The Class 220 was ordered by Virgin Trains as a replacement for the Class 47 locos and High Speed Train (HST) sets used on their Cross Country route.

34 4-car units were built at Bombardier's Horbury plant near Wakefield, and at Bruges in Belgium. Delivery commenced in 2001.

The units mainly work on the Cross Country route, from Penzance in Cornwall as far north as Aberdeen in central Scotland, via Bristol, Birmingham, Derby, York and Edinburgh.

The units originally belonged to Virgin Trains, however in 2007 the franchise was transferred to Arriva CrossCountry and all the vehicles have now been repainted.

The Class 220 has a similar appearance and performance to its 5-car cousin the Class 221, in fact due to its lighter weight it has slightly better acceleration. It is not fitted with the Tilt and Speed Supervision System (TASS) which enables the 221 to maintain a faster speed through curves without compromising passenger comfort.