Pin this* The reason why the class 221s with 4 coaches not 5 is because the ex virgin 221144 only had 2 coaches so they taken 1 coach off 221136, 221140-221141 for 221144
One of the worst things about Cross Country is their use of a decoupled Voyager from Aberdeen to Penzance. Whoever manages the stock rotation needs to use common sense and should have designated coupled trains for bigger routes. Also, at one point, their HST stock used to be 8 cars, and then they got nerfed to 7. Then, fast forward to 2023, all taken out of the equation because of emissions and age 😕
In "The good old days," the Cross-Country trains had usually at least ten coaches, and sometimes as many as twelve. Many also had a Restaurant Car. When the HST came to the main lines out of London, the fixed formation led to serious overcrowding. When they came to Cross-Country, some genius thought that the loco-hauled trains should be of the same length. Seven and eight coach trains are too short. Even if you form a train of two Voyager sets, you create another problem; there is no corridor connection between the two, and the absence of any on-train catering is another fault. I once had the misfortune to travel from Euston to Coventry on a five-car set. It was bound for Scotland, and most of the passengers boarding at Rugby (the only intermediate stop) had to stand, or wait an hour for their next train to Coventry and Birmingham.
@@andrewtaylor5984They may have been long, but also infrequent. The idea with the voyagers back in the days was to massively increase the frequency with shorter flexibility units. By doing so, the franchise became a victim of its own success and has been dealing with crowdedness ever since.
For those that "like" these units, I suspect simply "spot" them and don't use them on a regular basis like I do. When you replace 7 abd 8 coach trains with 4 cars, of course they are going to be overcrowded. Remember also that one of the 4 cars is first class so it makes the journeys even more uncomfortable. Standing for hours on a cattle truck is no fun as I have done on so many occasions on Voyagers. A particular journey I make regularly is between Stafford and Southampton where the trains are packed all the way to Winchester. I, like others have played "musical chairs" at every station stop attempting to find a non-existent unreserved seat on these abysmal units. Now that the Performance Teams of the TOCs can deal with capacity issues "in house" rather than directly with the Government has allowed them to get away with allocating any unit to any service. That is why we see 4 and 5 car Voyagers appearing on the same service one day to the next. This has also allowed TOCs to use stock that give less and less seating capacity alongside their penchant for providing 2 vice 4 cars, 3 vice 4, 4 vice 8, 5 vice 8, 6 vice 8 etc. Passengers having to put up with this nonsense regularly should be inundating the TfL with complaints because orders of stock with less carriages and more standing space will continue to blight their travelling lives.
The overhead luggage racks on these trains are ridiculously narrow. You can't even fit a well filled laptop rucksack up there. No other train I know in the UK has that problem. I remember the Virgin class 47 trains. They were fantastic. Every seat was at a table, and had proper headrests.
amazing, i really like the voyagers and this video was sent to me! thank you for sharing. btw how do you have less subs than me?? we post the same content
The Meridians Honestly are not that overcrowded the only except on a single Travel into London the rest of the time they also have in times up to Nine Coach sets, also they where Operated by first by National Express Midland Mainline, and how Abellio East Midland Trains still operate some across Five Seven and Nice Coach sets as well as a pair of Five Coach Sets for Ten Coaches for London and Sheffield
I can only speak for the Cross Country units. They sre very variable, some feel like they are ready for the scrapyard, others that just show their age. They don't seem to have had the maintenance thay neede and give a very rough ride. They were always an HST on the cheap and, over time, the difference has only got bigger. From the passenger point of view HSTs have always been more comfortable. The 800s suffer with abysmal seats, other than that they are way better than the 221s.
Amazing Video! Great sum up of the merdians and voyagers . Train demand are increasing using 5 car trains on long distance routes is absolutely abysmal. Intercity trains should be atleast 7 cars or more
Once upon a time, long-distance trains usually had at least 11 or 12 coaches, sometimes as many as 15 or even 16. The eight-coach formations on the East Coast Main Line HSTs were too short. (288 second-class seats, when a loco-hauled train had about 450, depending on the formation.) We then said that HST stood for half-size train. During the HST transition on that line, the loco-hauled trains were shortened to eight or nine coaches, very occasionally ten. At the time BR said that the public had to get used to shorter trains, which was a polite way of saying that there will now be overcrowding.
Any guesses on who will take the class 222s once they’re gone from emr? Maybe grand central would take a hand full alongside the new open access virgin
Like a racehorse to drive, albeit a rather sterile atmosphere in the cab, akin to using a train driving sim. Whereas driving an HST took infinitely more skill.
I've rode a voyager once, from milton keynes central to euston, they were, fine, i guess. It wasn't crowded so i could get a seat. But i cant imagine riding on a cross countryone
I've heard two explanations. One is that originally the type of toilet fitted was incorrect and there were leaks. The other is that the toilet tank ventilation is into the train and not to the outside. Not sure of the veracity of either, but the first was told to me by a friend who worked at Bombardier in Derby for a while.
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Pin this*
The reason why the class 221s with 4 coaches not 5 is because the ex virgin 221144 only had 2 coaches so they taken 1 coach off 221136, 221140-221141 for 221144
One of the worst things about Cross Country is their use of a decoupled Voyager from Aberdeen to Penzance. Whoever manages the stock rotation needs to use common sense and should have designated coupled trains for bigger routes.
Also, at one point, their HST stock used to be 8 cars, and then they got nerfed to 7. Then, fast forward to 2023, all taken out of the equation because of emissions and age 😕
they where also Shagged Inside and Out and there Engines are Kinda on there last legs
In "The good old days," the Cross-Country trains had usually at least ten coaches, and sometimes as many as twelve. Many also had a Restaurant Car. When the HST came to the main lines out of London, the fixed formation led to serious overcrowding. When they came to Cross-Country, some genius thought that the loco-hauled trains should be of the same length. Seven and eight coach trains are too short. Even if you form a train of two Voyager sets, you create another problem; there is no corridor connection between the two, and the absence of any on-train catering is another fault. I once had the misfortune to travel from Euston to Coventry on a five-car set. It was bound for Scotland, and most of the passengers boarding at Rugby (the only intermediate stop) had to stand, or wait an hour for their next train to Coventry and Birmingham.
@@andrewtaylor5984They may have been long, but also infrequent. The idea with the voyagers back in the days was to massively increase the frequency with shorter flexibility units. By doing so, the franchise became a victim of its own success and has been dealing with crowdedness ever since.
For those that "like" these units, I suspect simply "spot" them and don't use them on a regular basis like I do. When you replace 7 abd 8 coach trains with 4 cars, of course they are going to be overcrowded. Remember also that one of the 4 cars is first class so it makes the journeys even more uncomfortable. Standing for hours on a cattle truck is no fun as I have done on so many occasions on Voyagers. A particular journey I make regularly is between Stafford and Southampton where the trains are packed all the way to Winchester. I, like others have played "musical chairs" at every station stop attempting to find a non-existent unreserved seat on these abysmal units. Now that the Performance Teams of the TOCs can deal with capacity issues "in house" rather than directly with the Government has allowed them to get away with allocating any unit to any service. That is why we see 4 and 5 car Voyagers appearing on the same service one day to the next. This has also allowed TOCs to use stock that give less and less seating capacity alongside their penchant for providing 2 vice 4 cars, 3 vice 4, 4 vice 8, 5 vice 8, 6 vice 8 etc. Passengers having to put up with this nonsense regularly should be inundating the TfL with complaints because orders of stock with less carriages and more standing space will continue to blight their travelling lives.
Why TfL (transport for London) what they got to do with it they need to be sending them to the DfT (department for transport)
@@damiendye6623 Yes, I meant to write DfT, not TfL.
"Greedy companies seeking serious cash" LOL!
The overhead luggage racks on these trains are ridiculously narrow. You can't even fit a well filled laptop rucksack up there. No other train I know in the UK has that problem.
I remember the Virgin class 47 trains. They were fantastic. Every seat was at a table, and had proper headrests.
From a drivers point of view the Meridians were very forgiving/easy to drive, especially compared to the HST's which took infinitely more skill.
The thumbnail alone is just screams I have beef with the units and the content is like I've never actually been on a 222 or know anything about them
The 222 Is a good train really good for accerlaeration yeah a bit of overcrowding but no where near as bad sad to see them go
amazing, i really like the voyagers and this video was sent to me! thank you for sharing. btw how do you have less subs than me?? we post the same content
The Meridians Honestly are not that overcrowded the only except on a single Travel into London the rest of the time they also have in times up to Nine Coach sets, also they where Operated by first by National Express Midland Mainline, and how Abellio East Midland Trains still operate some across Five Seven and Nice Coach sets as well as a pair of Five Coach Sets for Ten Coaches for London and Sheffield
I can only speak for the Cross Country units. They sre very variable, some feel like they are ready for the scrapyard, others that just show their age. They don't seem to have had the maintenance thay neede and give a very rough ride.
They were always an HST on the cheap and, over time, the difference has only got bigger. From the passenger point of view HSTs have always been more comfortable.
The 800s suffer with abysmal seats, other than that they are way better than the 221s.
I think they are much more comfortable to travel in than the awful Hitachi IETs, but just too short for the numbers carried.
A great video, ive subscribed, Thank you 😊😊
Amazing Video! Great sum up of the merdians and voyagers . Train demand are increasing using 5 car trains on long distance routes is absolutely abysmal. Intercity trains should be atleast 7 cars or more
Once upon a time, long-distance trains usually had at least 11 or 12 coaches, sometimes as many as 15 or even 16. The eight-coach formations on the East Coast Main Line HSTs were too short. (288 second-class seats, when a loco-hauled train had about 450, depending on the formation.) We then said that HST stood for half-size train. During the HST transition on that line, the loco-hauled trains were shortened to eight or nine coaches, very occasionally ten. At the time BR said that the public had to get used to shorter trains, which was a polite way of saying that there will now be overcrowding.
The voyages would be better suited to certain routes like the Birmingham to Cambridge/Stansted routes.
Any guesses on who will take the class 222s once they’re gone from emr? Maybe grand central would take a hand full alongside the new open access virgin
Personally I love the voyagers a very marmite unit ❤
Amen brother or sister
Yeah, but it's ok cause they look cool.
Meridians are nice trains
Like a racehorse to drive, albeit a rather sterile atmosphere in the cab, akin to using a train driving sim. Whereas driving an HST took infinitely more skill.
I've rode a voyager once, from milton keynes central to euston, they were, fine, i guess. It wasn't crowded so i could get a seat. But i cant imagine riding on a cross countryone
Virgin trains also had a small fleet of 158 sprinters allocated to the now defunct Liverpool Portsmouth route
They also used a Deltic for a short time on a Saturday only train (to Folkestone if I remember correctly).
its gotta be illegal to be THIS early😭😭
Fr bruh
wait do you mean because I'm uploading quickly?
Spent far too many hours (3+ a day for over 3 years) in those trains - comfy, but the overcrowding was insane and woefully unfit for purpose.
I See all of it train
I for one, like the Voyagers. They are one of my favourite trains 😊
Why do they smell so bad??
Idk
I've heard two explanations. One is that originally the type of toilet fitted was incorrect and there were leaks.
The other is that the toilet tank ventilation is into the train and not to the outside.
Not sure of the veracity of either, but the first was told to me by a friend who worked at Bombardier in Derby for a while.
It’s incorrect to say all 221s are four car trains. 5-car 221s exist in both XC and Avanti WC
@OfficialRyanx I didn't say that, I said a few 221s have four cars, not all of them
Oh dear. Right at the start, "various greedy companies". Wear your ideology why don't you?
just a funny little quote to start off the video... I didn't aim for it to make people mad
Thats what they are though, it’s evident