CrossCountry Voyager Review - Are they REALLY that bad? (Manchester to Birmingham)

[@stevieinselby]

You're really not getting the full Voyager experience when the train is that empty! Until you realise how inadequate the luggage space is on a crowded train full of lots of people going away with suitcases, and feel the claustrophobia of a crowded carriage - worse than on most trains because of the raised floor (to allow the tilting gubbins underneath) and more tapered bodyshell (to allow the train to tilt without going our of gauge) - exacerbated by being all airline seats so no feeling of space, you can't imagine how unpleasant they are! Yes, it is a shame that they are running diesel trains under the wires between MAN and BHM, but with the rest of the route southwards being non-electrified it would be more limiting if they split the service at BHM just to run electric trains and making passengers heading to the south coast change at the godforsaken pit that is New Street! And I can't see them replacing the Voyagers with bi-mode IETs in the next 10 years, the Voyagers are too young to pension off but there isn't really anywhere else that they would be suitable to redeploy them.

[@RonnDon]

With New Street essentially being an underground station, the diesel fumes from all the trains there is really unpleasant. It doesn't help that avanti voyagers regularly go to New Street alongside every cross country service being operated by diesel trains. It is a large downside to a very lovely station on the ground floor.

[@JBS319]

Given that Avanti are replacing their Voyagers with Hitachis and EMR are replacing their Meridians with Hitachis, I see no reason why CrossCountry can't do the same. Unfortunately, it's likely the HSTs would go before the Voyagers, but I feel like Hitachis on XC is inevitable.

[@weifengjiang7579]

@@JBS319 More likely Cross Country will just get the cast offs to strengthen their services.

[@Mgameing123]

@Nathaniel Cerdena but tri mode

[@hypotheticlz]

@Nathaniel Cerdena IETs are shit, everything about them. Stick some good old HST power on the crosscountry routes with some refurbed coaches for the modern day.

[@AndrewMartinOxford]

The biggest problem by far with them is how over-crowded they get, how claustrophobic they are, and how little luggage space there is (given that most passengers are making long-ish journeys). The pandemic seems to have solved those problems.

[@AlexEwan1]

CrossCountry really need to get bi-mode trains.

[@johnkeepin7527]

They used to have those; used to change from diesel to electric at Birmingham New St! 🙂

[@AlexEwan1]

@@johnkeepin7527 What was the class number?

[@johnkeepin7527]

@@AlexEwan1 I was referring to when the services were loco hauled - typically by a 46 or 47, then an 86 under the wires!

[@alexstrains903]

@@johnkeepin7527 That's not exactly bi mode then is it. That's 2 different locos switching over, therefore it isn't really bi mode

[@Mgameing123]

nah tri-mode

[@stepheng7586]

Great video as usual! In a couple of years CrossCountry will have no excuses for overcrowding once the 221s and 222s join the fleet.

[@lorenzo_contini_7]

There is a station in Norway, between Trondheim and Trondheim airport, named "Hell"

[@georgedowns4034]

Oof...

[@Meow_Zedong_1949]

Is it twinned with Hull by any chance?

[@Abandoned23345]

Lol

[@Danse_Macabre_125]

​@@Meow_Zedong_1949or Slough

[@physiocrat7143]

Good video. Glad they fixed the smell of toilets, you can get caught in the sliding vestibule doors, so many seats with obstructed view out, ride hard as nails (goodness knows what they do to the track), oil encrusted roofs, no gangway between units, too much space wasted by more wheelchair access seats, luggage cannot be placed between seat backs where you can keep an eye on it, horrible growling noise and vibration from underfloor engines; constant low frequency sound is tiring. Apart from the large windows, they are everything that a train should not be, and the vehicles are heavy too. And of course the restricted width for tilting was space lost for nothing. The best thing that could be done with them is to turn them into loco-hauled sets with most of the seats in bays of four around windows. Nothing was learned from the excellent design of the BREL International Train of 1986 which addressed all of the faults with the mark 3 vehicles while taking advantage of the efficient constructional system. I would pay a supplement to travel in a clean mark 1 if that was offered as an alternative.

[@s125ish]

The window views are better than a 390

[@s125ish]

As a solo traveler I prefer airline seating

[@physiocrat7143]

@@s125ish Trouble is that airline seating means no luggage space between seat backs. Then your luggage has to be put somewhere else where you cannot keep an eye on it. An IRA terrorist once had his suitcase bomb stolen from an HST like that. It happened at Reading. The thief was in the embarrassing situation of having to hand it in to the police station.

[@physiocrat7143]

@@s125ish If you are in a window seat which is actually a window seat. The 390s would make good trains for an underground railway. Branson's gift to British passengers. The next generation of trains are even worse with the Department for Transport's paw marks all over them. They make 1950s third class look luxurious in comparison.

[@minecawcarftproductions2318]

Great Video,as always,I have been Wanting a Review On These by someone for AGES!

[@TEBEnthusiast]

I like them, but they are not too suited for long services like Aberdeen to Penzance, these are better than the IETs, but not as good as the HST

[@BritishTrainspotting]

Personally when I went on one last month I found them much comfier than the HST mk3 seats on GWRs fleet, the seats are very comfortable, the only issue is the smaller bogies causing a rough ride over joints. I love the warm interior on the Voyagers and the engine sound is well-insulated from the inside.

[@andrewdales8136]

To be fair not many people will be travelling all the way from Aberdeen to Penzance in the main yhe services are used as inter regional services with passengers making shorter journeys.

[@TEBEnthusiast]

@Blaze646Epic someone else has, and that’s Dylan’s Trip Reports

[@TEBEnthusiast]

@Jed LAWRENCE Penzance to Aberdeen has double 221s. Yea I agree

[@arthurvasey]

I travel a couple of times a year on the Penzance to Aberdeen (and back) trains between Taunton and Darlington (and back) - seats are quite comfortable, if I can get to do the whole journey occupying the seat entirely to myself - it’s a bit annoying constantly getting up and down so someone else can sit there - I usually reserve a seat so that I don’t have to keep moving around the train or have to stand between places because someone reserved the seat between two stations far apart - on only one occasion have I had to stand between Darlington and York, despite having reserved a seat - due to the train strike in force on that day, several trains were cancelled and passengers were transferred onto the train I was travelling on and we were packed like sardines - when we pulled in at York, a lot of passengers disembarked and I was able to travel in my reserved seat for the journey after York to Taunton! Despite often being delayed, I would sooner pay the extra for a train to and from Middlesbrough, initially travelling from Taunton, as opposed to coaches - which would you prefer: COACH: Megabus and Flixbus cost a bit shy of thirty quid - but, from Taunton, they leave at any time between midnight and 9 am - the place they depart from - at least, from where I live, is a bit hard to get to if you don’t have a car - even the daytime buses are infrequent - one an hour to town and not sure about the buses out to where the Megabus and Flixbus go from - buses stop running at 6 pm, so you can’t go by bus to there - plus it’s two buses going in the opposite direction on the first part of the journey both directions, if there are buses running at that time of night, which there aren’t- you would have to take a taxi or be prepared for a long walk - which is not an option for me in the middle of the night - taxis ramp up the fares when the buses stop running - a fare which would see me get change from a tenner during normal hours would be about £50 that time of night - and it would be the same back - it’s at least three coaches, each changing at places where I have no business being in - you can reserve seats, but, unless it’s a Flixbus or Megabus and not one that the companies have requisitioned from a firm in a place somewhere along the route, your reservation is not guaranteed (although there’s no standing) - those buses rarely run to time - you can still miss your bus even if you arrive on time - also, it takes about 14 hours - similar with National Express - they cost a little more than the Megabus or Flixbus - I checked on fairly random days and saw one that left Taunton some time after 10:30 am - but would never arrive in Middlesbrough until 2am the next morning - and, no matter what company I use, it’s three coaches - on the few random dates I looked at, changeovers occurred at either Bristol or Birmingham and again at either Sheffield or Rotherham - some of the Megabus and Flixbus services don’t usually stop at bus stations in many large towns or cities, either! TRAIN: That usually sets me back a three figure amount - but, barring delays, it usually leaves Taunton just before 11 am and arrives in Darlington just before 4 - if my niece picks me up from Darlington, I can usually get to her parents’ place by just after half past four (assuming no stops), but, if I go the rest of the journey on the train, it’s about five when I get to Middlesbrough and nearly 6 by the time I get to my sister’s place - she usually meets me at Middlesbrough station - during winter, it’s dark by the time I get there and back home, but in summer, it’s usually still light - whereas on either coach service, I don’t see much daylight even in summer! Give me the train any day - coaches don’t have facilities to provide food and don’t like you eating and drinking - and there’s probably not much time to get anything at the changeover points - or they aren’t open at that ungodly hour, so you starve - trains - at least the long distance ones - usually have someone push a trolley round - if you’re happy to make do with sandwiches and snacks, that’s fine - forget about having a proper dinner - you can bring your own food and eat it on the train!

[@normanstyles6240]

Living in Coventry, (as far way from the sea in UK as you can get !) I find the Voyagers a good quick service to get to south coast(Bournemouth) and back in a day but are usually badly overcrowded, and not always punctual. The pandemic has created longer (two units) for social distancing but less frequent trains. Split ticketing makes it quite reasonable price too for a Senior Railcard holder. Sure they are getting a little tired now, need refurbishing and of course electrification will be essential long term.

[@nathanwaters1078]

Definitely do the Avanti Voyagers.

[@f-22r]

I'm with you on the electrification, keep talking about it. The whole train seems to have an out of date colour-scheme.

[@desmondatkinson4642]

Some of the units are looking pretty tired and need a refurb. The tray tables need a thorough re-think. One thing GW do right is the extending frame on their trays, meaning it is very practical to use a laptop. The Voyagers have good acceleration and the large windows are a welcome feature. As regards noise from the engines, you need to choose your place in the carriage (if you can!). Some people complain about the ride quality, but it doesn't seem too bad to me. My biggest complaint for long journeys is the catering provision. It is pretty limited, and ends too early in the evening.

[@ejc7129]

Excellent review. 2 fundamental mistakes I think were made when ordering the Voyager fleet. 1) The units should have all been longer (7 cars minimum) and 2) Each unit should have been bi-mode. They are hard working units that get little recognition, but because of the tapered cabin, they can feel a bit cramped for longer journeys along with the noisy underfloor Cummins engines 😟 Im not a fan of them, I tend to try and opt for the XC HST if I’m travelling to/from the South West as it makes for a better, quieter more comfortable travelling experience 😎👍🏽

[@devon896]

Virgin originally ordered them with the idea of smaller trains more frequent services. Then it all went wrong as the services became too popular, more people travelled on them are the DFT wouldn't let them order anymore sets. XC then took over, scrapped a load of services to Brighton, London, Gatwick etc to try and strengthen sets.

[@ejc7129]

@@devon896 Virgin’s “Operation Princess” - bad planning 🤔 Birmingham and its complexity of junctions was always going to be the bottle-neck in that plan. If Virgin consulted with anyone that knew anything about Railways and the Birmingham area, they would have known about this and not gone ahead with Operation Princess. The problem these days with our railways seems to be too much involvement with people high up (DFT is an example) with little or no railway operational experience or knowledge.

[@devon896]

@@ejc7129 Completely agree, It why I think they railways should go back to being fully privatised 1930s style. Let the railways keep the money and make their own decisions. Virgin was a rubbish railway operator all style, no substance.

[@ejc7129]

@@devon896 100% spot on..yes the best thing to run the Railways are the Railways themselves 😊👍🏽

[@Crepello100]

The nearest equivalent to your train back in 1984 would have been the 0958 Manchester-Brighton (via Reading). That was electric hauled (Class 87) all the way to Coventry where a diesel took over. So much for progress!

[@s125ish]

Class 86 surely?

[@s125ish]

Manchester to Brighton made it to xc days just

[@Jack.harrison6]

That time again! The best day of the week!

[@bowlerstuff9589]

The junction where your train joined the WCML,Norton Bridge Junction was completely rebuilt with the 2 new tracks that go over the WCML heading West then turn south to meet up with the WCML again,so any trains using platforms 4 or 5 at Stafford do not have to cross at Doxey Road Junction just outside Stafford to free up space on that section of the WCML.

[@noggin48]

Great Review again Mister, you don't miss a thing, do you. I hope the Rail Operators watch your Reviews, as they are so comprehensive !

[@eddiedawkinskingofuniverse]

Considering the fact that it is a diesel train, the journey takes place in a pleasant way, the interior looks almost new, the seats have a futuristic design and the color combination is very pleasant. eyes, the fact that you receive und discount when buying a ticket is an advantage to travel by train

[@markellis6413]

I think externally the Voyagers look great - especially as they're 20 years old. Refurb and they'd be fine. Cant see the old GWR line to Birmingham being electrified especially with HS2 in the works. Better to electrify the Midland mainline completely first..

[@davidthompson5646]

Deal, Ham and Sandwich are all places in East Kent ☺️

[@fuzzynutter8344]

I’ve travelled on Voyagers a few times and personally I don’t find them as bad as their reputation suggests. Relatively speaking to when they were launched, I find them more comfortable to travel in than the 800 family. However, overcrowding can be an issue and I’m surprised XC haven’t included extra carriages in each trainset for some routes. It is possible, as shown by the similar class 222s.

[@silkmoth6316]

There are no coaches availabe to add to the sets and the jigs used to manufactire them no longer exist. Also, adding coaches would require approval from the DfT.

[@Danse_Macabre_125]

Those coaches were only there because they chopped up the nine car ones to extend most of the 4 car ones to five

[@michaelketley876]

The line from Birmingham towards Reading, via Banbury and Oxford, is not electrified , hence the use of diesel powered units. Later addition - I made my comment before I had watched up to the point where you commented similarly.

[@tr_nt.]

There is a station in Glasgow called crossmyloof.

[@TheArkamedBat]

Know 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@s125ish]

Pass through it many times

[@georgedowns4034]

AND there is a station in North Wales called...Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch...

[@theundeniablegem]

just noticed the pacer in the background at 1:40! assuming this was filmed before they were taken out service... right? 😂

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Unless... it's a ghost? 😜

[@DC3Refom]

I miss those in South Yorkshire was fun to ride on them from Barnsley to Rotherham or Sheffield to Doncaster , they had such character

[@Unknown-wu8rv]

@@DC3Refom i agree

[@johnnyboy3949]

Did you really film this in 2021 as I see a pacer in Piccadilly station and these went at the end of 2020?

[@tonywilkins6090]

Northern Trains retired its last Pacer unit on 27 November 2020 so it was recorded at least before then. Also it doesn't say it was filmed in 2021.

[@bryansbusandrailadventures]

Congratulations on 10k subscribers 😊

[@andrewlong6438]

I find voyagers awful to travel on. They are cramped, lack space to store suitcases and when you only have a 4 car set - they can get severely overcrowded. They also used to smell. Last time I travelled on one was between London Euston and Chester. Before voyagers were introduced, Virgin trains used Mark 2 carriages hauled by a class 47 diesel. With 8 coaches, there was plenty of space for passengers and luggage. I think Voyagers need to be replaced with BI-modes to take advantage of electrification between Manchester and Birmingham but given the network Is not electrified between Birmingham and Bristol or Southampton - can’t see it happening soon. If you want to see how long distance travel can be done properly - please try the service provided by Chiltern which runs between Birmingham Snow Hill and London Marylebone where they use Mark 3 coaches hauled by class 68 locos. Very nice.

[@thomasgarwell8214]

I know its two years since this was filmed. Anyway, regarding diesel trains. It may be environmentally unfriendly, but look at the alternative. If you are driven by electricity, and the power goes down, you can still travel along on a diesel train, unless the outage includes all the signs and everything else that is electric

[@tenterdentown2452]

All seemed quite clean on the day you travelled. As I understand it the lack of electrification is due to a power generation capacity issue. Thanks for uploading.

[@robbiemorrison7085]

Wonder if ever in the future if cross country will get order some Hitachi class 800 family trains as they all can be capable of over head wire, third rail and diesel, very handy on the Bournemouth to Manchester service

[@Danse_Macabre_125]

No Class 80x has third rail shoes

[@Pulsarnix]

When was this filmed, because I noticed some Northern Pacers at Manchester Piccadilly and they've been gone a while? Also, a review of the Avanti West Coast Voyager's would be great.

[@tonywilkins6090]

Northern retired its last Pacer on 27 November 2020 so I would guess sometime before then?

[@nocentertainment666]

7:33 I know a station and a town in south England called “sandwich” 😂

[@tonywilkins6090]

3:55 Regarding XC's compulsory reservation system, XC can't actually prevent you from travelling. They have admitted by saying that you can still travel even without a reservation however they can't guarantee if the service you want will be busy or/and refused to board by station staff etc. Though that being said most of the XC's services that I have seen, are usually quite empty yet no tickets are available on the day. XC have also said that the compulsory system only takes the windows seats of 1 unit and they only take the smallest unit so there's at least 1 carriage free for unreserved (in case of delays/cancellations and if people buy tickets on the day etc.) For example the 220/221s they take the window seats of the 4 carriage trains (Coach A,C,D,F) for the system and then Coach B (on a 5 car unit) as well as Coach G,H,I,J,L (on a double unit) are kept unreserved. With HST services, all of the coaches can be reserved apart from Coach C and E. With 170s, they use the 2 cars (Coach A and C) for reservations and then Coach B (on the 3 cars) is kept unreserved. When the 170s's are in pairs (or triples [though it is rare]), only the front unit's Coach A and C is used for reservations, the others are free. 12:45 I wouldn't say they are confusing buttons. But from what I saw on your video, looks like the sensor's playing up (probably thinks you are still standing in the door part) as usually the close button would light up as soon as the door is fully open.

[@s125ish]

Yeah I didn't bother getting a reservation the other day. Just bought a ticket and jumped on

[@theobrattinga500]

Great video !!

[@Aidankiwi]

There are 11 UK stations that have only 3 letters in their names, they are… Ayr, IBM, Wem, Rye, Ore, Par, Ely, Ash, Lee, Lye & Wye. Another curiosity is the station called Bat and Ball near Sevenoaks I think.

[@Keithbarber]

Your correct, it's named after a pub It's near sevenoaks

[@SuperalbsTravels]

There's quite a few stations named after a pub, like Portsmouth Arms (in North Devon, and nowhere near Portsmouth).

[@johnroberts2331]

Hi, another great video. I must admit I'm not a fan of XC Voyagers. I'm a disabled traveller and 95% of the time I travel with XC the disabled space is taken up with huge suitcases. I've even alighted n waited for the next train as some people don't want to move there luggage. I will always avoid confrontation. For some wheelchairs you just about get in that space. My partner has always said how awful for normal seats are. I avoid Xac where possible tbh. I would like to hear your views on the Avanti units. I find them marginally better then XC but don't mind the odd trip with avanti voyagers. Keep up the good work.

[@maxart3392]

Talking about strange names of the stations, in Cuba, on the line that once connected Trinidad with the main line, there is a station (or rather train stop) called "Rio Ay". Funny, considering that "ay" in cuban often means something like "ouch".

[@AlanThomsonsim]

Skips breakfast so just has hot chocolate????? Mad man I was expecting a review of there actual food

[@johnhenfrey5936]

Love to see you do a vlog on the, Grange Over Sands, to Carlisle route. Never seen so many request stops ever, got to be the most in the u.k.

[@sambeesley1]

I think the Cambrian Coast Line in Wales might beat it. Most in England though, surely.

[@sprinterofficial8457]

You can’t be disappointed that the voyagers aren’t electric there used on the Plymouth to Glasgow service too which isn’t electrified until it reaches Leeds at the very least

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Leeds to Glasgow is nearly 300 miles needlessly under the wires...

[@enricomonti156]

Well, I travelled once on a CrossCountry service between Birmingham International and Manchester Piccadilly. The train was jam packed and my seat (which I reserved) was full until we reached Stafford. Safe to say I will not travel with them again

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Yikes, sounds unpleasant... I wonder how busy they are these days.

[@thomasjones8648]

Fantastic video! Personally I really like the Voyagers, especially when they are 9 car. I remember seeing a funny station name, Penistone lol 😂😂

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Hahaha, that's on the Sheffield to Huddersfield line? :)

[@minecawcarftproductions2318]

Superalbs? Can You do a review On Merseyrail? The Trains are Being Replaced By New Units But Can You do the old one (there Pretty good)

[@bachmannobsessed2234]

Great video by the way

[@johnarmstrong3782]

I can only remember the stink and have avoided them ever since.

[@BritishTrainspotting]

You mean the smell of the toilets? I've ridden on one only a month ago and I can assure you the smell is no longer existent thankfully .

[@johnarmstrong3782]

@@BritishTrainspotting I remember the sad day when they were first introduced. They replaced the superb Virgin HST's from where I live to the Midlands. The smell, the noise, the claustrophobic discomfort. Oh dear oh dear...Same now with the Hitachi sets to London. Ever decreasing circles.

[@davidpring9108]

No, the smell is still there especially in the summer

[@devon896]

@@johnarmstrong3782 Never really had a problem on the IET's unless it's standing on up with bumpy track and the dodgy suspension.

[@antcraft3590]

I think they're a decent train, BUT they could do with some serious improvements: - Bigger luggage stacks in each car - Get rid of the accessible toilets (except near disabled seats) and replace them with 2 normal toilets on each side, and then extend the main seating area and use the extra space for the bigger luggage stacks - Add new seats that are still decently comfortable, with 3 pin sockets and USB ports (at least 1 of each per seat as I feel like that's a reasonable expectation on a long distance train, especially when you consider up to 13 hour trips ofc) - Perhaps consider buying more voyagers from other TOCs that replacing them with IETs, and use that to expand the fleet and offer more capacity. Perhaps they could be formed into longer formations like how some of the class 222 units are with EMR - And probably the most unlikely change to ever happen on this list: convert them into bi-mode units with pantographs. Doubt that'll ever happen, but we seriously need more trains to take advantage of electrified tracks, and trains that are NOT the pathetic IET units.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Project Thor was the name of the plan plan add pantograph to the units, but it was all political, and sadly fell through on non-railway related terms. 😐

[@antcraft3590]

Oh wow, wasn’t aware there was actually a project to do exactly that. It’s such a shame politics had to get in the way. :/ Hopefully they reconsider it at some point, but I doubt they will sadly

[@SuperalbsTravels]

That construction line has long since closed... 🙄

[@antcraft3590]

Ahhhh, well, that puts that to bed then. Huge shame that the project never happened on the first place. Was just reading up on it, and it sounded really interesting, especially when you consider just how much of the Crosscountry network is on electrified tracks. Does make me wonder what, if any, plans they have to replace the voyagers. I just hope they don’t announce plans to replace them with IETs, because luckily, I haven’t of any IET news relating to Crosscountry yet, and I hope it stays that way…

[@Danse_Macabre_125]

Hear me out: 125mph bimode FLIRTs

[@twistedcheese1]

These are decent. Comfortable seats and the interior isn't too bright. Better than the class 800s

[@peterthorpe903]

2 years ago, I left a stinging criticism of these trains. I used to travel on them frequently from Wolverhampton to the North East and daily from Manchester to W'ton and return. Before the pandemic, they were noisy, cramped, oversubscribed, verbal fights used to break out between passengers who stole others' reserved seats, and dirty. Post pandemic, 2 sets of 4 bolted together, they had obviously been meticulously cleaned and the smell of humanity had been removed. But, it should never be forgotten that these trains started life with Virgin. Compare them with the modern sleek equivalents in Europe, and we present as the poor relation , manifestly failing to invest in our railways and infrastructure. We are 22 years on with these trains and nothing has changed.

[@theleedsbusdriver]

Love these videos

[@simonc7947]

Odd place names: Jump (near Barnsley,) Pity Me (County Durham,) Wide Open (north of Newcastle.) My favourite though has to be Misery, in Normandy.

[@ol1v1a09]

Soon I will be going up to Liverpool to see family but due to engineering works for us to get there part of the journey requires us to go from Bournemouth to Wolverhampton and have to go on the cross country voyager which me and my mum are not excited about seeing as it will be half term and will be really crowded and the trains are always delayed

[@ironmantrains]

Great video! 14:44, they should really use HSTs for longer journeys.

[@ttvvideos2050]

yeah I agree 220s should be used for shorter journeys as they have problems with capacity

[@maimadha]

​@@ttvvideos2050CrossCountry should have double voyagers for long distance routes

[@dominichartley5537]

Personally, I love the Voyagers. Mainly due to the nostalgia I get from them and the memories of travelling to Leeds from Plymouth every summer to visit my family

[@lifeisgood3386]

Travelled 15 years on them they are crap i had no choice had to travel on them think they are a bit better now the toylet ducts have been sorted !!

[@DanielsUKT]

Great video the train seems rather decent including the views out into the countryside

[@omegamezle]

CrossCountry have a 10 minute in advance reservation service available through text. Not very well advertised but useful nonetheless while this compulsory reservation stuff is going around.

[@s125ish]

Hate that system, I got turfed out my seat.

[@harrierjames7727]

Is the whole "compulsory reservation" still a thing right now? Planning on travelling myself for the first time in over 18 months this week...

[@SuperalbsTravels]

It is sadly James. I hope you enjoy your long-awaited return to travelling, I'm sure it will be amazing!

[@tonywilkins6090]

Yes however the compulsory reservation isn't enforced. you can still buy a ticket and board without a reservation.

[@sgnjamcitydevteam6913]

Saw one of these last night, that my sister got off. Even she admitted it was bad. From the outside.. it looks alright, but, I’ve never been on one.

[@Abandoned23345]

These are ok for a 1-1,5-2 hour journey. One problem is that they are fr cramped in a normal time, I saw some videos. If they had 6-8 coach variants, they would be better

[@garthcox4]

You had a quiet day with a 9 carriage train, the norm was busy with only 4 carriages one of which is first class. They are ok when quiet but cramped is the norm. Re the long journey under the wires, bimodes are on their way!

[@BRI535D]

Let's be honest 4or 5 car sets have been way too little capacity for such a long time and they should have been paired years ago.The ambience inside the coaches is claustrophobic and the nearest comparison to the Voyager is the Class 180 and those sets are way more comfortable and airy and more akin to a class 3 carriage.In my opinion.

[@TheArkamedBat]

In a 180 is worse (you'll be going nowhere)

[@gardenman3]

What do they do about ticket gate jumpers

[@Pulsarnix]

I hope you managed to make your medical appointment OK via another operator and that it went well

[@rightnoob]

How did they manage to install the buttons wrong?😂

[@ronalddevine9587]

Seems very nice. A weird station name? Cos Cob on the MTA between NYC and New Haven, Connecticut.

[@JustProps]

From someone who commuted daily on Cross Country Voyagers, they are ultra reliable, reasonably comfortable and the crews superb. However, not the best on B’ham / Euston route.

[@EuroDC1990]

The voyagers aren't bad trains, they're just hideously unsuited to their current duties and haven't had a significant refurbishment since there were introduced. When Avanti get rid of their voyagers and and EMR get rid of their Meridians there'll be the opportunity to get them all under XC, run more trains in multiple (or reform them all to be longer using middle cars and use the redundant driving cars for something else). That will also make it easier to take trains out of service for a full refurbishment with new seats and colour scheme. The interiors are very comfortably and softly lit but are very dated.

[@tonywilkins6090]

I would suspect that XC would rather run longer trains than run doubles as double units would require double the amount of staff. Now assuming that space isn't an issue for extra units etc, at the moment XC has 58 voyager units. If they took on Avanti's 20 221's, and EMR's 27 222's. They would have 105 units to potential run as doubles (99 if you include the fact that 6 222's are 7 cars). Or if they wanted to increase the carriages to run longer trains, potentially they could have 37 220/221's as 7 cars, with 1 as a 5 car. 17 7 car 222's and a 1 6 car 222. So in total 56 units so they have 2 less units compared to now however they are mostly 7 cars apart from the 2 units with 5 or 6 carriages. Also the thing with the 222's is it would require the buffet bar and the first/standard carriages to be refurbished to add extra seats etc.

[@firstthingsfast9292]

I dont think that crosscountry should operate express services to manchester picadilly and birmingham. I think it should be used by LNWR as it is both express and designed for greater capacities and its electric

[@wendellwhite5797]

We have Lizzard Lick, in North Carolina, USA. This is outside of Raleigh, NC.

[@ajf3202]

Travelled on one of these the other day. They really do need a refurbishment 😬

[@SuperalbsTravels]

I agree, it's getting more and more desperate by the day!

[@ttvvideos2050]

I love voyagers and I couldn't careless about what people say about them, there's literally nothing wrong with them. the majority of people that say "voyagers are bad" either haven't been on a pacer or an iet. brilliant video

[@georgedowns4034]

The Manchester Picc to Bournemouth route currently have double sets which is great but there should really be one big train. Also I am not a massive fan on the inteiror (tho it isn't terrible). The TFW trains in general are what is terrible. Simply too way too small...

[@ttvvideos2050]

@@georgedowns4034 yeah they're bad for capacity

[@maimadha]

​@@georgedowns4034is Manchester Piccadilly to Bournemouth now a single Voyager?

[@JC-il6ps]

My simple station name nomination has to be Wool on the Wessex mainline down here in Dorset.

[@emilianohaskurti9344]

Does Superables Travels Like The LNER Azuma?

[@MiguelSucksAtUrbanism]

He definitely doesnt

[@jacuborjaketodd]

i go on this train every holiday, may i just say this is my opinion but it was really enjoyable for me and my family really love this train and yeah!

[@eleanorheptinstall5354]

I've commented before that given the voyagers are 20 years old, like the Pendolino's, if they had a refurb, adding improved seat pitch, seat front tables and storage. The trains wouldn't garner as much disdain. Maybe I'm a member of the Voyager appreciation society, I rode on them alot, notably during the Virgin XCountry years (where the NW had better connectivity with SW England), for the time had pretty good WiFi, rarely brokedown, if you chose coach D that was paid out in mostly window ordered table seats, was a comfortable ride. When Cross-country revise the Aberdeen - Penzance service may be fun to take it like Geoff & Vicki did, if possible in 1st class

[@s125ish]

Yeah the connection down the wcml was useful

[@christophernoble6810]

I used to travel on these units from 2000 to 2005 between Leamington and Birmingham and I always felt that was long enough. Not suited to really long runs. They should have been ordered as bi-modes. Never went First Class, that looks better.

[@vini.editz05]

I live in Leamington

[@im_cool_i_guess]

Pause at 2:02 to see a pacer on the left

[@S.P.Q.Rrespublicas]

In Kent there is a town with a station called Sandwhich

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Haha yes, I've been to it because I thought it was funny. :)

[@AtharvaBhavsar-hj5mv]

I really love the voyagers and its acceleration! Cross country should get bi mode trains but just not class 800s as they are horrible compared to these!

[@kevanhubbard9673]

Straight off the Richard,oops forgot the Sir, Branson drawing board.Yes bad if they are run as single units and he should never have been allowed to introduce 3 and 4 car inter city trains,"but",I hear you say,"they're 4 and 5 car!"....yes but one's first class.

[@greendayforever2k9]

These would be better if they had more coaches and a more spacious interior like the 222 Meridians East Midlands use.

[@jamesrobinson9194]

You could visit Rock in Cornwall!

[@oliverclarke5678]

I always think they should modernise these Trains, USBS etc would be beneficial on the Voyagers as well as the Pendalinos on all seats instead of just tables

[@jazztrainspotting2500]

always travel on XC never with a reservation they never check and always lots of space with double voyagers

[@facesh1elds253]

A pacer?

[@harrytrains37]

7:50 there's a station in Scotland called Keith

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Haha true, and I've actually used it funnily enough, due to a track problem on a journey from Aberdeen to Inverness.

[@AndreiTupolev]

I don't take any notice of people who just say "rancid Voyagers, smelly toilets blah blah blah". I think their performance is brilliant and they sound great, and that's the most important things to me 🤓

[@arnoldspottingvideos5269]

Great video mate. I love CrossCountry trains I think I really like the Voyagers actually

[@nathansrailwayphotography8125]

Next do the Avanti West Coast voyagers

[@andrewbutler6477]

These units might be bad but try travelling to wales with tfw a 2 or 3 if you are lucky cattle truck if lucky a 175 or worse a 150 sprinter recently travelled on a 150 from Cardiff on a Holyhead service with the toilet out of order only going to Newport tfw and xc the pits when it comes to rail travel

[@iandavis4419]

It's worth remembering that early in their life there was a proposal to add a fifth/sixth carriage which would have had a pantograph and transformer, turning the Voyagers into bi-modes (e-Voyagers). The plan was knocked back by the Conservative DFT and fifteen years later we are going bi-mode crazy. What a wasted opportunity.

[@Meow_Zedong_1949]

My simple station name nomination is Hook station on the SWML 1 stop east of Basingstoke.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Haha true. And nearby Fleet!

[@lindavainomae3489]

The Super Voyager not so super then 🤷‍♂️. Why not just buy the non-tilt version ... or better still buy electric units.

[@ian.blackwoodgwent.walesgb5668]

Great video, very informative, but not my experience of travelling on these trains pre pandemic..

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Hahaha, it was very different a couple years ago during the peaks...

[@garthcox4]

Yes. They should be used like the class 170s, not fit for purpose for long distances which is why cross country brought back some hsts. Virgin deservedly lost the cross country franchise for introducing these! I used to use xc regularly for work, voyagers put me back in my car!

[@tonywilkins6090]

"Virgin deservedly lost the cross country franchise for introducing these" Except it was the Strategic Rail Authority that wanted to get rid of the HSTs and replace them with the voyagers. Virgin actually saw the growth in passengers numbers and wanted to keep at least 14 of the HST sets so that some of the voyager services could run in doubles.

[@garthcox4]

@@tonywilkins6090 that would have made a huge difference

[@tonywilkins6090]

@@garthcox4 Yeah it would have but the SRA thought it would have cheaper and easier to have voyagers than to keep HSTs.

[@Ron_TTE]

12:41 wtf is with those buttons

[@davidsepicyoutubechannel]

yes can we see the avnti west cost titi one

[@wharris302]

The issue with them really is the capacity. They should've been 7 cars, like the 222s when new or whatever.

[@williamwatson5871]

The seats are too uncomfortable for any length of journey. Not enough depth in the seats...you do feel very cramped especially when the carriage is full. The ligting and ambiance is poor. Dark and gloomy which makes it feel claustrophobic. On the positive the train is relatively quiet and has good acceleration. If they could sort out the seats...making the seat base longer and make the carriage brighter I'm sure we'd love them more

[@SuperalbsTravels]

It is quite cramped, but I don't mind the seats themselves!

[@SylviaGraydon]

I'd just went that train Back To Winchester

[@janiffermatara122]

*KTV Videos disliked this* you could say.😉 Great vid anyways.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Why do you say that? 😂

[@janiffermatara122]

He hates voyagers lol 😅😂

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Ahh, thank you! ☺

[@KTVTransport]

@@janiffermatara122 Lol you're not wrong there.

[@maimadha]

@@KTVTransport will you do train reviews?