East Midlands Railway (EMR) staff will carry out 24-hour strikes on August 1, 8, and 15, 2026, shutting down normal operations on key Intercity and Connect routes. The strike action will run from 07:00 to 19:00 on those Saturdays, with a reduced service operating only between Nottingham, Sheffield, and Corby to London St Pancras.
Strikes linked to safety concerns over new Class 810 trains
The walkouts by members of the RMT union come amid growing safety concerns about EMR’s recently introduced Hitachi Rail Class 810 (Aurora) trains, which entered service in December 2025. The RMT claims these trains are at risk of failure and require resets that deactivate active safety
systems.
EMR rejects the union’s safety criticism, stating that the Class 810 fleet meets all required safety standards and passed all regulatory testing before entering passenger service. However, EMR admits to ongoing performance and reliability challenges affecting onboard features such as toilets, air conditioning, and catering equipment on both the Class 810 and older Class 222 trains.
Service reductions and travel advice for strike days
During the strike days, EMR will operate a significantly reduced timetable from 07:00 to 19:00 on affected Intercity and Connect routes. Services will be limited to one train per hour on Nottingham to London St Pancras, Sheffield to London St Pancras, and Corby
to London St Pancras routes.
Rail replacement buses will not be provided during the strikes. Passengers have been advised to travel only if necessary on August 1, 8, and 15. Regional services operated by EMR will continue as normal and will not be impacted by the industrial action.
Statements from union, company and manufacturer
RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said the strikes will proceed because EMR refuses to remove the Class 810 trains from service despite attempts at negotiation. Dempsey highlighted the recent resignation of EMR’s managing director Will Rogers as an indicator of the company’s current challenges.
An EMR spokesperson emphasized that the Class 810
trains meet all independent safety standards and acknowledged ongoing efforts to resolve reliability issues with Hitachi Rail. A representative from Hitachi Rail confirmed the company is investing in additional testing at its Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre to enhance fleet introduction and delivery.
“Despite numerous attempts to resolve the dispute through talks EMR will not remove the 810s from service therefore the strikes will go ahead, and we remain available for further talks,” Dempsey said.
EMR stated, “Any suggestion that the Hitachi Rail Class 810 fleet does not meet the required safety standards is incorrect. These trains entered passenger service
only after successfully completing all required testing and meeting the rigorous safety standards required by the independent regulator.”
The dispute highlights difficulties in rolling out the new Class 810 trains, which are intended to replace aging stock. The departure of Will Rogers as managing director comes amid the ongoing issues surrounding this fleet.
