Workers at East Midlands Railway (EMR) are set to strike on Saturday in an ongoing dispute over safety. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has been in dispute with EMR since April, following the rollout of an 810 fleet, which the union claimed has been operating with a number of faults. The company denied the claim.
Union demands action
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “On top of faulty toilets, broken air con systems and communication and door issues, we are seeing trains stranded on the track and staff are losing confidence in safety levels. RMT is demanding that whilst these faults exist and until these trains are shown to be operating properly, they should be taken out of service.”
Company response
A company spokesperson said: “EMR remains committed to delivering the safe, reliable, high-performing and punctual service our customers expect, while operating a railway our colleagues can be proud to be part of.
“When EMR selected Hitachi to build and maintain the new Aurora intercity trains and to maintain the outgoing fleet, we did so based on its global reputation for engineering excellence and the proven performance of its trains across the UK rail network and internationally.
“That reputation is why we remain confident that Hitachi, which has also been invited by Northern to bid for its new train fleet, will address all the performance issues that we have consistently pressed for.
“We have agreed an integrated action plan to support this work and look forward to seeing rapid improvements, with Hitachi’s Global Executive Leadership team now directly involved and bringing its expertise to bear.
“Despite the reliability issues, all EMR trains, including the Class 810 fleet, have been licensed by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and only entered service after successfully completing all required testing and meeting the regulator’s rigorous safety standards.
“Hitachi’s increased focus was both necessary and welcome. We will continue to work closely with Hitachi to ensure these issues are resolved for the benefit of our colleagues and customers.”
Service disruption
A statement on the East Midlands Railway website says there will be a "significantly reduced" train service to and from London St Pancras, with trains starting after 7am and finishing before 7pm, on Saturday 8 August and Saturday 15 August 2026.
It added: "We advise you to check your full journey, including first and last trains, before travelling on these dates."
