CrossCountry's £75 Million Voyager Refurbishment Faces Immediate Problems
CrossCountry, previously labelled the UK's worst train operator, has encountered significant setbacks with its newly refurbished Voyager trains. The company launched its first upgraded train last month as part of a £75 million investment to modernise its 70-strong fleet. The refurbishment promised enhanced seating, improved lighting, extended legroom, and advanced onboard technology including CCTV systems.
Multiple Faults Emerge Within Days
However, just three days after the launch, the refurbished long-distance train experienced numerous technical issues. According to CrossCountry sources, problems included broken toilets, a faulty guards' control panel, malfunctioning public address systems, and computer failures affecting air conditioning. One anonymous worker told the Daily Mail: 'The best thing CrossCountry could have done with the Voyagers is to have scrapped them. You can't polish a turd.'
Another employee described the refurbishment as a 'disaster', while a third criticised the superficial improvements: 'They're all fur coat and no knickers.' Passengers have reported persistent sewage smells throughout the trains, and staff highlight that designers failed to consult with employees who would be operating the vehicles daily.
Staff and Passenger Safety Concerns
CrossCountry staff revealed that a trolley test was conducted only four days before public launch, leading to practical problems for catering workers. The newly positioned seat grabs, now lower than before, risk causing hand injuries when wheeling snack trolleys down aisles. Additional issues include tearing rubber trim on doors and minimal improvements to worker areas, with only a new plug socket added to the driving cab.
Passenger feedback has been overwhelmingly negative, with overcrowding remaining a critical issue. On 20th February 2026, passenger Will Douglas shared images on X of an overcrowded Voyager train, writing: 'That was the worst and most unsafe train journey I’ve experienced.' He described elderly, disabled passengers and families with young children being 'packed in like sardines' in toilets, vestibules and luggage areas, with inaudible tannoy announcements creating dangerous conditions.
Broader Criticism of Refurbishment Strategy
A source told the Mail: 'Spending millions on refurbishing old trains won't help ease overcrowding. We need the money spent on providing more trains.' Others noted that carpets already appear grubby, and while staff receive praise, the trains themselves are described as terrible. In one recent incident, hundreds of passengers were stranded at Birmingham New Street when a Voyager train broke down, with insufficient replacement capacity forcing some travellers to wait two hours for the next service.
CrossCountry's Response and Future Plans
A CrossCountry spokesperson stated: 'Our refurbished Voyagers are transforming journeys, attracting positive feedback from colleagues and customers. Ultimately, though, they're still 20-year-old trains that do experience occasional issues, which our onboard colleagues manage confidently when they arise.' The company acknowledged some services are very busy and explained that new technology installed during refurbishment helps better understand passenger demand to optimise capacity.
CrossCountry currently operates three refurbished Voyager trains, with plans to upgrade all 70 to the same standard over the next two years. The rail operator connects major cities including Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol, Newcastle, Leeds, Glasgow, and Edinburgh across Britain. Last year, The Telegraph named CrossCountry the worst train operator in Britain, and in August 2024, Labour MP Navendu Mishra described it as 'one of the worst operating train companies in the country', citing persistent delays, cancellations and overcrowding affecting Stockport passengers.
