The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has been in dispute with East Midlands Railway (EMR) since April 2026 concerning safety issues with the newly introduced Aurora (Class 810) trains.
The union confirmed strike action of 48 hours starting at 00:01 BST on 30 August 2026 until 23:59 on 31 August, as well as a 24-hour strike from 00:01 BST on 16 September to 11:59 BST on 17 September 2026. This follows three prior one-day strikes on Saturdays during August 2026.
Faults Affecting Aurora Fleet
RMT has identified multiple faults with the Class 810 fleet, including 16 trains requiring a full auxiliary reset which
disables active safety systems such as communications between train drivers, dispatchers, and trackside staff. Reported issues also include faulty toilets, broken air conditioning units, door malfunctions, and instances of trains stranded on tracks.
Union Industrial Actions
Alongside strikes, RMT members are engaged in industrial action short of a strike, notably refusing to work on the Class 810 trains. The union demands that affected trains be removed from service until all faults are resolved and the trains operate safely.
Official Responses and Negotiations
East Midlands Railway maintains that no safety-critical faults have prevented the Aurora trains from meeting regulatory standards. EMR has held six meetings with union representatives
to address concerns and is collaborating with Hitachi Rail—the train manufacturer—to enhance capacity for modifications and testing to fix defects. EMR customer experience director Philippa Cresswell acknowledged the disruption the strikes might cause and stated the company is developing service plans and assessing operations for strike days.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey 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.”
Impact on Services and Passengers
EMR noted that its regional services
will not be affected by the strike actions. The company previously reduced services in July 2026 due to reliability problems with the Class 810 trains and plans to reinstate some cancelled Intercity services from the end of August. Passenger disruption is expected especially over the August bank holiday weekend.
Aurora Fleet Introduction and Manufacturer’s Role
The Aurora Class 810 trains were introduced into service in December 2025 as part of EMR’s modern fleet. Hitachi Rail is actively working with EMR to address the faults by increasing testing and modification capacity across the new fleet to meet operational and safety standards.
