CrossCountry Voyagers: No interior decor change in 12 years and counting

[387star]

The Crosscountry Voyagers have not had their interior decor changed in 12 years

Only First Class has had Crosscountry seat covers

The interior has otherwise been unchanged in all this time *

About five years ago the same virgin seat covers were used due to the Arriva colour scheme not meeting PRM requirements
I don't buy that

Let's be honest this franchise offering up our longest distance services and serving our biggest cities has barely had a penny spent on it

When will this change? The Voyager interiors are shabby.


*aside from the shop being ripped out to create luggage storage and additional airline seats being put in.

 

[tpjm]

The Voyager interiors are shabby.

Agreed.

I avoid travelling XC where I can due to the dishevelled nature of the trains. Given the excellent interiors that are being put into new and refurbished trains, XC are really getting left behind.

You say 12 years, excuse my ignorance, but does that mean they had a different interior prior to the current one?

I would think that at their age, they were overdue a mid-life interior refresh, unless there is a question mark over the TOC they will stay with.

 

[greatvoyager]

The Crosscountry Voyagers have not had their interior decor changed in 12 years

Only First Class has had Crosscountry seat covers

The interior has otherwise been unchanged in all this time *

About five years ago the same virgin seat covers were used due to the Arriva colour scheme not meeting PRM requirements
I don't buy that

Let's be honest this franchise offering up our longest distance services and serving our biggest cities has barely had a penny spent on it

When will this change? The Voyager interiors are shabby.


*aside from the shop being ripped out to create luggage storage and additional airline seats being put in.

How can the XC interior not meet PRM standards on voyagers, if it does on HSTs and 170s? It makes no sense, so why couldn't it be allowed?

 

[387star]

Agreed.

I avoid travelling XC where I can due to the dishevelled nature of the trains. Given the excellent interiors that are being put into new and refurbished trains, XC are really getting left behind.

You say 12 years, excuse my ignorance, but does that mean they had a different interior prior to the current one?

I would think that at their age, they were overdue a mid-life interior refresh, unless there is a question mark over the TOC they will stay with.

To be clear 12 years ago is when Virgin XC was taken over by Arriva
To be fair Virgin West Coast still have the same interior as new except one coach which was reconfigured (the best standard class voyager seating) and first class with leather seats

However they surely maintain theirs better....

Of course West Coast is Avanti now

 

[387star]

Southern have had the same interior colour scheme since 2004 but have at least refreshed them multiple times with new panelling fresh carpet and seat covers and all the stanchions resprayed

 

[bramling]

Southern have had the same interior colour scheme since 2004 but have at least refreshed them multiple times with new panelling fresh carpet and seat covers and all the stanchions resprayed

Yet the 365s are now on their third interior. Personally I wish they’d just left them as built, much more restful.

 

[SWRtrain_fan]

Agreed.

I avoid travelling XC where I can

Same, if I'm ever travelling south of Basingstoke on the SWML, I always prefer to catch a 444 over a Voyager, because:
1. The 444s have recently been refurbished
2. They feel less cramped and in my opinion have better lighting.

 

[SWRtrain_fan]

When will this change? The Voyager interiors are shabby.

The current CrossCountry franchise is due to end in October 2020.

 

[387star]

Same, if I'm ever travelling south of Basingstoke on the SWML, I always prefer to catch a 444 over a Voyager, because:
1. The 444s have recently been refurbished
2. They feel less cramped and in my opinion have better lighting.

Has the SWR refurbishment been well received? I guess first class passengers missed out the most

 

[SWRtrain_fan]

Has the SWR refurbishment been well received? I guess first class passengers missed out the most

For standard class passengers, it's generally been praised, but not really for First Class...

 

[221129]

It will only change when there is slack in the fleet to allow it.

 

[woodhouse122]

EMR also need to look at refurbishing thier class 222 meridians ,the seats are getting shabby now (some are threadbare and all of the padding in the seats has long since gone) I'd happily ride on XC 220/221 over a Meridian

 

[hooverboy]

It will only change when there is slack in the fleet to allow it.

the crosscountry franchise is due to expire end of next year,and the new operator will( most likely) be adding the ex virgin voyagers to the fleet.

there should be quite a substantial refurbishment programme going on once the tender has been confirmed.

 

[221129]

the crosscountry franchise is due to expire end of next year,and the new operator will( most likely) be adding the ex virgin voyagers to the fleet.

there should be quite a substantial refurbishment programme going on once the tender has been confirmed.

Is that a fact or opinion?

 

[sprinterguy]

the crosscountry franchise is due to expire end of next year,and the new operator will( most likely) be adding the ex virgin voyagers to the fleet.

there should be quite a substantial refurbishment programme going on once the tender has been confirmed.

Unless something's changed very recently that I'm not aware of, there's a new direct award being negotiated. Assuming that's successful there will be no franchise competition or new operator for a couple of years at the very least.

 

[XCTurbostar]

the crosscountry franchise is due to expire end of next year

I'm not holding my breath.. it was originally supposed to end on 31 March 2016 then December 2019 and now October 2020.
Until then, get used to a 161M long journey on a luggage filled 2-car Turbo from BHM-SSD..

 

[MatthewRead]

Southern have had the same interior colour scheme since 2004 but have at least refreshed them multiple times with new panelling fresh carpet and seat covers and all the stanchions resprayed

But the seats are still in poor condition.

 

[Dan15812]

Same, if I'm ever travelling south of Basingstoke on the SWML, I always prefer to catch a 444 over a Voyager, because:
1. The 444s have recently been refurbished
2. They feel less cramped and in my opinion have better lighting.

Fully agreed, I don't no why they can't end the cross country franchise now!

There are so many problems with the XC franchise with overcrowding, smelly voyagers, battered seats, delays and the list goes on...

 

[Cardiff123]

Arriva Trains Wales spent quite a bit of their own money fully refreshing the interiors of their 150s in their last 2 years in Wales, and then even started on their Pacers in the last year before they left the franchise, so why they can't do the same on XC despite the uncertainty over the franchise is strange.

 

[Domh245]

Fully agreed, I don't no why they can't end the cross country franchise now!

Because the DfT are incapable of finding a replacement..

 

[Aictos]

Yet the 365s are now on their third interior. Personally I wish they’d just left them as built, much more restful.

Strange as it might seen, I strongly agree with you on this post! The interior that they had under WAGN and for a few years of the FCC era was the best interior they've ever had.

Not sure when the curtains went in 1st though? But I do remember they had carpets thoughout the sets.

 

[221129]

Arriva Trains Wales spent quite a bit of their own money fully refreshing the interiors of their 150s in their last 2 years in Wales, and then even started on their Pacers in the last year before they left the franchise, so why they can't do the same on XC despite the uncertainty over the franchise is strange.

No they didnt. And because there is no slack in the fleet. Which services get cancelled to allow for the interior refurbishment?

 

[virgintrain1]

Personally I like the Red/Blue decor. It has certainly aged better than the un refurbished Adelates that GC were running.

2. They feel less cramped and in my opinion have better lighting.

Again personally I like that XC Voyagers dimmer lighting and that they don't have bright white LEDs. Makes it feel more cosy at night especially when the coach is on dimmed/1/2 lighting.

 

[221129]

Fully agreed, I don't no why they can't end the cross country franchise now!

There are so many problems with the XC franchise with overcrowding, smelly voyagers, battered seats, delays and the list goes on...

There really aren't. Not in the scheme of things.

 

[cactustwirly]

No they didnt. And because there is no slack in the fleet. Which services get cancelled to allow for the interior refurbishment?

XC could use their HSTs more intensively, or lease an extra set whilst they carry out the refurbishment.

 

[221129]

XC could use their HSTs more intensively, or lease an extra set whilst they carry out the refurbishment.

There are only 4 sets to play with, and you have to allow for maintenance. The amount of problems they have, they need the maintenance down time.

 

[cactustwirly]

There are only 4 sets to play with, and you have to allow for maintenance. The amount of problems they have, they need the maintenance down time.

Yes but most of the time they only use 2 sets, plus the existing HST diagrams aren't that intensive either, I'm sure they could be tweaked to release a 22x

 

[221129]

Yes but most of the time they only use 2 sets, plus the existing HST diagrams aren't that intensive either, I'm sure they could be tweaked to release a 22x

I bow to your clearly superior knowledge..

 

[Cardiff123]

No they didnt. And because there is no slack in the fleet. Which services get cancelled to allow for the interior refurbishment?

"No they didn't"? You say that based on what?

Between 2016 - 2018, all of ATW's 150s got new seat fillings and covers, and nearly all had new flooring, wall & ceiling panelling, a refreshed interior colour scheme, and a deep clean. The Pacers all got new seat covers and a deep clean. Is that not an interior refresh?

http://www.arrivatc.com/project-class-150-2-C6.php

 

[greatvoyager]

"No they didn't"? You say that based on what?

I thought it was subsidised ny the Welsh Government.