British Rail Class 221
| Industry | Rail transport manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bruges, Belgium and Wakefield, England , Belgium and United Kingdom |
| Products | Class 221 Super Voyager tilting diesel-electric multiple unit trains |
The British Rail Class 221 Super Voyager represents a series of tilting diesel-electric multiple unit high-speed passenger trains constructed by Bombardier Transportation at facilities in Bruges, Belgium, and Wakefield, England between 2001 and 2002.
Closely related to the Class 220 Voyager, the Class 221 incorporates a tilting mechanism that permits up to six degrees of tilt, enabling faster travel through curves. Typically, these trains consist of five coaches and feature a unique bogie design, with a top speed of .
Currently, the fleet is operated by CrossCountry (25 units) and Grand Central (two units). In 2008, CrossCountry deactivated the tilt function to improve dependability and decrease upkeep expenses; meanwhile, Grand Central's trains retain the tilt system but do not activate it. Additional sets were placed in storage following their withdrawal by Avanti West Coast in December 2024.
Details
Class 221 trains are assembled as either five- or four-car formations. Each carriage contains a Cummins QSK19 diesel engine delivering at 1,800rpm, which powers an electrical generator connected to two traction motors. These motors drive one (inner) axle per bogie via cardan shafts and final drives. The range between refuellings extends to .
While the car bodies, engines, and most components mirror those of the Class 220, the bogies differ significantly: the Class 220 Voyager employs B5000 bogies with inside frames that expose wheel faces, whereas the Class 221 Super Voyager utilizes Y36 bogies featuring conventional outside frames. Unlike the Class 220, the Class 221 was originally equipped with a hydraulic tilting system designed for enhanced cornering speeds; however, this system has been disabled on CrossCountry’s 24 sets.
Individual coaches weigh between 55 and 57 tonnes; as a result, complete five-car trains weigh approximately 281.9 tonnes, while four-car sets weigh around 227 tonnes. The braking system combines pneumatic and rheostatic brakes, achieving an emergency stopping distance of at .
Automatic sanding systems are fitted on all Class 221 units: Avanti West Coast’s trains use fixed-rate sanders supplied by Vossloh, whereas Arriva CrossCountry’s fleet employs variable-rate sanding systems made by AB Hoses.
Maintenance operations for all Class 221 vehicles are centralized at Central Rivers TMD, located near Burton-on-Trent.
Formation and passenger facilities
In line with franchise agreements aimed at replacing older British Rail Mark 2 and InterCity 125 rolling stock, Virgin CrossCountry procured forty five-carriage sets plus four four-carriage sets intended for Virgin Trains’ North Wales Coast Line service to Holyhead; all entered service under Virgin CrossCountry.
In November 2010, Virgin Trains reorganized its three four-car sets into two five-car sets plus one spare two-car set by inserting intermediate vehicles from unit 221144 into units 221142 and 221143. This restructuring provided greater operational flexibility on routes between Birmingham-Scotland and London-North Wales. A subsequent reformation in 2017 returned unit 221144 to CrossCountry (operated by Arriva), involving vehicle swaps that reduced two CrossCountry sets to four cars each.
All coaches are equipped with air conditioning and offer Wi-Fi. Some units continue to provide disabled at-seat audio entertainment despite Wi-Fi availability. Power outlets are available for laptop use and mobile device charging. Former Virgin Trains units include CCTV systems. Exterior electronic display boards indicate train number, time, coach identification, destination, and next stop—features also found on Class 220 units and DEMUs.
The trains have been criticized for limited space allocated to luggage and bicycles. Due to their tilting design, carriages have tapered profiles resulting in reduced interior space compared to standard rolling stock.
Seating arrangements differ depending 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. | |||
| 4 | 174 | |||||
| Grand Central | 5 | 230 | 4 |
Operations
The entire Class 221 fleet is owned by Beacon Rail after acquiring the units from Voyager Rail Leasing, a partnership between Lloyds Banking Group and Angel Trains. These trains are leased to multiple train operating companies.
Launched in 2002, Virgin Trains initially ran all Class 221 units across CrossCountry routes, the West Coast Main Line, and services along the North Wales Coast. When CrossCountry services on the West Coast Main Line were transferred to the InterCity West Coast franchise, the fleet was divided on 11 November 2007: Virgin West Coast took ownership of units 221101-221118 and 221142-221144, while CrossCountry received units 221119-221141. During a period when CrossCountry refurbished five High Speed Train sets, units 221114-221118 were temporarily leased to them.
Avanti West Coast
Class 221 trains operated by Avanti West Coast primarily served routes between London Euston and North Wales destinations such as Chester, Holyhead, and Wrexham, occasionally running double sets on these lines. They also covered a diminishing number of services between London Euston and the West Midlands.
In December 2019, Avanti West Coast commissioned Hitachi Rail to supply 10 seven-car Class 807 electric trains and 13 Class 805 bi-mode trains under a £350 million agreement intended to replace their Class 221 fleet. These new models were planned to enter service in 2023.
By June 2022, units 221142 and 221143 were the first Class 221s returned to Beacon Rail following lease expiration with Avanti. The introduction of Class 805 trains led to seven Class 221 units being transferred to CrossCountry in 2024. Avanti West Coast officially withdrew its last two Class 221s on 14 December 2024.
CrossCountry
CrossCountry operates Class 221 units in conjunction with Class 220 trains on routes inherited from Virgin CrossCountry. Since most lines lack approval for tilting (except for Wolverhampton to Stockport), the tilt mechanisms were deactivated in 2008 to enhance reliability and lower maintenance expenses. In 2024, seven Class 221 units were transferred from Avanti West Coast.
Grand Central
In June 2023, Grand Central leased two Class 221 units (numbers 221142 and 221143) for use on services running between London Kings Cross and Bradford Interchange. These trains commenced operation with Grand Central during 2023.
Technical problems and incidents
Initial batches of Class 221 units experienced frequent stoppages when waves at Dawlish flooded resistor banks, causing control software failures; this issue was resolved through a software update.
On 8 December 2005, unit 221125 was affected by an exhaust fire resulting from an engine overhaul mistake—a problem that also impacted other Voyager class trains during that timeframe.
On 25 September 2006, unit 221136 collided with a vehicle on the tracks near Moor Lane, Copmanthorpe. Although the train derailed, it remained upright and no injuries occurred.
Unit 221112 struck open container doors on the Eden Valley Loop near Penrith on 4 July 2009, damaging every carriage. This event also involved trains from Classes 390 and 185.
On 20 November 2013, unit 221105 overran a platform at Chester station and collided with buffers. One passenger required hospitalization. The RAIB investigation attributed the incident to low rail adhesion combined with insufficient sanding equipment, recommending improvements.
In June 2014, a fire damaged a vehicle in CrossCountry unit 220007 at Eastleigh Works. To maintain service, a vehicle from unit 221135 temporarily replaced the damaged one; both units were fully restored to their original configurations by February 2015.
Fleet details
| Class | Operator | Quantity | Construction years | Cars per set | Set numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 221 | Grand Central | 2 | 2001–2002 | 5 | 221142–221143 |
| CrossCountry | 32 | 221107–221135, 221137–221139 | |||
| 4 | 221136, 221140–221141, 221144 | ||||
| Stored | 6 | 5 | 221101–221106 |
Vehicle numbering
The numbering scheme for individual vehicles was assigned as follows:
| Template:Diagonal split header | 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 | \mdash | 60491–60494 |
Named units
Each set has been given a name, often honoring notable historical personalities or themes:
- 221101 101 Squadron (previously Louis Bleriot)
- 221102 John Cabot
- 221103 Christopher Columbus
- 221104 Sir John Franklin
- 221105 William Baffin
- 221106 William Barents
- 221107 Sir Martin Frobisher
- 221108 Sir Ernest Shackleton
- 221109 Marco Polo
- 221110 James Cook
- 221111 Roald Amundsen
- 221112 Ferdinand Magellen
- 221113 Sir Walter Raleigh
- 221114 Royal Air Force Centenary (formerly known as Sir Francis Drake)
- 221115 Polmadie Depot (previously named Sir Francis Chichester)
- 221116 City of Bangor/Dinas Bangor (formerly David Livingstone)
- 221117 The Wrekin Giant (previously called Sir Henry Morton Stanley)
- Several units have undergone renaming or had their names removed over time, including those originally dedicated to explorers and aviators such as Amelia Earhart, Charles Darwin, and Yuri Gagarin.
- Recent notable designations include sets 221142 and 221144, both titled Bombardier Voyager, which were earlier known as Matthew Flinders and Prince Madoc, respectively.
See also
External links
- Testing the Class 221s
- Railway Herald Issue 150 (page 6: photo of modified Super Voyager)