British Rail Class 221

Diesel Electric Multiple Unit Train

The Class 221 SuperVoyager is a train currently used by Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry in the United Kingdom. They were built by Bombardier Transportation between 2000 and 2002 for the British train operating companies Virgin CrossCountry and Virgin West Coast. The first Class 221 SuperVoyager entered traffic between Birmingham and Brighton on 12 April 2002. The Class 221 SuperVoyagers are similar to the Class 220 Voyager units, but they are built with a tilting mechanism offering up to six degrees of tilt to allow faster speeds on curved tracks. They have a maximum speed of 125 mph (200 km/h).

British Rail Class 221 SuperVoyager
Virgin CrossCountry SuperVoyager approaching Bristol Parkway on 4 May 2006
In service2002–present
ManufacturerBombardier Transportation
Family nameVoyager
Constructed2000–2002
Number built44 trainsets
Number in service44 trainsets
Formation4 or 5 cars per trainset
Fleet numbers221101–221144
Capacity26 first class, 162 or 224 standard class per trainset
Operator(s)CrossCountry
Avanti West Coast
Specifications
Car body constructionSteel
Car length23.85 m (78 ft 3 in) driving end cars
22.82 m (74 ft 10 in) other cars
Width2.73 m (8 ft 11 in)
DoorsSwing plug at vehicle ends
Articulated sectionsFlexible diaphragm within unit only
Maximum speed125 mph (200 km/h)
Weight227 t (223 long tons; 250 short tons) or 282.8 t (278.3 long tons; 311.7 short tons) per trainset
Traction systemDEMU
Prime mover(s)Cummins QSK19
Power output750 hp (560 kW) per car
Braking system(s)Rheostatic and electro-pneumatic
Safety system(s)AWS, TPWS, TASS,
Coupling systemDellner