British Rail Class 222

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The East Midland Trains Class 222 Meridian Diesel Electric Multiple Unit was the first main line service I had been on during my trip in England this year. Boarded at the beautiful London St Pancras International, the service took me to Sheffield, 160 some miles to the north in just over 2 hours time. Due to the track condition of the Midland Main Line, the Class 222 was not developing her full potential to achieve her top speed of 125 mph, it was definitely a very comfy and relaxing ride (although in North American standards, the seats were very hard and small). More technical jargon about the Class 222 can be found on my post about the Class 220/221, as the 222 was an prettier and slightly evolved version of the 220 (lightweight non-tilt truck design). At her heart, Cummins QSK19 engines (1,159 cu. in. 6 cylinder) pumps out 750 horsepower under each car body. After some rearrangement by the Train Operating Companies over the years, the Class 222 now comes in 4, 5, or 7-car formations and are exclusively operated by East Midland Trains between London St Pancras and Sheffield, Nottingham, or Corby. The Class 222 was entered into service in 2003 by the TOC then Midland Mainline.

 

CrossCountry 220/221 (Left) and East Midland Trains 222 (Right) at Sheffield

Comments

Kali said…
They're not terribly popular for us UK folk; the seats are indeed small and cramped. The older High Speed Trains are usually better, although some of the TOCs ( like First GreatWestern ) are doing their best to make them as uncomfortable as possible.
Jul 23, 2012, 11:21:00 AM
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