Alstom has been contracted to refurbish CrossCountry’s Voyager fleet to enhance the customer experience.
This 60 million GBP upgrade will refresh the interior and exterior of the trains at Alstom’s Derby facility. The work will see the vehicles equipped with new seats, tables and flooring from 2025.
In addition, the trains will gain improved lighting and a new passenger counting system, while the exteriors will be repainted in CrossCountry’s new livery.
“For more than 20 years, CrossCountry’s Voyagers have proudly served towns and cities across Great Britain – travelling millions of miles in the process. We now look forward to giving these iconic Alstom-built trains some well-deserved TLC with a comprehensive overhaul that will include new seats, on-board technology enhancements and an exterior repaint.”
The undertaking will refurbish 312 cars, comprising 136 Voyager (Class 220) and 176 Super Voyager (Class 221) vehicles.
252 of these cars belong to the existing CrossCountry fleet, while an additional 60 additional carriages, forming 12 trains, will be added following their release from Avanti West Coast.
To enhance sustainability, the new seats will be at least 95% recyclable and 98% recoverable, while lighter materials used throughout the trains will help reduce fuel and carbon emissions.
Design work is set to begin immediately, prior to the physical work commencing in Derby from 2025 until 2027. Around 100 Alstom staff will work on the contract.
“Not only will the refurbishment delight fare-paying customers with increased levels of comfort and accessibility, the overhaul programme will support UK suppliers and skilled jobs across the country.”
The Voyager trains are owned by Beacon Rail and operate operate across the CrossCountry network, from Aberdeen to Penzance.
Last year, Alstom and CrossCountry signed an eight-year extension to their Train Services Agreement (TSA). This extension is valued at around 825 million GBP and sees Alstom continue to maintain, overhaul, service and clean CrossCountry’s Voyager and Super Voyager fleet until 2031.
“We’re delighted to be moving forward on the refurbishment of our Voyager fleet which will transform the passenger experience for customers on our long-distance routes.
“We look forward to working with colleagues at Alstom and Beacon Trains to give the ever-impressive Voyager fleet a new lease of life on the CrossCountry network.”
The Voyager and Super Voyager inter-city trains were built by Alstom and have already served passengers across the UK for over two decades.
They operate at speeds of up to 200 km/hour and have travelled over 427 million miles of service.
