Graham Farish 371-679 Class 220 4-Car DEMU 220009 Arriva Cross Country

History

The Class 220 Voyager is a class of diesel-electric high-speed multiple-unit trains built in Belgium by Bombardier Transportation in 2000 and 2001.

They were introduced in 2001 to replace the 20-year-old InterCity 125 and 30-year-old Class 47-hauled Mark 2 fleets operating on the Cross Country Route, initially for Virgin CrossCountry and since 2007 by CrossCountry, within the Arriva group (now owned by DB). The Class 220s operate in four-coach sets with a top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h) and a maximum range of approximately 1,350 miles between refuelling and servicing.

Because CrossCountry's network has such a wide geographic reach, Class 220 Voyagers can be seen from Aberdeen to Penzance, Manchester to Bournemouth and Newcastle to Reading.  They are most common at Birmingham New Street, which is the hub of the CrossCountry network.