Union plans rail strikes over train safety concerns

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The RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) union said it had been in dispute with East Midlands Railway since April following the rollout of its 810 fleet - Image © Getty Images

A union that represents railway staff has announced plans for its members at East Midlands Railway (EMR^» (East Midlands Railway, also known as EMT^» (East Midlands Trains - about) (East Midlands Trains - about)) to take strike action over "growing safety concerns the company has failed to address".

The RMT union said it had been in dispute with EMR since April following the rollout of the 810 fleet (Aurora), which it said had been operating with a "significant number" of faults.  It said its members planned to take strike action on Saturday 1 August and the following two Saturdays.

An EMR spokesperson said any suggestion that the Hitachi Rail Class 810 fleet did not meet the required safety standards was "incorrect", and added it continued "to engage in discussions with RMT regarding this dispute".

Last week, EMR said reliability and maintenance issues with the new Aurora (Class 810) trains - made by Hitachi Rail - were to blame.

EMR has also outlined "challenges" with both the 810s and the older Class 222s, affecting the toilets, air conditioning and catering equipment.  It added the Class 222 trains had also required "additional maintenance support to accommodate increased running and operational requirements".

The operator first introduced the Aurora trains into passenger service in December, after what EMR said was a three-year delay.

According to the RMT, EMR has been sending trains into service that are "likely to fail and require a full reset which leaves the train with no active safety systems".

The BBC has seen an operational briefing, which informs control, signalling and operations staff about undertaking an Aux Off / Aux On reset on EMR class 810 units - which may be required to recover certain faults.

"The process takes approximately 20 minutes and results in the temporary loss of several safety-critical systems, creating an increased risk of an uncontrolled evacuation and removing the driver's normal means of communication with the signaller," it states.

Eddie Dempsey, RMT general secretary, said RMT reps at EMR had been "extremely patient" and tried to engage with management.  "The company has even put out safety notices with no involvement, consultation or negotiation with our reps who represent those most at risk.  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," he said.

An EMR spokesperson said the Hitachi Rail Class 810 fleet entered passenger service after "successfully completing all required testing and meeting rigorous safety standards".

"We recognise the Class 810 fleet has encountered performance and reliability issues in service and are working with the manufacturer, Hitachi Rail, to resolve these issues as quickly as possible," the spokesperson added.

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

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."

RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) Union plans new strikes over train safety concerns

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The Rail, Maritime and Transport union has been in dispute with East Midlands Railway since April - Image © PA^▸ (Public Address (broadcast loudspeaker announcements) or Passenger Assist (railway staff providing physical assistance to passengers with mobility issues), depending on context) Media

Fresh strike dates have been announced for union members working at East Midlands Railway (EMR^» (East Midlands Railway, also known as EMT^» (East Midlands Trains - about) (East Midlands Trains - about)) over "safety concerns" with a new fleet of trains.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has been in dispute with EMR since April following the rollout of the Aurora (Class 810 fleet), which it said had been operating with a "significant number" of faults.

The union said its members would strike for 48 hours from 30 August - the bank holiday weekend - and for 24 hours on 16 September, following three strikes on Saturdays in August.

EMR previously said "no safety-critical faults have been identified that prevent the trains from meeting regulatory requirements for passenger service".

RMT members are continuing to take action "short of strike", including refusing to work on Class 810 trains, which were brought into service in December 2025.

Ahead of the strikes in August, the union said 16 trains in service required "a full auxiliary reset, leaving trains with no active safety systems including loss of communication between train drivers, dispatchers and trackside".

The union's general secretary Eddie Dempsey highlighted faulty toilets, broken air con systems, communication and door issues, as well as seeing trains stranded on the track as the issues.  He said: "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.  It is now time for EMR management to act on the safety concerns of our members."

On Friday, EMR said it had met union representatives six times for "constructive discussions" and said it was working with Hitachi Rail to ensure concerns were being properly addressed.

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The new Aurora (Class 810) trains were brought into service in December 2025 - Image © East Midlands Railway

Philippa Cresswell, EMR customer experience director, said: "We understand how important it is for our customers to have certainty about their travel plans and recognise the uncertainty and disruption this strike action will cause, particularly over the August bank holiday.  Our teams are currently working through the detail of our service plan and assessing what services we will be able to operate on the affected days."

The railway firm added EMR Regional services will not be affected by the strike action.

The newly announced strikes will run from for 24 hours from 00:01 BST on 30 August to 23:59 on 31 August, and for 12 hours from 16 September to 11:59 on 17 September.

EMR reduced services in July due to "reliability issues" with the new Class 810 trains.

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

EMR has since announced it will reinstate some cancelled Intercity services from the end of August.