XC Voyager Refurbishment

[swt_passenger]

If the front cover of May Moden Railways is correct, it’s turquoise…
…on the passenger doors.

Also, the overall livery will differ slightly between the 220/221 and 170s to reflect “the intercity and regional products”.

 

[gabrielhj07]

“the intercity and regional products”.

Can’t wait to find out what these are

 

[Killingworth]

If the front cover of May Moden Railways is correct, it’s turquoise…
…on the passenger doors.

Also, the overall livery will differ slightly between the 220/221 and 170s to reflect “the intercity and regional products”.

The front cover shows a clean example. I suppose we'll have to get used to it but the previous comment 'yuck!' echoes my first impression. It's probably the blue door.

 

[fgwrich]

If the front cover of May Moden Railways is correct, it’s turquoise…
…on the passenger doors.

Also, the overall livery will differ slightly between the 220/221 and 170s to reflect “the intercity and regional products”.

I hope at least the body sides will receive a repaint. After 23 years, they’re looking rough now. Turquoise and Maroon will be quite a colour clash too

Can’t wait to find out what these are

The front cover shows a clean example. I suppose we'll have to get used to it but the previous comment 'yuck!' echoes my first impression.

First impressions = Different.

Second impression looking down towards the rear end = someone’s been to Avanti’s designers! And the black at the front is straight out of Virgin’s Flowing Silk livery too. It seems like imagination isn’t XC’s strongpoint. But it will be nice to see them in something that’s not just plastered over Virgin Trains livery at last.

 

[AJDesiro]

Having received the issue of MR in the post, it seems that the interior looks much less garish than the initial photos, though the concept images make it look quite cold. The XC version of the LEAN has a “redesigned cushion” and the version being fitted to the 170 will be similar, although with a thinner cushion that still conforms to the RSSB intercity category.

There will supposedly be more legroom despite the same seating layout being used, since the LEAN apparently has a thinner back than the Grupo Antolin seats currently used, it must be a matter of microns though.

 

[Trainman40083]

Modern Railways just arrived with an article on it. The livery rumours seem to be true (yuck!) and there will be full seat replacement, but sadly with the thick-backed FISA LEAN in both classes which will mean poorer, not better, legroom and a fair downgrade in 1st.

The article alleges more legroom, but I'm pretty sure the LEAN has a thicker overall back than the existing seats, and the "niche" isn't new, the existing seats have it, so that doesn't add anything either.

2+2 First Class on the 170s is also very, very poor. What's the point in having it at all?

Not very impressed, but I've never been impressed with anything to do with Arriva so I should perhaps not be surprised! The whole package looks more Flixtrain than ICE.

Sorry, does that mean a turquoise and pink livery?

 

[Russel]

The front cover shows a clean example. I suppose we'll have to get used to it but the previous comment 'yuck!' echoes my first impression.

Looking towards the end of the driving car, the main colour switches to dark grey, this could look quite smart, if done right.

It goes without saying though, as it's XC, there will be no praise on this forum, no matter how good the finished product is!

 

[Bletchleyite]

There will supposedly be more legroom despite the same seating layout being used, since the LEAN apparently has a thinner back than the Grupo Antolin seats currently used, it must be a matter of microns though.

Knowing the LEAN and the original seat I find it very hard to believe. The LEAN is slightly thicker in every application I've seen so far.

I'm very, very disappointed it's not the Pendolino/Lumo seat, that would have made legroom good despite the tight packed layout.

Sorry, does that mean a turquoise and pink livery?

Yes, it's been posted above.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I'm very, very disappointed it's not the Pendolino/Lumo seat, that would have made legroom good despite the tight packed layout.

Same. I’d have even taken the 197 style Sophia over a FISA Lean.

The tables will be a downgrade too. FISA Lean pull downs are much smaller than the Antolins.

Anyone able to upload a picture of the interior concept shown in MR please?

 

[Killingworth]

Page 85 of May Modern Railways has a 170 mock up.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The tables will be a downgrade too. FISA Lean pull downs are much smaller than the Antolins.

The article says it's bigger, so they may have specced some changes. But then if they claim legroom will be better, which unless the back cushion is VERY thin is questionable...

Same. I’d have even taken the 197 style Sophia over a FISA Lean.

Same. I really like the 197 Sophia. The only issue with the Sophia to me is the poor base design used on earlier examples, I really quite like the TfW one.

 

[gabrielhj07]

Page 85 of Modern Railways has a 170 mock up.

Slightly more tasteful, with the lack of turquoise.

 

[Danfilm007]

Page 85 of Modern Railways has a 170 mock up.

Didn't Central have a similarish livery to this at one point?

 

[fgwrich]

The front cover shows a clean example. I suppose we'll have to get used to it but the previous comment 'yuck!' echoes my first impression.

Page 85 of Modern Railways has a 170 mock up.

I know they talked about variations between the "Intercity" aka Voyager and "regional" aka 170 fleets, but that's almost a whole different livery between the two!

 

[Chrysalis]

The pink on the new design looks more red to me. Was hoping for a true, bright pink. Would have gone very nicely with the turquoise! I don't think the new design is that bad, at least not the voyagers. The 170 looks cheap and generic without the turquoise.

 

[superalbs]

Didn't Central have a similarish livery to this at one point?

There was a special livery promoting Birmingham for some time, which had a similar base colour, as shown in the picture below:

By Steve Jones https://www.flickr.com/photos/tutenkhamunsleeping - https://www.flickr.com/photos/tutenkhamunsleeping/6149022183, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77613297

 

[GoneSouth]

It seems like imagination isn’t XC’s strongpoint.

Or good taste!

It goes without saying though, as it's XC, there will be no praise on this forum, no matter how good the finished product is!

Praise must be earned and XC don’t do a lot to earn it. Grumble grumble no catering again yesterday, window too dirty to see through, half the lights in the carriage not switched on including the above seat spots, toilet door wouldn’t close without me giving it a good shove (and I really didn’t way to touch it, it was dirty), just a constant stream of irritations that make their service poor. I will praise them for a 10 car Voyager the other day, a most welcome development passing through Brum at 5 pm, but then they spoiled it by telling me what food and drink I couldn’t access from the rear 5 carriages! They give with one hand and take with the other! But yes, we would praise had they done anything to deserve it.

Having said that, some of us on here rather like their voyagers, and at least praise the train if not the operator.

Pink and turquoise though, that’s as bad as First Barbie, yuk yuk yuk

There was a special livery promoting Birmingham for some time, which had a similar base colour, as shown in the picture below:
View attachment 156867
By Steve Jones https://www.flickr.com/photos/tutenkhamunsleeping - https://www.flickr.com/photos/tutenkhamunsleeping/6149022183, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77613297

Heck that is quite an assault on the eyes on the way to work first thing in the morning, and probably makes you quite nauseous on the way home after a drink in the evening, just horrible

 

[Energy]

The front cover shows a clean example. I suppose we'll have to get used to it but the previous comment 'yuck!' echoes my first impression.

Maybe the DfT mandated white wasn't so bad after all...

They don't seem to have learnt from the current livery that their trains can take a while to get cleaned. It's not going to hide the dirt that well.

Page 85 of Modern Railways has a 170 mock up.

170 looks quite nice.

The voyager combines 2 nice ideas and 3nds up with a livery which is too busy.

 

[superalbs]

Are any updated interior mockups anywhere on the internet?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Are any updated interior mockups anywhere on the internet?

I’m just waiting for someone to take a snap of a MR magazine and upload it I’m not trekking to WHSmiths just to see it, but I’m really curious.

 

[AJDesiro]

Same. I’d have even taken the 197 style Sophia over a FISA Lean.

The tables will be a downgrade too. FISA Lean pull downs are much smaller than the Antolins.

Anyone able to upload a picture of the interior concept shown in MR please?

They’re using the larger style pull down, like 444s in first class.

(Not my picture)

 

[Class 466]

Knowing the LEAN and the original seat I find it very hard to believe. The LEAN is slightly thicker in every application I've seen so far.

I'm very, very disappointed it's not the Pendolino/Lumo seat, that would have made legroom good despite the tight packed layout.



Yes, it's been posted above.

I dunno, legroom might be better on the Avanti/Lumo chosen seats, but they're no more comfortable than a 700 to me. horrid things.

 

[GoneSouth]

I don’t have very long legs so it’s more about the angle of the seat, and it not being as hard as rock for me. XC’s current Voyager seat wins hands down so sad they are being replaced.

 

[Trainman40083]

Maybe if they change the Voyager seats, they can get 10 more in, and claim it as a positive to deal with overcrowding

 

[GoneSouth]

Maybe if they change the Voyager seats, they can get 10 more in, and claim it as a positive to deal with overcrowding

Or maybe they could leave a comfortable amount of space for people travelling up to 5 hours and not do that

 

[Bletchleyite]

Or maybe they could leave a comfortable amount of space for people travelling up to 5 hours and not do that

The Modern Railways article (I'm not retyping it, sorry!) states that the seating layout is not changing other than in the ex-Avanti units, in which Coach D will be converted back to a normal layout from the current all-facing one (and the other XC changes also made e.g. removing the shop).

 

[RealTrains07]

Still baffles me why XC still wont include a shop on the voyagers

 

[dk1]

Still baffles me why XC still wont include a shop on the voyagers

Because it was never part of their remit when bidding for the franchise in 2007. It’s best that all units are exactly the same for flexibility.

 

[150249]

Will the voyagers still be mostly silver? It looks a lot darker on the mock up

 

[gabrielhj07]

Or maybe they could leave a comfortable amount of space for people travelling up to 5 hours and not do that

Heaven forbid! My longest journey on a Voyager to date was Edinburgh - Bristol TM. I hope the new seats will be as comfortable as the old.