A planned 24-hour strike by RMT union members against East Midlands Railway (EMR) was suspended on September 11, 2026, just hours before it was due to start at 12:00 BST. The strike concerned safety issues around the new Aurora (Class 810) trains operated by EMR.
The Class 810 trains entered service in December 2025 and have been subject to dispute since April 2026 due to faults including unsolicited brake applications and failures of auxiliary systems (Aux On/Off). The union states these issues pose safety risks, although EMR says no safety-critical faults prevent regulatory compliance for passenger service.
RMT general secretary
Eddie Dempsey praised members for vigilance and their “continued determination to make sure the Class 810 fleet is only used in safe conditions”. He criticized EMR for not accepting “simple union demands” on brake and auxiliary failures. EMR customer experience director Philippa Cresswell said, “We welcome the suspension of the planned strike action and the opportunity this provides to continue our discussions with the RMT to fully resolve the dispute in a constructive way.” EMR and Hitachi Rail have increased maintenance and testing capacity as part of their joint action plan.
While the 24-hour strike on September 11 was suspended,
planned “action short of strike” on September 20 remains active if unsolicited brake applications occur. This limited industrial action could still affect rail services depending on safety incidents.
The dispute began with faults on multiple Class 810 trains after their December 2025 introduction. By August 2026, at least 16 trains required full auxiliary resets, which can disrupt essential communications and safety systems. EMR and Hitachi Rail have implemented the auxiliary reset process agreed with the union to improve reliability and passenger comfort.
