CrossCountry has announced plans to introduce eight additional Voyager trains into service, strengthening its long-distance fleet.
The trains, which have been secured through a collaboration between CrossCountry, Arriva, the Department for Transport and rolling stock company Beacon, will enter service from early 2027, and are expected to provide additional capacity and greater resilience across the operator’s network.
CrossCountry previously introduced a set of 12 additional trains during 2024-25, and these new units are anticipated to deliver almost 60,000 extra seats per week across the operator’s network.
Shiona Rolfe, CrossCountry's Managing Director, said:Our customers want a railway they can rely on, and these additional Voyager trains are an important step towards delivering that. They will give us greater flexibility and capacity across the network, helping us reduce crowding, improve reliability and support future timetable improvements.
Together with our fleet refurbishment programme, this investment demonstrates our commitment to delivering the reliable railway our customers deserve and building a stronger CrossCountry for the future.
The first trains are expected to enter service from early 2027, with the remainder entering in stages through to May 2028. Before this time, however, each train will be subject to detailed work to integrate them with CrossCountry’s existing trains in order to support the operator’s wider work to improve both customer experience and overall fleet resilience.
Additional seats will soon be available on routes including Edinburgh and Glasgow, Reading and Newcastle, Reading and Southampton, and Manchester and Bournemouth.
