CrossCountry

Train operating company in the United Kingdom

This article is about the train operating company in the United Kingdom. For the former train company, see Virgin CrossCountry. For other uses, see Cross Country.

CrossCountry

A Class 220 Voyager on the South Devon Railway sea wall in July 2009

Overview
Franchise(s)|

* New CrossCountry
* 11 November 2007 - 15 October 2027

Main region(s)|

* East Midlands
* North East England
* North West England
* South West England
* West Midlands
* Yorkshire & the Humber

Other region(s)|

* East of England
* Scotland
* South East England
* Wales

Fleet|

* Class 170 Turbostar
* Class 220 Voyager
* Class 221 Super Voyager

Stations called at| 120
Parent company| Arriva UK Trains
Headquarters| Birmingham[1]
Reporting mark| XC
Predecessor|

* Virgin CrossCountry
* Central Trains

Technical
Length| 2,397.9 km (1,490.0 mi)[citation needed]
Other
Website| www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk

Route map

CrossCountry (legal name XC Trains Limited[2]) is a British train operating company owned by Arriva UK Trains, operating the current CrossCountry franchise.

The CrossCountry franchise was restructured by the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2006, incorporating elements of both the Central Trains and the Virgin CrossCountry franchises, ahead of its invitation to tender on October of that year. On 10 July 2007, the DfT announced that Arriva had been awarded the New Cross Country franchise. CrossCountry is one of only two franchised train operating companies that does not manage any stations, the other being Caledonian Sleeper. CrossCountry's services have been periodically disrupted by industrial action amongst its staff, often due to disputes over rostering and pay. While the franchise had been originally due to conclude on 31 March 2016, multiple subsequent agreements have been enacted; in September 2023, the DfT confirmed that the franchise has been extended for a further four years for a finish date of 15 October 2027.

At the commencement of operations, CrossCountry's rolling stock consisted of 34 four-car Class 220 Voyagers and 40 five-car and 4 four-car Class 221 Super Voyagers from Virgin CrossCountry as well as 11 two-car and 18 three-car Class 170 Turbostars from Central Trains. As per its franchise agreement, it obtained ten Class 43 power cars and forty Mark 3 carriages to operate on services that required greater seating capacity, while some Super Voyagers were transferred to Virgin West Coast. Overhauls of the Voyager & Super Voyager fleets were performed, the removal of the shop to fit more seating and storage being a prominent change; the Mark 3 carriages were also refurbished to provide suitable amenities for modern travellers. Both the Super Voyagers and Turbostar fleets have been extended where possible to provide more capacity.

CrossCountry's network is centred around Birmingham New Street. It operates intercity and other long-distance passenger trains across Great Britain, but does not serve Greater London. It operated the UK's longest direct rail passenger service, from Aberdeen in the north-east of Scotland to Penzance in western Cornwall, which had a journey time of 13 hours and 15 minutes. This service ended on 16 May 2025, terminating short in Plymouth instead.[3][4] Some services on the West Coast Main Line were promptly discontinued with the introduction of a new timetable on 9 December 2007, with some transferring over to both Virgin Trains West Coast and to First TransPennine Express, new services, such as a daily Nottingham to Bournemouth service introduced during December 2008, were also implemented. CrossCountry has designated four stations as alternative changeover stations: Cheltenham Spa, Derby, Leamington Spa and Wolverhampton. Special services have occasionally been run, such as between Bournemouth and Weymouth in support of the Sailing at the 2012 Olympics & Paralympics.

In August 2024, the then Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, criticised the company's performance and threatened to take action if it did not improve, following its request to reduce its service levels in the new timetable.

## History

[edit]

### Formation

[edit]

During June 2006, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced its intention to restructure a number of the existing railway franchises.[5] As a result of these changes, a 'New Cross Country' franchise was produced, which incorporated the existing InterCity Cross Country franchise run by Virgin CrossCountry, while excluding those services ran on the West Coast Main Line (while the Birmingham to Scotland services were transferred to Virgin Trains West Coast and the Manchester to Scotland services transferring to First TransPennine Express). Several services from the Central Trains franchise were also to be added.

In October 2006, the DfT issued the invitation to tender (ITT) to the four shortlisted bidders: Arriva, FirstGroup, National Express and Virgin Rail Group.[6] On 10 July 2007, the DfT announced that Arriva had been awarded the New Cross Country franchise, and that the services operated by Virgin CrossCountry would be transferred to CrossCountry on 11 November 2007, along with the Cardiff to Nottingham and Birmingham to Stansted Airport services from Central Trains.[7][8]

### Transfer and withdrawal of services

[edit]

After taking over the franchise, CrossCountry continued to operate the existing timetable including the West Coast Main Line services for four weeks. When the new timetable commenced on 9 December 2007 on 11 November 2007, the Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central services were transferred to Virgin Trains West Coast while the Manchester Airport to Edinburgh and Glasgow services transferred to First TransPennine Express.[9]

The ITT did not require retention of the services beyond Guildford after December 2008, so the services to both Gatwick Airport and Brighton soon ceased.[10] As a result of these changes, all CrossCountry services now completely avoid Greater London.

### Changes to services

[edit]

Starting in December 2008, a daily Nottingham to Bournemouth service was introduced. From December 2010, a number of services from Newcastle were extended from Reading to Southampton Central.[11] From May 2011, a number of services were extended from Edinburgh to Glasgow to replace East Coast services.[12]

By mid-2020, CrossCountry had considerably curtailed its services in response to the significant decline of passenger travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[13][14] From 15 June 2020, both passengers and staff on public transport in England, including CrossCountry services, were required to wear face coverings while travelling, and that anyone failing to do so would be liable to be refused travel or fined.[15][16]

### Extension of the franchise

[edit]

While the franchise had been originally due to conclude on 31 March 2016, during August 2013, it was announced that it had been extended until December 2019.[17] At one point, it had been expected that an ITT would be issued in October 2018 for the next franchise,[18] but in September 2018 it was announced that the competition had been cancelled so that the recommendations from a report into the franchise system could be incorporated.[19] In July 2019, the Direct Award was further extended by one year, moving the expiry date back to October 2020.[20]

During September 2020, it was announced that the emergency agreements with train operating companies introduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom were to be extended for 18 months, and that all passenger rail franchising in Great Britain was abandoned.[21] In October 2020, the DfT confirmed that the franchise had been extended for three years, putting the finishing date back to 15 October 2023.[22][23] In September 2023, the DfT announced a franchise extension for a further four years to 15 October 2027 with a chance of extension of an additional four years. The franchise deal includes the refurbishment of the existing fleet, the potential introduction of extra rolling stock, the return of regular services linking Cambridge and Stansted Airport, and by December 2024 the reintroduction of daily services between Cardiff Central and Edinburgh Waverley.[24][25]

### Industrial action

[edit]

Main articles: 2016–2019 United Kingdom railway strikes § CrossCountry, and 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes

During November and December 2017, CrossCountry on-board train managers and senior conductors affiliated with the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) staged five 24-hour and two 48-hour strikes in an industrial dispute regarding staff rostering, in particular in relation to working on Sundays.[26][27][28][29] Further strikes had been planned for January 2018, but these were cancelled after CrossCountry and the RMT came to an agreement over staff working conditions on 11 January.[30]

Separate strike action was later threatened by the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) union later that month, with strikes planned for 26 January. These were in relation to CrossCountry staff being offered a 1% pay rise, compared to a 3.3% pay rise for staff at other Arriva-owned train operating companies. As a result of an agreement with CrossCountry to match their demands for an equal pay rise, the planned industrial action by the TSSA was cancelled.[31]

CrossCountry is one of several train operators affected by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes, the first national rail strike in the UK for three decades.[32] Its workers were amongst those who voted in favour of industrial action due to a dispute over pay and working conditions.[33] CrossCountry was capable of operating only a very minimal timetable on any of the planned dates for the strikes due to the number of staff involved.[34][35]

### Performance issues

[edit]

In August 2024, the Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, criticised the company's performance saying she had "serious concerns" and threatened to take action if it did not improve, following its request to reduce its service levels in the new three-month timetable which is due to run from 10 August to 9 November 2024.[36] The company cited a driver training backlog as the reason for the reduced service. In a letter to the company's joint interim managing directors, Haigh said

> Over the past year, the level of train cancellations across your company has increased significantly and by your own forecasts, you expected to breach your contractual targets for cancellations in the coming months. I do not find this level of service provision acceptable, nor do I find a three-month reduced timetable to be a satisfactory response. Given your inability to run a full timetable, and the need to provide clear information for passengers I had little choice but to approve this request. Put simply, the only reason I accepted your proposal was to give passengers more certainty on which services will run. If you fail to deliver the Remedial Plan, I will not hesitate to take further action.

> — Haigh, Louise, Letter from the Secretary of State for Transport to CrossCountry about its train service performance[37]

## Services

[edit]

* v
* t
* e

CrossCountry network

Legend

|  |  |

|  | Aberdeen

|
|
|
|

|  |

|  | Stonehaven
|  |

|  | Montrose
|  |

|  | Arbroath
|  |

|  | Dundee
|  |

|  | Leuchars
|  |

|  | Cupar
|  |

|  | Ladybank
|  |

|  | Markinch
|  |

|  | Kirkcaldy
|  |

|  | Inverkeithing
|  Glasgow Central

(St Enoch)

|  | Motherwell
|  |

|  | Haymarket
|  |

|  |  | Edinburgh Waverley

(St Andrew Square)
|  |

|  | Dunbar
|  |

|  | Berwick upon Tweed
|  |

|  | Alnmouth
|  |

|  | Morpeth
|  |

|  | Newcastle Central
|  |

|  | Durham
|  |

|  | Darlington
|  |

|  | York
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Leeds (Metro)
|  |

|  | Wakefield Westgate
Manchester Piccadilly |  |

|  | Doncaster
Stockport |  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Sheffield
Macclesfield |  |

|  | Chesterfield
Crewe |  |

|  | Nottingham
Stoke-on-Trent |  |

|  | Derby
|  |

|  | Burton-upon-Trent
Stafford |  |

|  | Tamworth
Wolverhampton |  |

|  | Wilnecote
Birmingham New Street |  |

|  | Water Orton
Birmingham International |  |

|  | Coleshill Parkway
Coventry |  |

|  | Nuneaton
Worcestershire Parkway |  |

|  | Hinckley
Ashchurch for Tewkesbury |  |

|  | Narborough
Cheltenham Spa |  |

|  | South Wigston
Gloucester |  |

|  | Leicester
Lydney |  |

|  |
Chepstow |  |

|  | Melton Mowbray
Caldicot |  |

|  | Oakham
Bristol Parkway |  |

|  | Stamford
|  |

|  | Peterborough
Bristol Temple Meads |  |

|  | Whittlesea
Severn Tunnel Junction |  |

|  | March
Newport |  |

|  | Manea
|  Cardiff Central

(Valley Lines)

|  | Ely
|  |

|  | Cambridge
Weston-super-Mare |  |

|  | Audley End
|  |

|  |
Taunton |  |

|  | Stansted Airport
Tiverton Parkway |  |

|  | Leamington Spa
Exeter St Davids |  |

|  | Banbury
Dawlish |  |

|  | Oxford
Teignmouth |  |

|  | Reading
Newton Abbot |  |

|  |
|  |

|  |
Totnes |  |

|  | Torquay
Plymouth |  |

|  | Paignton
Liskeard |  |

|  | Basingstoke
Bodmin Parkway |  |

|  | Winchester
Lostwithiel |  |

|  |  | Southampton

Airport Parkway
Par |  |

|  | Southampton Central
St Austell |  |

|  | Brockenhurst
Truro |  |

|  | Bournemouth
Redruth |  |

|  |
Camborne |  |

|  |
Hayle |  |

|  |
St Erth |  |

|  |
Penzance |  |

|  |
|  |  |  |  |  |

The company operates medium- and long-distance services that run outside of the London area. The network is centred at Birmingham New Street. Services can be categorised into two types:

* Inter-City: long-distance, fast services between the South of England and the North of England or Scotland via Birmingham, these routes are typically operated by Voyager sets.[38]
* Regional: medium-distance, stopping or semi-fast services between Birmingham and other cities in the Midlands, as well as some longer runs to Wales and East Anglia (Cambridge & Stansted Airport). These are usually operated by Turbostars.[38]

CrossCountry's official website does show a distinction between the two types of services (for example, each has a separate timetable booklet), but does not explicitly call them Inter-City and Regional.[39]

### Core

[edit]

As of May 2025[update], the Monday-Friday daytime services, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), include:[40][41]

South West to Manchester and Scotland

Route | tph | Calling at
Plymouth – Edinburgh Waverley | 1 |

* Totnes, Newton Abbot, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, Cheltenham Spa, Worcestershire Parkway (northbound only), Birmingham New Street, Tamworth (1tp2h), Burton-on-Trent (1tp2h), Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle, Morpeth (1tp2h), Alnmouth (1tp2h), Berwick-upon-Tweed

* Services typically call either at Tamworth or Burton-on-Trent, and either at Morpeth or Alnmouth
* 3 trains per day additionally call at Dunbar
* 2 trains per day run to and from Penzance, calling at St Erth, Hayle, Camborne, Redruth, Truro, St Austell, Par, Lostwithiel, Bodmin Parkway, Liskeard
* 2 trains per day runs to and from Aberdeen, calling at Stonehaven, Montrose, Arbroath, Dundee, Leuchars, Cupar, Ladybank, Markinch, Kirkcaldy, Inverkeithing and Haymarket
* 2 trains per day extends to and from Glasgow Central, calling at Haymarket and Motherwell
* 2 trains per day run to and from Cardiff Central, calling at Gloucester, Chepstow (northbound only) and Newport

Bristol Temple Meads – Manchester Piccadilly | 1 |

* Bristol Parkway, Cheltenham Spa, Worcestershire Parkway (southbound only), Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport

* 2 trains per day run to and from Paignton, calling at Torquay, Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare (1tpd)

Bournemouth – Manchester Piccadilly | 1 |

* Southampton Central, Southampton Airport Parkway, Winchester, Basingstoke, Reading, Oxford, Banbury, Leamington Spa, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport

* 5 services in total per day additionally call at Brockenhurst

Reading – Newcastle | 4tpd |

* Oxford, Banbury, Leamington Spa, Birmingham New Street, Derby, Sheffield, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham

* One northbound service terminates at York

Cardiff to Stansted and Nottingham
Route | tph | Calling at
Cardiff Central – Nottingham | 1 |

* Newport, Chepstow (2tp3h), Lydney (1tp3h), Gloucester, Cheltenham Spa, Worcestershire Parkway, University, Birmingham New Street, Tamworth, Burton-on-Trent, Derby, Long Eaton, Beeston

* Services call at either Chepstow or Lydney
* 3 trains per day additionally call at Severn Tunnel Junction and Caldicot
* 7 services in total per day additionally call at Ashchurch for Tewkesbury

Birmingham New Street \- Nottingham | 1 |

* Wilnecote, Tamworth, Burton-on-Trent, Willington (1tp2h), Derby

* 1 southbound train per day continues to Bournemouth, calling at Birmingham International, Coventry, Leamington Spa, Banbury, Oxford, Reading, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton Airport Parkway and Southampton Central.

Birmingham New Street – Stansted Airport | 1 |

* Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Stamford, Peterborough, March, Ely, Cambridge

* 3 trains per day additionally call at Whittlesea
* 4 trains per day additionally call at Manea and Audley End

Birmingham New Street – Leicester | 1 |

* Water Orton (1tp2h), Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton, Hinckley, Narborough, South Wigston

Route map (June 2019)

These services combine to provide higher frequencies between Birmingham and the following major destinations:

* Wolverhampton, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport and Manchester: two trains per hour
* Derby: at least three trains per hour
* Sheffield, York, Darlington and Newcastle: at least one train per hour via Leeds
* Nottingham: two trains per hour
* Leicester: two trains per hour
* Leamington Spa, Oxford and Reading: two trains per hour (including one via Coventry)
* Cheltenham: three trains per hour
* Bristol: two trains per hour

The Sunday service pattern is mostly similar to the weekday one, except that services typically do not start until late morning or early afternoon, and often have a slightly different stopping pattern. Several Bristol–Manchester trains start from Birmingham New Street on Sundays.[40][41]

### Extensions

[edit]

Class 221 Super Voyager at Manchester Piccadilly forming a service to Bournemouth.

The above table shows the basic service pattern; however, a small number of these services are extended beyond their usual destination:[40]

* from Plymouth to Penzance
* from Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central, Exeter St Davids, Paignton, Plymouth and Penzance
* from Edinburgh Waverley to Dundee and Aberdeen
* from Newcastle to Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central
* travelling via Crewe either in lieu of, or in addition to Stoke-on-Trent

Until 2019, CrossCountry also extended a limited number of Plymouth services to Newquay during the summer timetable to serve additional holiday traffic to the Cornish seaside resort. These services were not restarted after being paused during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

### Special services

[edit]

Class 221 at Bristol Temple Meads in December 2017

CrossCountry extended some of its Bournemouth services to Weymouth for the Sailing at the 2012 Olympics & Paralympics. There were two services Monday to Saturday in each direction with one in each direction on Sundays. These ran express to Weymouth from Bournemouth. One train also operated a Weymouth to Bournemouth return journey, calling at Wareham and Poole.[42]

### Proposed services

[edit]

During December 2016, CrossCountry published a consultation document for changes to the timetable proposed to be implemented in December 2017. These included:[43]

* Extending all hourly Bristol–Manchester services to and from Exeter St Davids, providing a total of two trains per hour between Exeter and Birmingham;
* Increasing the frequency of services during peak times on several routes;
* An additional service to and from Aberdeen running in the early afternoon.

To allow these changes to take place, all CrossCountry services on some routes (which had a limited service) would be withdrawn and replaced with extra services run by other operators. These included:

* between Exeter St Davids and Paignton (except for one early-morning northbound service), replaced by Great Western Railway services;
* between Reading and Guildford, replaced by Great Western Railway services;
* between Edinburgh Waverley and Aberdeen in the morning and evening (Aberdeen would be served during the day instead), replaced by ScotRail services.[a]

In April 2017, it was announced the proposed changes would not be proceeding.[44]

### Stations served only by CrossCountry

[edit]

CrossCountry does not manage any stations, although there are stations managed by other train operating companies at which it is the only operator: five stations (Burton-on-Trent, Hinckley, Narborough, South Wigston and Willington) are managed by East Midlands Railway, while three stations (Coleshill Parkway, Water Orton and Wilnecote) are managed by West Midlands Trains. At Tamworth station, which has tracks and platforms at two levels, the high-level platforms are served only by CrossCountry, but the entire station is managed by West Midlands Trains, which serves the low-level platforms alongside Avanti West Coast. Similarly, at Worcestershire Parkway, the low-level platforms are served only by CrossCountry, but the station is managed by Great Western Railway, which serves only the high-level platforms.[citation needed]

Manea was served only by CrossCountry until 2013, when Abellio Greater Anglia started running one train every two hours at the station in addition to the CrossCountry services there.[citation needed]

### Other route information

[edit]

To improve the travelling experience, CrossCountry has designated four stations as alternative changeover stations: these are Cheltenham Spa, Derby, Leamington Spa and Wolverhampton. Connection times can be shorter at these smaller stations. For example, passengers travelling from Cardiff to Edinburgh could change at Cheltenham – where both their trains use the same platform – instead of Birmingham New Street, a larger, more complex station.

## Rolling stock

[edit]

Class 170 Turbostar 170109 at Gloucester Class 220 Voyager 220011 at St Erth, working a service from Penzance to Manchester Piccadilly HST power car 43301 at Newcastle

CrossCountry services are operated using diesel trains only, since none of the routes it operates are fully electrified.[citation needed]

CrossCountry inherited 34 four-car Class 220 Voyagers and 40 five-car and 4 four-car Class 221 Super Voyagers from Virgin CrossCountry as well as 11 two-car and 18 three-car Class 170 Turbostars from Central Trains.[45]

In December 2007 Class 221 Super Voyagers 221101 - 113 and 221142 - 144 were transferred to Virgin Trains West Coast with 221114 - 118 following in December 2008.[46]

A franchise commitment was the acquisition of ten Class 43 power cars and forty Mark 3 carriages. Midland Mainline had six Class 43 power cars and fourteen Mark 3 carriages that were off lease from November 2007 that were leased. The remaining four Class 43 power cars were ex Virgin CrossCountry examples in varying states of decay,[47] while the carriages were five ex-Virgin CrossCountry Mark 3 carriages and twenty-one ex-Virgin Trains West Coast loco-hauled Mark 3B carriages. Most had been in store at Long Marston for a few years.[48]

After driver training the ex-Midland Mainline sets returned to service in May 2008 on Glasgow and Edinburgh to Plymouth diagrams while the other Class 43 power cars were overhauled at Brush Traction including repowering with MTU engines[49][50] and the Mark 3 carriages overhauled at Doncaster Works to a similar specification as GNER's Mallard refurbishments.[51][52] Once these were completed, the ex-Midland Mainline examples were also overhauled.[53]

To operate services to Paignton and Newquay on summer Saturdays, two High Speed Trains were hired from National Express East Coast in 2008.[54] High Speed Trains were hired from East Coast and East Midlands Trains on a number of occasions to operate services from Edinburgh Waverley to Plymouth when HSTs or Voyagers were unavailable.[citation needed]

During 2008, the Class 170 Turbostar fleet was refurbished, during which the three-carriage units repainted at Marcroft Engineering, Stoke-on-Trent, the two-carriage units at EWS's Toton depot and the interiors renewed by Transys Projects, Clacton-on-Sea, including the fitting of first-class seating to the Class 170/5s and 170/6s.[55][56]

The tilt function on the Class 221 Super Voyagers was removed in 2008; tilting was not required on the parts of the West Coast Main Line that CrossCountry serves.[57][58] CrossCountry stated this change would improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs.

Between 2008 and 2009, both the Class 220 Voyagers and Class 221 Super Voyagers underwent refurbishment at Bombardier Transportation's Derby Litchurch Lane Works. This work involved the removal of the shop, adding 25% extra luggage space and fourteen extra standard-class seats to the Class 220 Voyagers and 20% extra luggage space and sixteen extra standard-class seats to the Class 221 Super Voyagers.[59] Three years later, a refresh of the interiors was conducted, during which the standard-class seats were re-covered in the existing red and blue moquette and while the first class seats were finished with a maroon moquette. In summer 2014, CrossCountry began removing the quiet coach designation from such vehicles across its Voyager fleet, believing them to be outdated and to take up an excessive amount of space on a four-car unit; however, it did retain the quiet coaches on its five HST sets.[60]

During November 2017, as a part of CrossCountry's franchise extension, two former Virgin Trains Class 221 Super Voyager driving cars of unit 221144 were reactivated, having been stored at Central Rivers TMD for several years. Two of the existing five-car sets released a centre carriage that, when combined with the reactivated pair of driving cars, formed an additional four-car set to be formed.[61]

In 2021, six of the existing two-carriage Class 170s were lengthened. This happened as a result of East Midlands Railway only leasing the two-carriage driving vehicles of the West Midlands Railway 170/6 sets, hence six centre cars became available when they were replaced by West Midlands Trains for transfer to CrossCountry.[62][63][64][65]

In September 2023, it was announced that seven Class 221 "Super Voyagers" would be transferred from Avanti West Coast to CrossCountry, following the withdrawal of its HSTs.[66]

In March 2024, it was announced that a further five Class 221 Super Voyagers would be transferred from Avanti West Coast. In addition, all of CrossCountry's Voyager trains will be refurbished, as well as its regional Turbostar fleet.[67]

### Current rolling stock

[edit]

Family  | Class  | Image  | Type  | Top speed  | Number  | Carriages  | Built

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

mph  | km/h
Bombardier Turbostar | 170 |

| DMU | 100  | 160  | 7  | 2  | 1998–2002
22  | 3

Bombardier Voyager | 220 Voyager |  | DEMU | 125  | 200  | 34  | 4  | 2000–2001
221 Super Voyager |  | 4  | 4  | 2001–2002
23  | 5

### Past rolling stock

[edit]

The last InterCity 125s were withdrawn on 18 September 2023. The last service operated was the 16:27 from Plymouth to Leeds.[68]

Family  | Class  | Image  | Type  | Top speed  | Number  | Carriages  | Built

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

mph  | km/h
InterCity 125 | 43 |  | Diesel locomotive | 125  | 200  | 12  | 2+7  | 1976–1982
Mark 3 |  | Passenger carriage | 40  | 1975–1988

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The proposed withdrawal did not include the morning/evening services that run only between Edinburgh and Dundee.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "National Rail Enquiries - CrossCountry".
2. ^ "XC Trains Limited". Companies House. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
3. ^ "UK's longest direct train route cancelled by CrossCountry". Independent. 20 April 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
4. ^ Banks, Ken; Philip, Ben (16 May 2025). "We had to be on last run of UK's longest train route". BBC Scotland News. BBC News. Aberdeen. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
5. ^ "New Cross Country Franchise Consultation Document" (PDF). dft.gov.uk. Department for Transport. June 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
6. ^ "New Cross Country Franchise Invitation to Tender" (PDF). dft.gov.uk. Department for Transport. October 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2010.
7. ^ "New rail franchise to increase capacity between major cities". Department for Transport. 10 July 2007. Archived from the original on 12 August 2007.
8. ^ "Arriva welcomes new CrossCountry rail franchise award". Arriva. 10 July 2007. Archived from the original on 20 May 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
9. ^ "Bristol and Manchester linked every two hours in CrossCountry's December timetable" (PDF) (Press release). CrossCountry. 12 December 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
10. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions: How will the timetable change and when?". CrossCountry. Archived from the original on 22 August 2008.
11. ^ "New Southampton train services" (Press release). CrossCountry. 19 November 2010.
12. ^ "East Coast Welcomes Future New Timetable" (Press release). East Coast. 20 January 2010. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013.
13. ^ "Coronavirus: Rail franchise agreements suspended to avoid company collapses". Sky News. 23 March 2020. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
14. ^ Osborne, Samuel (27 December 2021). "COVID-19: Christmas travel disruption as Omicron hits rail and airline staffing". Sky News.
15. ^ "Transport Secretary's statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 4 June 2020". GOV.UK. 4 June 2020. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
16. ^ Paton, Graeme. "Coronavirus: facemask plans mired in confusion". The Times. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
17. ^ "Railway plan puts new focus on passengers". Secretary of State for Transport. 26 March 2013. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
18. ^ "Franchise Letting Process Agreement Between The Secretary Of State For Transport And The Applicants (As Defined)" (PDF). Gov.UK. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
19. ^ "Cross Country rail franchise 2018: prospectus". Department for Transport. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
20. ^ Gill, Oliver (2 July 2019). "Auditors raise rail red flag over fallout from Arriva's £3bn sale". The Daily Telegraph. London.
21. ^ "Rail franchises axed as help for train firms extended". BBC News. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
22. ^ "Direct Award Franchise Agreement relating to Cross Country Franchise" (PDF). Department for Transport. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
23. ^ "CrossCountry handed new three-year deal to run train services". Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
24. ^ "Avanti West Coast awarded long-term contract after significant improvements for passengers" (Press release). Department for Transport. 19 September 2023.
25. ^ "CrossCountry granted franchise extension" (Press release). CrossCountry Trains. n.d. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
26. ^ "Strike action goes ahead on Arriva Cross Country" (Press release). National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
27. ^ Penfold, Simon. "Fresh festive rail chaos as CrossCountry strikes start tomorrow". Express and Star. Wolverhampton. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
28. ^ Probert, Sarah (25 November 2017). "Cross Country Trains to be hit by RMT strike on Sunday". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
29. ^ Weatherby, Bronwen (25 November 2017). "How your journey could be affected by Sunday's rail strike". Bristol Post. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
30. ^ "Arriva Cross Country industrial action suspended" (Press release). National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
31. ^ "Cross Country managers to receive a 3.3% pay rise". www.employeebenefits.co.uk. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
32. ^ "Rail strike: RMT union votes for national action". BBC News. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
33. ^ Burn, Chris (5 July 2022). "CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway staff vote for rail strike action". Yorkshire Post. Leeds.
34. ^ "The dates of the train, Tube and bus strikes this week, and how services will be affected". Inews. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
35. ^ "Trains across the Midlands brought to standstill as rail workers strike over pay and conditions". itv.com. 21 June 2022.
36. ^ Austin, Katy; Howard, Jacqueline (10 August 2024). "'Serious concerns' about CrossCountry rail service". BBC News. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
37. ^ Haigh, Louise (9 August 2024). "Letter from the Secretary of State for Transport to CrossCountry about its train service performance". Department for Transport. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
38. ^ a b "Types of CrossCountry Train". Cross Country. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
39. ^ "Train Timetables". Cross Country. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
40. ^ a b c "Scotland, the North East and Manchester to the South West and South Coast Timetable, December 2023" (PDF). Birmingham: CrossCountry Trains. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
41. ^ a b "Stansted, Cambridge and Nottingham to Birmingham and Cardiff timetable, December 2023" (PDF). Birmingham: CrossCountry Trains. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
42. ^ "London 2012 Olympic Games". CrossCountry. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
43. ^ "CrossCountry Future Timetable Consultation" (PDF). CrossCountry. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
44. ^ "Plans to cut CrossCountry trains to Aberdeen to be scrapped". edinburghnews.scotsman.com. 11 April 2017. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
45. ^ "Class 170 History". Railway UK - UK Railway Information. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
46. ^ "Bio-fuel under review as Virgin confirms Voyager moves". Rail Magazine. No. 575\. 26 September 2007. p. 16.
47. ^ "Ex Virgin HST Power Car List". ukwayfarer.byethost32.com. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
48. ^ "Brush wins XC Class 43 HST overhaul deal". Rail Magazine. No. 586\. 27 February 2008. p. 62.
49. ^ "CrossCountry signs deal to overhaul High Speed Trains" (Press release). Arriva. 24 January 2008. Archived from the original on 20 May 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
50. ^ "MTU fitted Class 43 HST powercars". TheRailwayCentre.com. Archived from the original on 14 January 2007.
51. ^ "Deal signed to refurbish high speed train carriages" (Press release). CrossCountry. 22 April 2008.
52. ^ "Project Profile HST trailer cars" (PDF). Wabtec Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
53. ^ "CrossCountry Unveils First Refurbished HST" (Press release). CrossCountry. 1 October 2008.
54. ^ "More CrossCountry seats for Holidaymakers" (Press release). CrossCountry. 27 March 2008.
55. ^ "Refurbishment of Class 170 Turbostar trains begins" (Press release). CrossCountry. 30 January 2008.
56. ^ "CrossCountry's first refurbished Turbostar enters service" (Press release). CrossCountry. 19 May 2008. Archived from the original on 26 December 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
57. ^ Miles, Tony (August 2008). "CrossCountry stops tilting". Modern Railways. London. p. 71.
58. ^ "CrossCountry removes tilt from its 221 Voyagers". Rail Magazine. No. 595\. 2 July 2008. p. 8.
59. ^ "Seats not shops for Voyagers". Rail Magazine. No. 589\. 9 April 2008. p. 23.
60. ^ Rail Magazine. No. 755\. 20 August 2014. pp. 60–61. `{{cite magazine}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
61. ^ "CrossCountry's extra Voyager in service". Modern Railways. No. 831\. December 2017. p. 85.
62. ^ "Government and CrossCountry work on train capacity plan". Rail Magazine. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
63. ^ "East Midlands Railway plans Spring 2020 start for Class 170s". Rail Magazine. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
64. ^ "Progress on new train fleets continues". Rail Magazine. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
65. ^ "First WMT 170 joins EMR fleet". Rail Magazine. No. 925\. 24 February 2021. p. 28.
66. ^ Aston, Jon (19 September 2023). "Extra Voyagers in new CrossCountry contract". Modern Railways. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
67. ^ May, Tiana (25 March 2024). "UK: CrossCountry Unveils Plans to Transform Fleet by May 2025". Railway News. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
68. ^ "End of an era as last HST service to West Yorkshire set to arrive". Telegraph & Argus. 20 September 2023.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to CrossCountry.

* Official website

Preceded by

Central Trains
Central Trains franchise

|  Operator of New CrossCountry franchise
2007–2027  | Incumbent

|
|

Preceded by

Virgin CrossCountry
InterCity CrossCountry franchise

* v
* t
* e

Train operating companies in the United Kingdom

* Rail transport in Great Britain
* Rail transport in Northern Ireland
* Passenger rail franchising in Great Britain

Current

| National|

* Arriva Rail London
* Avanti West Coast
* c2c1
* Caledonian Sleeper4
* Chiltern Railways
* CrossCountry
* East Midlands Railway
* Govia Thameslink Railway
* Grand Central2
* Greater Anglia
* Great Western Railway
* GTS Rail Operations
* Heathrow Express2
* Hull Trains2
* London North Eastern Railway1
* Lumo2
* Merseyrail
* NI Railways3
* Northern1
* ScotRail4
* Southeastern1
* South Western Railway1
* TransPennine Express1
* Transport for Wales5
* West Midlands Trains

|

International|

* Enterprise3
* Eurostar

Sub-brands|

* Gatwick Express
* Great Northern
* Island Line1
* London Northwestern Railway
* Night Riviera
* Southern
* Stansted Express
* Thameslink
* West Midlands Railway

Operators not subject to franchising or concession:

* 1 Government-owned
* 2 Open-access operator
* 3 Operates on the Irish railway network and state-owned
* 4 Owned by the Scottish Government
* 5 Owned by the Welsh Government

Defunct (since 1994)

* Abellio ScotRail
* Anglia Railways
* Arriva Rail North
* Arriva Trains Merseyside
* Arriva Trains Northern
* Arriva Trains Wales
* c2c
* Central Trains
* Connex South Central
* Connex South Eastern
* East Coast5
* East Midlands Trains
* First Capital Connect
* First Great Eastern
* First Great Western Link
* First North Western
* First ScotRail
* First TransPennine Express
* Gatwick Express1
* Great North Eastern Railway
* Heathrow Connect
* Island Line2
* KeolisAmey Wales
* London Midland
* London Overground Rail Operations
* Midland Mainline
* MTR Crossrail
* National Express East Anglia
* National Express East Coast
* Northern Rail
* ScotRail (National Express)
* Silverlink
* South Eastern Trains5
* Southeastern
* South Western Railway
* South West Trains
* TfL Rail
* Thameslink3
* Thames Trains
* TransPennine Express
* Valley Lines
* Virgin CrossCountry
* Virgin Trains East Coast
* Virgin Trains West Coast
* Wales and Borders
* Wales & West
* Wessex Trains
* West Anglia Great Northern
* Wrexham & Shropshire4

* 1 Separate franchise until 2008; now a sub-brand of Govia Thameslink Railway
* 2 Separate franchise until 2007, now a sub-brand of South Western Railway
* 3 Separate franchise until 2006; later reintroduced as a sub-brand of Govia Thameslink Railway
* 4 Open-access operator
* 5 Operator of last resort

Future

| Future operators|

* Greater Anglia

|

Prospective operators|

* Go-op
* Virgin Trains
* International
* Open Access
* Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway

* Category
* Commons
* Maps

* v
* t
* e

Arriva

UK Bus|

* Arriva Buses Wales
* Arriva Herts & Essex
* Arriva London
* The Heritage Fleet
* Arriva Midlands
* Arriva Derby
* Arriva Midlands East
* Arriva Midlands North
* Arriva North East
* Arriva North West
* Arriva Southern Counties
* Arriva Colchester
* Arriva Kent Thameside
* Arriva Southend
* Fastrack
* Arriva Yorkshire

UK Bus brands|

* Arriva Max
* Arriva Sapphire
* Green Line

UK Trains|

* Arriva Rail London
* Arriva TrainCare
* Chiltern Railways
* CrossCountry
* Grand Central

European operations|

* Arriva RP
* ASF Autolinee (25%)
* NoordNed
* Spurt

Former operations|

* Arriva Click
* Alliance Rail Holdings
* Arriva Bus & Coach
* Arriva Deutschland
* Osthannoversche Eisenbahnen
* Vogtlandbahn
* Arriva Guildford & West Surrey
* Arriva Malta
* Arriva North West & Wales
* Arriva Northumbria
* Arriva Rail North
* Arriva Scotland West
* Arriva Trains Merseyside
* Arriva Trains Northern
* Arriva Trains Wales
* British Bus
* London & Country
* Londonlinks
* Maidstone & District Motor Services
* North Western Road Car Company
* Stevensons of Uttoxeter
* Glasgow Flyer
* Grey-Green
* London Overground Rail Operations (50%)
* New Enterprise Coaches
* Tellings-Golden Miller
* The Original Tour
* Wardle Transport
* Wrexham & Shropshire (50%)
* Yorkshire Tiger

* v
* t
* e

Deutsche Bahn

Divisions|

* DB Cargo
* DB E.C.O. Group
* DB Engineering & Consulting
* DB Fernverkehr
* DB InfraGO
* DB Netze
* DB Regio
* DB Schenker

Foreign subsidiaries|

* DB Cargo France
* DB Cargo Polska
* DB Cargo UK
* DB E.C.O. North America

Services|

* Call a Bike
* EuroCity
* Intercity Express
* Intercity
* Interregio-Express
* Regional-Express
* Regionalbahn
* S-Bahn

History|

* Deutsche Reichsbahn
* Deutsche Bundesbahn
* Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany)

Former subsidiaries and services|

* Alleo
* Alliance Rail Holdings
* Arriva
* Arriva Buses Wales
* Arriva Deutschland
* Arriva Herts & Essex
* Arriva London
* Arriva Malta
* Arriva Max
* Arriva Midlands
* Arriva North East
* Arriva North West
* Arriva PCC (50%)
* Arriva Rail London
* Arriva Rail North
* Arriva Sapphire
* Arriva Scotland West
* Arriva Southern Counties
* Arriva TrainCare
* Arriva Trains Wales
* Arriva Yorkshire
* Bahn TV
* Chiltern Railways
* CityNightLine
* City Night Line
* CrossCountry
* DB AutoZug
* DB Netz
* DB ProjektBau
* DB Reise & Touristik
* DB Station&Service
* Etihad Rail DB (49%)
* Grand Central
* InterRegio
* London Overground Rail Operations (50%)
* Metropolitan
* Scandlines (50%)
* The Original Tour
* Tyne & Wear Metro
* Wardle Transport
* Wrexham & Shropshire
* Yorkshire Tiger

Related topics|

* BahnCard
* Bahntower
* Rail transport in Germany

* Category
* Commons

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[tph]: trains per hour
*[1tp2h]: 1 train per 2 hours
*[tpd]: trains per day
*[2tp3h]: 2 trains per 3 hours
*[1tp3h]: 1 train per 3 hours