Crosscountry Voyager Refurbishments?

[nathanclass323]

Hi, I was just wondering, when are the XC Voyagers going to be refurbished as the moquette and carpet is a Virgin one and is now at least 10 years old surely? It is also starting to look a bit of a mess on some units. Obviously I'm aware that first class has had new moquette and it does look very smart.

Thank you

 

[SprinterMan]

Hi, I was just wondering, when are the XC Voyagers going to be refurbished as the moquette and carpet is a Virgin one and is now at least 10 years old surely? It is also starting to look a bit of a mess on some units. Obviously I'm aware that first class has had new moquette and it does look very smart.

Thank you

XC Voyagers have just finished goign through a full interior refurbishment, but in standard class the new carpets and seat covers were exactly the same as the Virgin ones :P This was due to Central Rivers having a surplus of the required fabrics, and if XC had put their purple moquette in standard, it apparently would be too dark to comply with DDA regulations.

Adam

 

[nathanclass323]

XC Voyagers have just finished goign through a full interior refurbishment, but in standard class the new carpets and seat covers were exactly the same as the Virgin ones :P This was due to Central Rivers having a surplus of the required fabrics, and if XC had put their purple moquette in standard, it apparently would be too dark to comply with DDA regulations.

Adam

Okay thank you for that information

 

[Bridge189]

XC Voyagers have just finished goign through a full interior refurbishment, but in standard class the new carpets and seat covers were exactly the same as the Virgin ones :P This was due to Central Rivers having a surplus of the required fabrics, and if XC had put their purple moquette in standard, it apparently would be too dark to comply with DDA regulations.

Adam

A full interior refurbishment is something along the lines of "Mallard" or the HST overhaul at FGW. New carpets etc is merely a refresh. The voyagers could do with a large overhaul....

 

[SprinterMan]

A full interior refurbishment is something along the lines of "Mallard" or the HST overhaul at FGW. New carpets etc is merely a refresh. The voyagers could do with a large overhaul....

Oh sorry, by full interior I just meant all carriages were done, both first and standard class.

Adam

 

[pt_mad]

It all comes down to cost I suppose and if they've just completed a full refresh we probably shouldn't expect anything in the near future.

I think they were aiming for a high density type arrangement?

 

[dk1]

I dont mind Voyagers to be honest. As has been said many many times before, its just a pity the layout isnt similar to Meridians. Recent trips on them with the bright red seats proves what a pleasent travelling enviroment can be given on this family of units. I suppose though that Virgin Voyagers where the original sets & subsequent builds learnt from earlier mistakes.

 

[Martin_1981]

The last XC Voyager I travelled on from Exeter to Bristol on Good Friday (0725 Plymouth-Edinburgh) was certainly not the best maintained. Around half of the internal lighting in the coach I was in was not working (especially noticeable in Whiteball Tunnel!!) and two of the windows had condensation between the panes of glass. Seems to me as if XC are doing the bare minimum in terms of maintaining their stock.

 

[Mugby]

Has anyone noticed that on some XC Voyagers you get a lot of knocking/banging from the bogies? Presumably this is when the suspension is badly worn or in need of attention.

It can be very annoying if you're on a long journey and sitting above a bogie in this condition, even 170's don't give this trouble.
It's a bit ironic that BR were producing better riding bogies thirty years ago!

 

[IanXC]

Isn't all of CrossCountry's maintenance effectively outsourced?

Class 220/221 maintained by Bombardier at Central Rivers
Class 170 maintained by London Midland at Tyseley
HSTs maintained by East Coast at Craigentinny

 

[Jatos]

I have witnessed that on some of EMTs Meridians!

Its pretty bad, but it surprises me its a problem with EMT, as they maintain their own Meridians at Etches Park, doing a damn site better job from I have seen than Central Rivers.

 

[ainsworth74]

Well they must be doing something right because Central Rivers is responsible for one of the most reliable fleets in the country.

 

[WillPS]

Has anyone noticed that on some XC Voyagers you get a lot of knocking/banging from the bogies? Presumably this is when the suspension is badly worn or in need of attention.

It can be very annoying if you're on a long journey and sitting above a bogie in this condition, even 170's don't give this trouble.
It's a bit ironic that BR were producing better riding bogies thirty years ago!

I have witnessed that on some of EMTs Meridians!

Its pretty bad, but it surprises me its a problem with EMT, as they maintain their own Meridians at Etches Park, doing a damn site better job from I have seen than Central Rivers.

Isn't this the result of 'wheel flats', which this family are particularly prone to given their very very small wheels....

 

[387star]

Has anyone noticed that on some XC Voyagers you get a lot of knocking/banging from the bogies? Presumably this is when the suspension is badly worn or in need of attention.

It can be very annoying if you're on a long journey and sitting above a bogie in this condition, even 170's don't give this trouble.
It's a bit ironic that BR were producing better riding bogies thirty years ago!

hell yeah it can be very noticeable

 

[bronzeonion]

Since when has seat moquette had to contrast with the rest of the train?!

 

[Julian W]

Since when has seat moquette had to contrast with the rest of the train?!

I believe, on the Voyagers at least, the seat moquette has to contrast with the grab handles on the seats (ie theres a blue handle where the moquette is red etc)

Never fully understood the reasons behind it.

 

[CC 72100]

The XC voyagers could do with a good deep clean. They've been looking tatty for a while. A damp cloth would help to get rid of some of the questionable and most unappealing marks on those white plastic walls.

 

[SprinterMan]

Has anyone noticed that on some XC Voyagers you get a lot of knocking/banging from the bogies? Presumably this is when the suspension is badly worn or in need of attention.

It can be very annoying if you're on a long journey and sitting above a bogie in this condition, even 170's don't give this trouble.
It's a bit ironic that BR were producing better riding bogies thirty years ago!

Would this be due to the disabled tilt systems on the 221s? The entire train is being held in place by basically a few steel bars, so I could imagine there cold be some knocking from them (unless I have misunderstood what was done to the tilt systems :P )

Adam

 

[edwin_m]

The steel bar is a non-moving replacement for the tilt actuator, so it behaves exactly the same only it doesn't tilt.

 

[trentside]

The last XC Voyager I travelled on from Exeter to Bristol on Good Friday (0725 Plymouth-Edinburgh) was certainly not the best maintained. Around half of the internal lighting in the coach I was in was not working (especially noticeable in Whiteball Tunnel!!) and two of the windows had condensation between the panes of glass. Seems to me as if XC are doing the bare minimum in terms of maintaining their stock.

I've noticed that there seem to be a lot of lighting out on Voyagers I've travelled on over the last year or so - both the strips at the side and the smaller lights on the centre 'console'.

As for the blown windows, I've seen this on Meridians as well.

 

[BestWestern]

I agree that most of the Voyagers do appear rather tired. The interior colour choices always look to me to be rather dated, and they also clash rather badly. Purples, reds and blues really don't go with the soft off-white interior panelling and wood effect tables, all offset with silver and black chevrons on the doors. Not pretty. They desperately need a major refit, but XC do seem to sweat them rather. By contrast, their HSTs are a dream.

 

[gordonthemoron]

I complained to Virgin about the size of the toilets shortly after Voyagers were introduced, they claimed that they had to fit only disabled loos due to equality legislation, despite the fact that not all of them are adjacent to wheelchair spaces. This claim is obviously rubbish as newer trains have non-disabled loos

 

[387star]

Any news on the e voyager project???
Will xc get vt voyagers at some point?
Full electrification is some way off

 

[SprinterMan]

Any news on the e voyager project???
Will xc get vt voyagers at some point?
Full electrification is some way off

E-Voyager is cancelled. Nothing else will change until the next WCML franchise in 2017.

Adam

 

[junglejames]

Has anyone noticed that on some XC Voyagers you get a lot of knocking/banging from the bogies? Presumably this is when the suspension is badly worn or in need of attention.

It can be very annoying if you're on a long journey and sitting above a bogie in this condition, even 170's don't give this trouble.
It's a bit ironic that BR were producing better riding bogies thirty years ago!

Assuming its the noise im thinking of (and it sounds like it), then its down to the lightweight bogies of the 220 and 222. You should find the 221 isnt as bad, as the bogies are heavier. Amazingly lightweight bogies make a lot more noise on the track. They dig into every nook and cranny in the rails, and its very obvious.

One of the reasons ive constantly been against lightweight bogies now ive experienced the lightweight bogies on the 220s.