CrossCountry XC Class 170 refurbishment

[Liverpool 507]

So, I’m not sure if these have been shared on here already. If not, be prepared, your in for a surprise…

mods note, split from here

Are there any mock ups for the 170s?

 

[Doomotron]

Yes, someone uploaded it earlier in the thread.

 

[skyhigh]

Yes, someone uploaded it earlier in the thread.

Not the internals?

 

[Doomotron]

T

Not the internals?

No, just the exterior livery.

 

[skyhigh]

T

No, just the exterior livery.

I think the internal mock ups are what was being asked for...

 

[TheBigD]

Are there any mock ups for the 170s?

The Modern Railways article states that for the 170s, first class will be 2+2 abreast and increased from 9 to 11 seats. 5 standard seats will be removed and replaced with 3 tip up seats in a new multipurpose area for bikes etc.



Maybe this thread could be split and a new one created for the 170s.

 

[Cowley]

Would someone be able to do me the favour of adding the exterior shots of the 170s please?

I’ve split the thread but we could with them for a bit of context.

Thanks

 

[gabrielhj07]

I think this is the one

 

[Cowley]

I think this is the one

Great. Thanks for doing that.

 

[bnsf734]

The Modern Railways article does not mention whether any power sockets or USB ports are being fitted to the Class 170's, although a render of a second class table bay does show table mounted 3 pin sockets so I am hopeful they are included.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

The Modern Railways article does not mention whether any power sockets or USB ports are being fitted to the Class 170's, although a render of a second class table bay does show table mounted 3 pin sockets so I am hopeful they are included.

I’d be gobsmacked if the refurbishment didn’t land them with charging points these days. Utterly gobsmacked.

 

[superalbs]

I’d be gobsmacked if the refurbishment didn’t land them with charging points these days. Utterly gobsmacked.

Yet here we are on SWR, with the 159s still yet to be fitted with any power except First Class. Despite a recent refurbishment. Can't rule it out...

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Yet here we are on SWR, with the 159s still yet to be fitted with any power except First Class. Despite a recent refurbishment. Can't rule it out...

Hardly a refurbishment, they put some seat covers on the standard class seats. There's not even that in first.

 

[Snow1964]

This is in the consultation to not make them fully PRM (persons of reduced mobility) compliant. Covers both XC and East Midlands 170s

Scope of the refurbishment, Class 170/1, 170/3, 170/5 and 170/6​

• new seats and tables throughout, retaining existing layouts
• new PIS including:
  • LCD screens
  • call for aid (CfA)
  • passenger emergency alarm (PEA)

Scope of the refurbishment, Class 170/2​

• new seats and tables in the existing first-class areas, are to be declassified to a standard class area
• new seats in the wheelchair area next to the universal access toilet (UAT)
• no change to all other existing seats with foams and moquettes renewed only
• new PIS including LCD screens, CfA, and PEA

The level of compliance achieved with the requirements of the PRM NTSN can be summarised for the refurbishment scope as follows:

• 90 requirements to achieve compliance achieved
• 118 requirements not applicable
• 2 requirements for dispensation

This summary clearly shows Porterbrook’s commitment to the betterment of the Class 170 fleet, with 90 of 92 applicable clauses meeting compliance in full.

Rail vehicle dispensation: Porterbrook refurbished Class 170s for CrossCountry Trains and East Midlands Railways

www.gov.uk

 

[TheBigD]

The mockup photos for the XC 170s from the Modern railways article...

 

[387gwr]

The mockup photos for the XC 170s from the Modern railways article...

Interesting, are the seats red?

 

[RealTrains07]

iam surprised first class is not being removed entirely on the xc 170s as it seems a bit pointless now the seats are changing to 2+2 with the exact same seats as standard

 

[Mugby]

I have no problem with the existing seats in XC 170s they're comfortable enough, the headrests are very good, so are the arm rests.

If the Modern Railways mock up is an accurate representation, the replacement seats look pretty horrible, the arm rests look very cheap and nasty!

 

[ge-gn]

I wasted some money today upgrading to first on a 170. Same seats as standard albeiit in 2+1 layout and reclining option that didnt work. And fellow passengers who had also seatfrogged and won’t bother again. It isn’t an Intercity (it’s a long distance regional service so what’s the point in 1st. There was a trolley service on board, but that concentrated on standard passengers and didn’t bother with 1st class at all! But that’s for another thread!

They are rank though and need urgent refurb.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It isn’t an Intercity (it’s a long distance regional service so what’s the point in 1st.

I have to say I do find it funny that you think this and yet pay for it yourself… or were you expecting a Voyager to show?

 

[aar0]

I have no problem with the existing seats in XC 170s they're comfortable enough, the headrests are very good, so are the arm rests.

They’ve got awful legroom, I try my best to avoid XC 170s as at 6’6” I basically have to stand

 

[Balders]

Yet here we are on SWR, with the 159s still yet to be fitted with any power except First Class. Despite a recent refurbishment. Can't rule it out...

Seen pictures today of the 170 proposal........the chargers appear to be in a block bolted to the central underside in the middle of the tables. I guess this is to make them robust and easily accessible (as opposed to between the seats which is a bit fiddly). Not sure how that's going to affect leg room when you're trying to slide in and out as in smacking your knee on them. But it's a mock up and things change. Wall mounted seems the better option but it's just how much work that entails.

Cheers

Guy

 

[anthony263]

The Modern Railways article does not mention whether any power sockets or USB ports are being fitted to the Class 170's, although a render of a second class table bay does show table mounted 3 pin sockets so I am hopeful they are included.

I travelled on one of the Cardiff to Nottingham services Friday morning. The conductor apologised for lack of charging sockets and said there wouldn't be until after cross country complete their refurbishment

 

[Kite159]

2+2 seating in First Class, will make it less appealing and will be a bit like first class on Southern or Great Northern.

Hopefully they might do something with the awful legroom on the /1 subclass.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

2+2 seating in First Class, will make it less appealing and will be a bit like first class on Southern or Great Northern.

Hopefully they might do something with the awful legroom on the /1 subclass.

Is it worse on the /1s than the /6s? I can’t say I’d noticed.
The Lazarini seats are thick though so hopefully installing the FISAs will help.

 

[Snow1964]

Seems XC have extended the outsourced maintenance of its 170s to 2031 with West Midlands trains at Tyseley

West Midlands Trains (WMT) has signed a new long-term maintenance contract with CrossCountry to continue maintaining the long-distance operator’s Class 170 fleet at WMT’s Tyseley depot in Birmingham.

The contract, which started this month, secures jobs in the region through to 2031 and reaffirms the partnership between the two train operating companies. It will see WMT continue to maintain, service and clean the Class 170 fleet.

John Doughty, Engineering Director at West Midlands Trains, said:

“Servicing, maintaining and cleaning the Class 170 fleet has been, and continues to be, an important part of Tyseley depot’s workload and we are delighted to have signed this new contract with CrossCountry.

"The Class 170 fleet provides services connecting regions running from Cardiff and Gloucester in the west through Birmingham to Derby, Leicester and Nottingham in the East Midlands and onwards to Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport in the east.

“The fleet shares many synergies with West Midlands Trains’ own class 172 fleet and the contract ties in perfectly with our commitment to investing in new infrastructure at depots.”

Adrian Hugill, CrossCountry’s Fleet & Engineering Director, said:

“It’s fantastic to announce our renewed contract with West Midlands Trains who have looked after our regional Class 170 fleet so carefully for many years already. With Tyseley so close to the hub of the CrossCountry network in Birmingham, not only does this decision make perfect operational sense, but it’s important for us to support the communities and economies in Tyseley and wider Birmingham with many more years of planned work for the West Midlands Trains depot.”

As part of infrastructure investments, in addition to a completed new stores building and an already improved fuelling and servicing facility, Tyseley depot is undergoing major upgrades.

The work includes the installation of four new high level mobile gantries and hoists, a synchronous lift facility to lift a full length unit, a package of environmental improvements including shore supplies to reduce diesel engine running, extensions to two of the maintenance buildings and the introduction of an Automatic Vehicle Inspection System (AVIS).

West Midlands Trains and CrossCountry sign new long-term maintenance contract

West Midlands Trains (WMT) has signed a new long-term maintenance contract with CrossCountry to continue maintaining the long-distance operator’s Class 170 fleet at WMT’s Tyseley depot in Birmingham.The contract, which started this month, secures jobs in the region through to 2031 and reaffirms...

www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk

 

[Russel]

Seems XC have extended the outsourced maintenance of its 170s to 2031 with West Midlands trains at Tyseley

West Midlands Trains and CrossCountry sign new long-term maintenance contract

West Midlands Trains (WMT) has signed a new long-term maintenance contract with CrossCountry to continue maintaining the long-distance operator’s Class 170 fleet at WMT’s Tyseley depot in Birmingham.The contract, which started this month, secures jobs in the region through to 2031 and reaffirms...

www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk

Seems a sensible option, keeping the maintenance at the depot that's been doing it for the last 20 years.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Porterbrook awarded Tidyco a contract to refurbish the air conditioning and ventilation on 444 170s, including those with XC.

UK: Porterbrook Leasing has awarded Tidyco a contract to overhaul and refurbish 444 cab and saloon heating, ventilation and air-conditioning modules from ADtranz/Bombardier Class 170 Turbostar diesel multiple-units operated by East Midlands Railway and CrossCountry.

Porterbrook and Tidyco have worked together to develop a bespoke overhaul programme, including component replacement, fan overhauls and thorough testing.

The project is expected to take 2½ years.

‘Tidyco has put a tremendous amount of effort into establishing itself as a key player in the rail overhaul sector and Porterbrook’s decision to engage Tidyco is a testament to that’, said the hydraulic and pneumatic products company’s Rail Division Director Paul Jacks on May 13.

Guy Heywood, Head of Procurement at Porterbrook, said ‘part of the appeal of working with Tidyco was its flexibility and adaptiveness. We saw how they could help us, and both companies being based in Derby meant that problems were easier to address, and processes could be streamlined quickly and efficiently.’

Tidyco to overhaul Class 170 HVAC units

UK: Porterbrook Leasing has awarded Tidyco a contract to overhaul and refurbish 444 cab and saloon heating, ventilation and air-conditioning modules from ADtranz/Bombardier Class 170 Turbostar diesel multiple-units operated by East Midlands Railway and CrossCountry. Porterbrook and Tidyco have...

www.railwaygazette.com

Good news for XC and passengers, at least services will be a bit cooler (hopefully) in the future for passengers, who will still have to stand due to overcrowding.

 

[Discuss223]

CrossCountry Class 170 Turbostar Refurbishment
There's a thread for the Voyager refurbishment but not the CrossCountry Turbostars, so here it is. A refurbishment scheme has been planned for 2025 which will see a new "bubblegum pink" scheme added to the colour base.

• Train operator announces massive expansion to long-distance fleet, transforming journeys with around 25% more seats available than today.
• Extra trains arriving soon mean over 12,000 more seats per week for CrossCountry customers planning rail getaways this summer.
• All 58 of CrossCountry’s existing Voyager trains will also be fully refurbished - as well as its regional Turbostar fleet.

Long-distance train operator CrossCountry has secured a further five Voyager trains from rolling stock company Beacon Rail in a significant boost for capacity. The five trains come in addition to the seven extra Voyager trains secured in October.

The 12 extra trains - totalling 60 additional carriages - will strengthen CrossCountry’s long-distance services from May 2025, increasing capacity on north-south routes by over 36,000 seats per week. Combined with a new timetable proposed from May 2025, rail users will see more services as well as longer trains across the network – particularly on CrossCountry’s busy Reading to Newcastle corridor.

Extra trains will be progressively introduced into service on CrossCountry routes from June 2024 following their release from Avanti West Coast, providing a crucial uplift in capacity of around 12,000 seats per week in time for the busy summer holiday period.

Though the extra trains will be brought into service as quickly as possible, a further move to relieve crowding on some of CrossCountry’s long-distance services this summer will see temporary changes to the timetable - meaning busier services will make fewer station calls from June to September only.

Adjusting these calling patterns – at Wakefield Westgate and Chesterfield, Basingstoke and Winchester – encourages passengers making shorter journeys to switch to other operators, providing more capacity for CrossCountry customers making longer journeys.

Also announced is the complete refurbishment of both of CrossCountry’s train fleets – including Turbostar trains which operate regional services from Birmingham to Cardiff, Nottingham and Stansted Airport - transforming the on-board experience for customers across all CrossCountry routes by summer 2026.

Julian Edwards and Scott Maynard, CrossCountry’s Interim Managing Directors, said: “We’re delighted to announce these transformational changes in fleet and on-board experience, which customers will start to benefit from as soon as this summer.
“Our teams are working hard to ensure the smooth introduction and refurbishment of extra trains and we look forward to working with colleagues at Alstom and Beacon Trains to give the ever-impressive Voyager fleet a new lease of life on the CrossCountry network.”

Rail Minister, Huw Merriman MP, said: “More seats, services and refurbished trains will make for a better passenger experience, helping to relieve crowding. As well as benefiting those travelling with CrossCountry, this important investment in upgraded trains also builds on our record of supporting the rail supply chain."

Peter Broadley, Alstom's Managing Director of Rolling Stock and Services for UK and Ireland, said: “For more than 20 years, CrossCountry’s Voyagers have proudly served towns and cities across Great Britain – travelling millions of miles in the process. We now look forward to giving these iconic Alstom-built trains some well-deserved TLC with a comprehensive overhaul that will include new seats, on-board technology enhancements and an exterior repaint.
“Not only will the refurbishment delight fare-paying customers with increased levels of comfort and accessibility, the overhaul programme will support UK suppliers and skilled jobs across the country.”

Bigger fleet, more seats: CrossCountry reveals plans to transform customer experience by May 2025 | CrossCountry

Train operator announces massive expansion to long-distance fleet, transforming journeys with around 25% more seats available than today.

www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk

I have already seen what I believe to be a prototype for the light fitting refurbishment, on unit 170619, which now has some experimental light filters with three vertical circles in the middle of them. I didn't have my camera with me, or else I'd have gotten a photograph. The lights also appeared to be brighter but didn't seem to be LED.

The full refurbishment is due to commence in 2025 and be completed by 2026.

 

[Snow1964]

@Discuss223 Slightly confused by the dates, as the article you linked headlines with customer experience will be transformed by May 2025

Bigger fleet, more seats: CrossCountry reveals plans to transform customer experience by May 2025 | CrossCountry

Train operator announces massive expansion to long-distance fleet, transforming journeys with around 25% more seats available than today.

www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk

So why would it be continuing beyond May ?

EDIT : now realised, the big banner headline says May 2025, but further down in the text it says summer 2026