Recent content by Thunderer

220005 has not been in service since 17th July? Is this unit also undergoing refurbishment?

Any improvement would be welcome, but the cynic in me says its probably going to be very minimal. The whole style of these thin, hard, unergonomic seats is flawed. They are just a design not suitable for any long distance passenger train. First Class is not much better either, its certainly not...

Exactly that. The GW HST’s nearly always had 1st class at the Paddington end. These days with IET’s 1st class can literally be anywhere, front, rear, middle, front or rear if 2 five cars are joined together…there is no consistency or standards anymore and quite frankly I would not pay a 1st...

Thank you :D

So far I have the refurbished sets (and back out working for XC) as :- 220001 220006 220021 220023 220025 220027 220028 220033 8 units - Is that correct? What Units are currently at Derby undergoing the refurbishment? I make that just over 23% of the 220 fleet - not bad going. Is there any news...

220025 will be the next refurbed unit out for XC. It worked the 5D26 between Litchurch Lane and Voyagerland (Central Rivers) yesterday.

220023 is also another refurbed set out today currently working the 1V62 12:05 Edinburgh-Plymouth with 220002 :D

I’d hardly call 40+ seats a significant uplift in standard capacity seating

Excellent..thank you for confirming :)

Does anybody know the order of XC units/refurb schedule please? Do we know what 220 is due out next?

220027+220024 07:26 Birmingham-Manchester, 09:25 Manchester-Bournemouth, 14:45 Bournemouth-Manchester and the final working of the day is 20:03 Manchester-Birmingham then ECS to Voyagerland. 1773391679 220033 is working the 08:27 Plymouth-Edinburgh as far as Bristol TM. Its then booked to work...

Agreed, you can’t please everyone, but at least try and make a half decent refurbishment to a train that has to travel such long distances. If I was travelling from Edinburgh to Bristol again I (and no doubt many other travellers) would opt to fly now instead of taking the train as its often...

Absolutely hideous inside and out Seats look thin, hard and horrible. Imagine 7 hours sitting on those? The external livery looks like it was designed by a 5 year old. That’s my cue to totally avoid XC from now on!

Excellent..thank you ✅ That answers the threads original question

XC allocated 221136 and 221140 both lost a standard class coach to bolster what was then Virgin West Coast operated 221142 & 221143 to give Virgin a uniformed fleet of 5 car Voyagers (221101-221118 which were all 5 car Virgin West Coast allocated Voyagers at the time plus they also had two 4...