Trains Class 222 at Leicester, photograph, 22 July 2009, CC BY-SA 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (Ben Coulson), 22 July 2009the cab dome's edge (set CAVOY3; the same shell)
- Bombardier Cross Country Voyager Class 220 No 220008 (8464821310).jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (Peter Broster, via Flickr), 10 February 2013the cab coupler: its position, heights and shape (set BC5, 20 October 2026); the cab-roof louvre over the crew door (set T12, Kyle, 28 October 2026)
- 220006 Voyager passing old wreck in River Exe.jpg (photograph, CC BY 2.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 11 March 2025the cab-roof louvre over the crew door (set T12, Kyle, 28 October 2026); the middle cars' display, 10 ft 8 in to 12 ft 3 in (3,250-3,730 mm; set T12, Kyle, 28 October 2026); the car-end louvres and the end display (set T12, Kyle, 28 October 2026); which way the middle cars face: the window-band display at the coach F end (set T12F, Kyle, 29 October 2026); the driving cars' door windows, 80 mm off centre towards the cab (set T13, Kyle, 29 October 2026)
- 221130 Cockwood 271225.jpg (photograph, CC BY 4.0) Wikimedia Commons (kitmasterbloke), 27 December 2025which end of a middle car carries the end display (set T12, Kyle, 28 October 2026); which way the middle cars face: the window-band display at the coach F end (set T12F, Kyle, 29 October 2026)
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- Car lengths: Voith gives a 78 ft 3 in (23.85 m) vehicle (its 2008 brochure, which also miscounts the fleet as five-car); the intermediate cars' 75 ft 6 in (23.0 m) is worked out from Bombardier's 307 ft (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 78 ft 3 in (23.85 m) and 74 ft 10 in (22.82 m), which add up to 306 ft (93.3 m)
- Car height: 12 ft 4 in (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
- Drawing: the driving cars are the Class 222's measured DMS, which Bombardier's Class 220 GA matches within a pixel; coach A is drawn like coach F, as Wikimedia Commons's diagram shows it, not from a drawing of its own
- Drawing: Bombardier drew no intermediate car; the MS cars take the Class 222 MS's body, doors and underframe, with seven windows and a small one placed after a Commons diagram (layout only) on the GA's window width and pitch
- Drawing: the underframe equipment and door-button lights are the Class 222's, not checked on a Voyager
- Drawing: CrossCountry's colours are sampled from one overcast photograph (220003, 2010); the roof grey is the 222's, and the orange and yellow cantrail lines are from the Commons diagram only
- Drawing: the livery is the one carried before refurbishment; refurbished units (from 220033, February 2026) carry a new livery (RAIL), not drawn
- Drawing: the wheels are drawn 2 ft 7 in (780 mm) across; no source read gives the Voyagers' wheel diameter (it is in proportion with the wheelbase in the photographs)
- Drawing: the B 5005 bogies are laid out from Bombardier's GA and photographs (layout only); no dimensioned drawing of the bogie was found (Bombardier's B5000 data sheet is archived but couldn't be fetched)
- Drawing: the cab dome is read off four photographs (220031 and 221140 at Plymouth, 220018 at Durham, the EMT 222 at Leicester), registered by the rail, the roof and the coupler joint, not measured; they agree within about 40 mm; the stretch hidden by the parked wiper's top (10 ft 10 in to 11 ft 8 in (3.30-3.55 m)) is joined, not read; the coupler pocket is placed from the same photographs
- The years of the former liveries come from Wikipedia's class article and the other sources listed, and haven't been checked against a second source.
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