Union continues strike over train 'safety concerns'

RMT union members at East Midlands Railway (EMR) are continuing strike action over "safety concerns" with a new fleet of trains.

Members are striking on Saturday as the union is in dispute with EMR after the roll out of the 810 fleet.

The RMT said in a statement on Friday that 16 trains were sent into service this month that required "a full auxiliary reset, leaving trains with no active safety systems including loss of communication between train drivers, dispatchers and trackside".

EMR disputed those figures, saying it happened twice this month. It said "no safety-critical faults have been identified that prevent the trains from meeting regulatory requirements for passenger service".

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."

On Saturday, an EMR spokesperson said the firm continued to "engage constructively with the RMT as discussions progress".

They added: "As with any new fleet introduction, a small number of issues have been identified during the early operation of the Class 810 fleet, but no safety-critical faults have been identified that prevent the trains from meeting regulatory requirements for passenger service.

"If a full reset of the train is required, it is the driver's responsibility to ensure that the controlling signaller is made aware of the train fault, establish a secondary means of communication with the signaller (for example, a mobile phone) and ensure a full all line block has been granted before doing so.

"Additionally, authorisation must be received from EMR's control team before undertaking a full Class 810 train reset.

"We would not introduce a Class 810 into service unless we were confident it could operate safely and in line with our safety management processes. Hitachi Rail, as the manufacturer and maintainer, is continuing to resolve identified issues and improve fleet reliability as quickly as possible."

EMR reduced services in July due to "reliability issues" with the new Aurora (Class 810) trains, which were brought into service in December 2025.

Last week, EMR and Hitachi said they were working together on an "agreed action plan" to see improvements made to both the new fleet and the older Class 222 fleet.

Hitachi Rail has said it has increased its capacity for "modifications and testing", and was working with all partners to resolve the issues.

However, no estimated or definitive time period has been confirmed as to when services will be reinstated to a normal timetable.

EMR has said it will operate a "significantly reduced service timetable" when union members strike on Saturday and 15 August - starting at 07:00 and finishing before 19:00 on its Intercity and Connect routes.

Intercity services run between the East Midlands and London while the Connect route provides services between London St Pancras and Luton Airport.

Action short of a strike is planned from Sunday to 14 August, and from 16 August until further notice. EMR said trains may be subject to short notice changes and cancellations on those dates.

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