Failure rate

[mumrar]

I know everybody hates them for the noise and being cramped, but Crosscountry's Class 220 fleet set a new average reliability record over the last year, reaching 47,970 miles.

They may not be ideal, but I'd rather that reliabilty than being stuck on a failed Class 47 waiting for a Class 56 to assist!

 

[tbtc]

That is a phenomenal figure

 

[mumrar]

That is a phenomenal figure

That was my thoughts too, for a diesel unit it's very good. Now to sit back and see how the thread can be spun or altered into how crap Arriva/XC are.

 

[sprinterguy]

The exceptional reliability of the Voyagers has to be their biggest virtue, and the Crosscountry service of today is much improved from the one of ten years ago when trains were all too frequently late or cancelled. It’s good to feel confident that the train I am travelling on will get me to where I want to be at the time it is meant to! Bombardiers’ dedicated maintenance facility at Central Rivers is a shining example of what can be achieved through decent train care by a dedicated maintenance team at a purpose built depot. Great stuff.

However, I would appreciate it if once Bombardier are done patting themselves on the back over this victory, they would do something to keep on top of the troubles with the toilets, which are surely managing a much lower mileage between issues. (Well, somebody had to say something )

 

[asylumxl]

Blame XC for that. The retention tanks are never get a chance to be emptied with the Voyagers heavy usage.

 

[ainsworth74]

Blame XC for that. The retention tanks are never get a chance to be emptied with the Voyagers heavy usage.

Ahh there's that complaining that mumrar was looking for!

As others have said that really is an incredible figure for a DMU and for all there other flaws they certainly have done wonders for the punctuality and reliability of XC services. I would much rather turn up on time (or at all!) than have the high chance of delays/cancellations that you had with 47s+Mk2s.

 

[Geezertronic]

Ahh there's that complaining that mumrar was looking for!

As others have said that really is an incredible figure for a DMU and for all there other flaws they certainly have done wonders for the punctuality and reliability of XC services. I would much rather turn up on time (or at all!) than have the high chance of delays/cancellations that you had with 47s+Mk2s.

DEMU to be precise

 

[TomJ93]

The toilets have a metre on the outside, most of them are on red

 

[Eng274]

The toilets have a metre on the outside, most of them are on red

Better red than brown

Where most people berate the compromised ride comfort and cramped feeling on Voyagers, they fail to realise that they do still turn up on time*, every time. In light of these new figures, are they now the most reliable D(E)MUs on the network?

* i.e. not delayed through their own fault

 

[SouthEastern-465]

I know everybody hates them for the noise and being cramped, but Crosscountry's Class 220 fleet set a new average reliability record over the last year, reaching 47,970 miles.

They may not be ideal, but I'd rather that reliabilty than being stuck on a failed Class 47 waiting for a Class 56 to assist!

Well done 220s!

 

[TomJ93]

A 9 car Voyager would be an amazing train for XC, especially if they had a Pantograph car.

 

[466.networkers]

I was on a 9 car Voyager the other day - 221 + 220 :P

I've used XC a bit recently, mainly from B'ham to Tamworth, only 20 minutes, but always got a seat, and always clean ... not always on time, but never cancelled.

That is simply a excellent achievement, shame Networkers can only dream of being that reliable ...

 

[asylumxl]

Ahh there's that complaining that mumrar was looking for!

Hardly

I love 22x trains. It is just the facts. I've never had the same issues on Virgin's 221s.

 

[Minilad]

Will stick my tuppence worth in here.
I have been driving Voyagers since day 1, well almost. And after a shaky start they really are maturing into very decent trains.
I can honestly say I have never failed completely with a Voyager, where assistance has been required. I have had a few solveable problems but managed to get going again.
The back up we have if problems are reported is excellent, and Central Rivers are usually top notch with regards to keeping them going.
Of course enthusiasts will continue to hate them but they should admire the way they just keep going and going

 

[Blindtraveler]

Will stick my tuppence worth in here.
I have been driving Voyagers since day 1, well almost. And after a shaky start they really are maturing into very decent trains.
I can honestly say I have never failed completely with a Voyager, where assistance has been required. I have had a few solveable problems but managed to get going again.
The back up we have if problems are reported is excellent, and Central Rivers are usually top notch with regards to keeping them going.
Of course enthusiasts will continue to hate them but they should admire the way they just keep going and going

have to agree! A bit more cleaning, bogs sorted and ongoing reliabilitty like that and there is something to be said for them. Another 4-5 years and I guess we'll be looking at first major refurb? Maybe then some of the other issues can be sorted.

 

[route:oxford]

Take a 220s reliability and the comfort and space of a 180.

The perfect D(E/H)MU

 

[tbtc]

Will stick my tuppence worth in here.
I have been driving Voyagers since day 1, well almost. And after a shaky start they really are maturing into very decent trains.
I can honestly say I have never failed completely with a Voyager, where assistance has been required. I have had a few solveable problems but managed to get going again.
The back up we have if problems are reported is excellent, and Central Rivers are usually top notch with regards to keeping them going.
Of course enthusiasts will continue to hate them but they should admire the way they just keep going and going

Always interesting to hear the view from the "coal face"

Given the complicated nature of XC's routes, its essential that they have reliable trains (since a two minute delay in Newcastle could mean an hour delay by the time you get to Bristol if things go against you), compared to a "self contained" TOC.

Whilst I know enthusiasts like to moan that "they don't make them like they used to", I'd be amazed if any DMU (or DEMU) had figures that impressive for reliability

 

[Donny Dave]

I know everybody hates them for the noise and being cramped, but Crosscountry's Class 220 fleet set a new average reliability record over the last year, reaching 47,970 miles.

That's an outstanding acclomplishment. Hats off to the guys and girls who maintain the units!

 

[sprinterguy]

A 9 car Voyager would be an amazing train for XC, especially if they had a Pantograph car.

A mix of five cars and seven cars would do me!

It's good to see a plentiful range of doubled up Voyagers on a Sunday, making for some "proper length" trains

 

[junglejames]

I know everybody hates them for the noise and being cramped, but Crosscountry's Class 220 fleet set a new average reliability record over the last year, reaching 47,970 miles.

They may not be ideal, but I'd rather that reliabilty than being stuck on a failed Class 47 waiting for a Class 56 to assist!

Im impressed. In one post you manage to make voyagers seem both desirable, and undesirable!!
Desirable- Very reliable
Undesirable- Id much rather be behind a failed 47 waiting for this 56 to arrive!! Oh imagine that. Why cant we go back to the good old days, when Virgin had a fleet of 47s they seemingly couldnt look after very well!!

Yes, voyagers are very reliable though. No doubting that.

 

[devon_metro]

Shame about the actual travelling environment. On the plus side at least you spend less time on the damn things

 

[TomJ93]

He'd rather be on a Voyager the post states.

 

[Nym]

Breifly, on the note of panto cars, a 4 car unit could just get away with one, but two would be better, (With a HT cable over the roof), same for 5 car, but to take it up to 9 or 10 (from a 7 car unit) it would be best to have 3, (Two panto, one transformer, HT cables on roof).

PS: HT = High Tension (Voltage)

 

[seagull]

One thing I'm curious about is what the figure quoted, which seems very impressive, actually means.

For example: the Class 47 - has one engine, if that one engine fails, the train is dead in the water until rescue/fitters arrive.

The Voyager on the other hand has 4 or 5 engines, so if one fails, or even two, it can still run, albeit at reduced power and speed.

So does that figure mean miles between 'engine failure' or miles between 'train dead in the water' failure?

Whatever the interpretation, if it means more trains are getting to their destination it can only be a good thing.

 

[junglejames]

One thing I'm curious about is what the figure quoted, which seems very impressive, actually means.

For example: the Class 47 - has one engine, if that one engine fails, the train is dead in the water until rescue/fitters arrive.

The Voyager on the other hand has 4 or 5 engines, so if one fails, or even two, it can still run, albeit at reduced power and speed.

So does that figure mean miles between 'engine failure' or miles between 'train dead in the water' failure?

Whatever the interpretation, if it means more trains are getting to their destination it can only be a good thing.

Failure I think means outright failure. Something that stopped it running. A single engine failing is unlikely to cause this, but it depends. If a fitter or driver decides to call a unit a failure over a single engine not running correctly, then it would be seen as a failure for these figures. Likewise, if a driver decided to keep running with only 1 out of 4 engines running, and the other engines were fixed or whatever overnight, and it ran normally the next day, then thats not a failure.

 

[chris89]

Very good figures for the Voyagers.

I know a lot hate them whilst i actually do like the units even though a bit short.

Been on both verisons 220/221's with both XC & Virgin the only time the train was effected in some way was when the tilt system failed coming back from Edinburgh on a journey. Apart from the normal VT comps breaking.

Chris

 

[mumrar]

The figure is the average number of miles across the Class 220 fleet between any mechanical failure which results in a delay of five minutes or more to a service.

 

[junglejames]

The figure is the average number of miles across the Class 220 fleet between any mechanical failure which results in a delay of five minutes or more to a service.

Ah a delay also counts does it? Bang goes what i said then.
So a single engine failure possibly would count.

 

[Pumbaa]

Ah a delay also counts does it? Bang goes what i said then.
So a single engine failure possibly would count.

It can be isolated in the cab without the train stopping. That is of course unless it isn't already down to 3 engines, it may then cause a problem.

 

[tbtc]

Does anyone have any figures for what previous years/ generations managed without "failure"? I appreciate there's an element of "lies, damned lies and statistics", but it'd be interesting to see whether modern stock (which is a lot more complicated) is much of an improvement on the simpler things they replaced.