Class 221
The Class 221 Super Voyager is a diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU). It is operated primarily by Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry, but Grand Central has also leased two units for its services between London and Bradford.
The Super Voyagers were constructed by Bombardier Transportation between 2001 and 2002, and the company was acquired by Alstom since then. The first of these units entered passenger service over two decades ago, on 12 April 2002.
The Class 221s are fitted with a tilting mechanism, like the Class 390 Pendolinos, although this is only utilised by Avanti West Coast. They reach speeds of up to 125 mph (200 km/h) in passenger operation.
Avanti West Coast is in the process of replacing their fleet of Class 221s. The rolling stock will be succeeded by Class 805s (BMUs) and Class 807s (EMUs), both of which belong to their 'Evero' family of trains.
Overview
CrossCountry
Grand Central
Technical specifications
5-car
5-car — 120 m
On-board
5-car — 246 seats
CrossCountry — At-seat service
Grand Central — On-board shop
CrossCountry — Coach A
Grand Central — No
Standard — 2+2 seating
Accessibility
Avanti — Coach A/G, E/L
Grand Central — A, E
Avanti — all toilets
Grand Central — all but coach D
Subclasses
Despite some units being formed of five cars and others four, the Class 221 does not consist of any explicit subclasses. Instead, all units are numbered as 2211XX. This is unusual when contrasted with present-day numbering, for example with the Class 755, where the three- and four-car formations correspond to the 755/3 and 755/4 subclasses respectively. CrossCountry is the only train operating company to run four-car Class 221s.
| Subclass | Operator | Qty. | Year built | Passenger cars | Unit nos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 221 | Avanti West Coast | 8 | 2001–2002 | 5 | 221101–221106, 221108–221109 |
| Grand Central | 2 | 221142–221143 | |||
| Stored | 7 | 221107, 221110–221113, 221117–221118 | |||
| CrossCountry | 23 | 221114–221116, 221119–221135, 221137–221139 | |||
| 4 | 4 | 221136, 221140–221141, 221144 |
Context
Class 47/Mark 2 coaches
Class 158
Class 807
Footnotes
- Diesel-electric multiple units (DEMUs) use a diesel engine to drive an electrical generator or alternator, the output of which is used to power electrical traction motors, thus bringing the vehicle into motion.
- The length of the 4- and 5-car units was estimated using a car length of 23.76 m.
- The seated capacity of the 4- and 5-car units has changed since their construction, as a result of refurbishment works. It now varies by operator. E.g., Avanti West Coast Super Voyagers seat 256 (20 First, 230 Standard).
References and attribution
- Fact file data: Marsden, C. J. (2007). Traction Recognition. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. pp.150–151.
- Subclasses data and table: Forked from the English Wikipedia on 20 November 2024, copyright © the Wikipedia editors. Reproduced and distributed under the terms of the original license: CC BY-SA 4.0. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_221.
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This fact file was authored by Sebastien Jensen and last updated 20 August 2024.
