Alstom Launches £60M CrossCountry Voyager Fleet Refurbishment UK

Alstom Commences £60 Million Voyager Fleet Refurbishment for CrossCountry

On 12 February, Alstom unveiled the first refurbished train for CrossCountry’s Voyager fleet at its Derby works in Great Britain, initiating a £60 million modernisation programme. The project will encompass the refurbishment of 312 cars from the Class 220 and 221 fleets, plus 12 additional trains, over the next two years. The comprehensive overhaul is designed to upgrade long-distance services on the CrossCountry network, which recorded 39.6 million passenger journeys in 2025.

Programme Scope and Investment

The refurbishment work is being executed at Alstom’s Litchurch Lane Works in Derby by a team of approximately 130 staff. The entire Voyager fleet, which consists of 136 Class 220 cars and 176 Super Voyager Class 221 cars, is scheduled for overhaul. The programme also includes 12 additional trains recently transferred to CrossCountry from Avanti West Coast’s operations. The trains are owned by rolling stock company Beacon Rail and operated by CrossCountry, while Alstom is responsible for both the refurbishment in Derby and the ongoing maintenance at its Central Rivers Depot in Staffordshire.

There is a variance in the reported investment figures for the project. Alstom has announced the programme value at £60 million, while fleet owner Beacon Rail stated its investment in the upgrade totals £75.1 million. The purpose of this investment is to ensure the fleet remains reliable and meets contemporary passenger standards after more than two decades of intensive service. The first completed unit, Class 220 No. 220033, has accumulated 5,811,605 miles since entering service.

Technical Specifications and Passenger Upgrades

The refurbishment covers a full interior and exterior refresh for both standard and first-class carriages. Interior upgrades include the installation of new seating designed to increase legroom and improve under-seat storage capacity. Integrated power sockets are being fitted at seats, providing three-pin, USB A, and USB C outlets. The passenger environment will also be improved with new tables, carpets, refreshed artwork, and the replacement of existing lighting with more efficient LED systems.

Technical and safety systems are also being modernised. Toilets and vestibule areas are being fully refurbished. The onboard surveillance system is being upgraded with new CCTV equipment, and forward-facing cameras will be installed. To improve operational data collection, the trains are being fitted with automatic passenger counters. In line with its environmental policy, Alstom will recycle materials removed from the trains wherever feasible.

Market Context and Strategic Importance

The Voyager fleet, originally built in 2000 to replace British Rail-era rolling stock, was instrumental in a period of passenger growth on the CrossCountry network, which saw numbers double from 12 million in 1997 to 24 million by 2007. The network is a critical component of Great Britain’s national rail system, providing long-distance services that connect Scotland, the North, the Midlands, and the South West of England, notably bypassing London.

This refurbishment programme is a strategic investment to extend the operational life and improve the competitiveness of a high-utilisation diesel-multiple-unit (DMU) fleet. Such life-extension projects are a prevalent strategy in the UK rail market, balancing the need for modern passenger amenities against the high capital cost of new rolling stock and delays in widespread network electrification. Upgrading the existing fleet ensures service quality and reliability on a key national network composed of non-electrified and partially electrified main lines.

Next Steps

The refurbishment programme will now proceed on a rolling basis at the Derby facility. The phased introduction of the upgraded trains into the CrossCountry fleet over the next two years is planned to minimise disruption to passenger services across the network.