The Bombardier Voyager is a family of high-speed 125 mph diesel-electric multiple units built in Belgium by Bombardier Transportation, for service on the railway network of the United Kingdom. Construction of the Voyager family took place between 2000 and 2005, consisting of three classes - the Voyager (currently operated by CrossCountry), the Super Voyager (currently operated by Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and Grand Central) and the Meridian (currently operated by East Midlands Railway). Bombardier Voyagers are used on various intercity services throughout Great Britain, including the longest direct rail service in the United Kingdom, which is a CrossCountry service from Aberdeen to Penzance that takes over 13 hours to complete.

Variants

Class 220

The Class 220 Voyager DEMUs were built to operate Cross Country intercity services. Virgin CrossCountry received 34 four-car sets in 2000/01. All passed with the CrossCountry franchise to Arriva CrossCountry in November 2007.

Class 221

The Class 221 Super Voyager DEMUs were built as a tilting version of the Class 220. Although visually similar, they were fitted with a tilting mechanism and heavier bogies. Virgin CrossCountry received 40 five-car and four four-car sets. All passed with the CrossCountry franchise to Arriva CrossCountry in November 2007. With the removal of West Coast Main Line services from the CrossCountry franchise in December 2007, 16 were transferred to Virgin Trains West Coast for use on InterCity West Coast services. A further five moved from CrossCountry to Virgin Trains West Coast in December 2008. CrossCountry removed the tilting equipment from its Class 221s to improve reliability and lower cost of maintenance. On 8 December 2019, all of the West Coast sets passed to Avanti West Coast, the new operator of the West Coast Partnership franchise. Avanti West Coast sent two of their Class 221 Super Voyagers off lease in 2022. In 2023 Grand Central leased the above two sets to operate services between London Kings Cross and Bradford, with the first of these two units entering service in later that year.

Class 222

The Class 222 Meridian DEMUs are broadly similar to the original Voyager units, but feature a number of reliability improvements and different internal layout. The Class 222 was built in the light of experience gained with the 220 and 221 units; in particular, many more components were installed under the floor so as to increase space for passengers. Twenty-seven sets were built:

Bombardier Voyager variants

Future

Avanti West Coast's Class 221 units will be replaced by the Class 805 and Class 807, while all Class 222 units are scheduled to be replaced by the Class 810 by 2024-2025.

Technical problems and criticism

Accidents and incidents

Proposed conversion to electrical operation

In 2010 Bombardier proposed the conversion of several Voyager multiple units into hybrid electric and diesel vehicles capable of taking power from an overhead pantograph (electro-diesels EDMUs). The proposal was named Project Thor. In October 2010 it was speculated that 21 additional pantograph vehicles would be manufactured at Derby Litchurch Lane Works, and 21 sets converted, at a cost of approximately £300million, however in 2011 the plant did not have the facilities to manufacture steel carriages, though it was expected that much of the work would take place in the UK, and provide work for the Derby plant. In December 2011 a proposal to electrify 30-35 sets for the CrossCountry franchise, referred to as "eVoyager", was considered by the Department for Transport.