Train services reduced over issues with new fleet

East Midlands Railway (EMR) has announced it will reduce services "until further notice" due to problems with a new fleet of trains.

The operator first introduced the Aurora (Class 810) trains - made by Hitachi Rail - into passenger service in December, after what EMR said was a three-year delay.

A number of Intercity services, which run to and from London St Pancras, will be cancelled from Monday, while other services will have fewer carriages.

Will Rogers, managing director of EMR, said the performance of the Class 810 fleet had "fallen below the levels we and our customers expect" and that the timetable change was "necessary".

The Intercity services run between London and destinations including Leicester, Nottingham, Lincoln, Derby and Sheffield.

EMR did not say how long the timetable changes would be in place for, but said in a statement they would remain in place while "EMR works with the manufacturer, Hitachi Rail, to resolve disruption for customers as soon as possible".

EMR said customers who had already booked tickets and found their service was no longer running would be able to travel up to either two trains prior or two trains after the affected service.

Customers who decide not travel will be able to request a full refund, the operator said.

An EMR spokesperson said: "The introduction of the new Class 810 fleet was designed to provide a smooth transition from the Class 222 fleet, with a significant period where both fleets would operate alongside one another under the maintenance of Hitachi Rail.

"However, a three-year delay in the first Class 810 trains coming into service, together with ongoing service reliability and maintenance issues across both fleets, has significantly impacted upon EMR's ability to run a reliable Intercity service."

The operator said the new fleet met all required safety standards and came into service after "necessary testing and regulatory approvals".

EMR said the rollout of the new Class 810 fleet would continue "in a controlled manner" throughout the rest of the year and 2027.

Rogers said: "We recognise that this will be disappointing for customers, and we understand the frustration caused when our Intercity services do not consistently meet the standards they rightly expect, which in turn puts our front-line staff in an unenviable position of trying to deliver excellent customer service amidst ongoing reliability challenges.

"We are sorry for the significant disruption and inconvenience these issues have caused our customers, and we are committed to restoring the reliable service they rightly expect."

EMR has run a reduced timetable for the past two weeks, citing issues relating to the warm weather.

However, experts told the BBC while the weather was impacting services, there were a number of existing factors affecting the trains.

Bruce Williamson, from rail passenger group Railfuture, said: "Quite simply any reduction in service is a step in the wrong direction.

"Passengers want to see a more reliable, less-crowded service and this is moving the railway in totally the wrong direction. People will be, very understandably, unhappy about it."

Harborough MP Neil O'Brien, who regularly uses EMR services, said: "This is the latest nightmare for people who use EMR. It's a total mess and it has been a mess for months."

EMR has published a list of all cancellations online.

A Hitachi Rail spokesperson said: "The Class 810 fleet has been in passenger service with East Midlands Railway since December 2025 and more than a third of the fleet has now been delivered.

"Hitachi Rail continues to work closely with all industry partners during the entry-into-service phase of the Class 810 fleet, implementing improvements and supporting the transition from the existing fleet to new Aurora trains.

"We remain focused on delivering the remainder of the fleet and supporting East Midlands Railway as more new trains enter passenger service. As part of this commitment, we are investing in additional testing activity at Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre to improve fleet introduction and delivery of the remaining trains."

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