Bombardier Voyager family

Voyager / Super Voyager / Meridian

Classes 220 (left) and 221 (right) at Durham, showing different bogie designs

The interior of standard class on board a class 220 operated by CrossCountry
In service 2001–present
Manufacturer Bombardier Transportation
Built at Bruges, Belgium
Constructed 2000 - 2005
Number built 105 trainsets
Number in service 104 trainsets
Operator(s) CrossCountry
East Midlands Trains
Virgin Trains
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)
Maximum speed 125 mph (200 km/h)
Prime mover(s) Cummins QSK19
Power output 750 hp (560 kW) per car
Braking system(s) Rheostatic
Safety system(s) AWS, TPWS
Coupling system Dellner[1]
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge

The Voyager series is a group of high-speed diesel-electric multiple-unit trains built in Belgium by Bombardier Transportation for service on the UK railway network. They are used on various intercity services throughout Great Britain, including the UK's longest direct rail service, which is CrossCountry service 1V60 from Aberdeen to Penzance which departs Aberdeen at 08:20 and takes 13 hours and 23 minutes to complete. All Voyager DEMUs have a maximum speed of 125 mph (200 km/h).

Variants

Class 220

Main article: Class 220 Voyager
A Class 220 in CrossCountry livery

The Class 220 Voyager was built to operate Cross Country intercity services. 34 four-car sets were built between 2000 and 2001 and operated by Virgin Trains. With Virgin's loss of the Cross Country franchise, these were all transferred to the new operator CrossCountry in November 2007.

Class 221

Class 221 Super Voyager

The Class 221 Super Voyager was built as a tilting version of the Class 220. Although visually similar, the majority of these trains have five cars instead of four, and have been fitted with a tilting mechanism similar to that on the Class 390 EMU, although the Class 221 uses a hydraulic system, while the Class 390 uses an electromechanical system. 44 sets were constructed for use by Virgin Trains; of these, 23 have been transferred to CrossCountry with the remaining 21 being retained by Virgin, for use on parts of their West Coast franchise. None of the CrossCountry class 221s now requires tilt since the services were withdrawn from the West Coast Main Line, and their tilting equipment has therefore been disabled to improve reliability and lower cost of maintenance.[2] The Cross Country Route also has not been cleared for the use of Tilting Trains.

Class 222

Class 222 Meridian
Main article: Class 222 Meridian

The Class 222 Meridian DEMUs are broadly similar to the original Voyager 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. A total of 27 sets were constructed initially:

Technical problems and criticism

Accidents and incidents

Proposed conversion to electrical operation

In 2010 Bombardier proposed the conversion of several Voyager multiple units into hybrid diesel and electric vehicles capable of taking power from an overhead pantograph (electro-diesels EDMUs). The proposal was named Project Thor.[3]

In October 2010 it was speculated that 123 additional pantograph vehicles would be manufactured at Bombardier Transportation's Derby plant, and 21 trainsets converted, at a cost of approximately £300million,[4] however in 2011 the plant did not have the facilities to manufacture steel carriages,[5] though it was expected that much of the work would take place in the UK, and provide work for the Derby plant.[6] In December 2011 a proposal to electrify 30-35 trainsets for the CrossCountry franchise, referred to as "eVoyager", was under consideration by the Department of Transport.[7]

References

  1. "Mechanical And Electrical Coupling Index". Rail Safety and Standards Board. Archived from the original on 2013-12-21. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
  2. Miles, Tony (August 2008). "CrossCountry stops tilting". Modern Railways. London. p. 71.
  3. "Transport and the economy: Memorandum from Bombardier Transportation UK Limited (TE 89)". Parliament of the United Kingdom. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 2011-03-04. 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.
  4. "Bombardier's electrification plan presented to ministers". RailNews. Stevenage. 6 October 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  5. "Bombardier: Doubts over Derby factory's CrossCountry hopes", www.bbc.co.uk, BBC News, 16 Sep 2011
  6. "Cross Country contract may save Derby Bombardier jobs", www.bbc.co.uk, BBC News, 11 September 2011
  7. "eVoyager project costs still seen as too high by DfT", www.railnews.co.uk, Railnews Limited, 23 December 2011
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