The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has announced strike action over East Midlands Railway’s new Aurora (Class 810) trains introduced in December 2025, citing unresolved safety concerns. The dispute between the RMT and East Midlands Railway (EMR) has been ongoing since April 2026.
Strike Dates and Union Actions
RMT members will strike for 48 hours starting at 00:01 BST on 30 August 2026 through 23:59 BST on 31 August 2026, coinciding with the August bank holiday weekend. A further 24-hour strike will run from 00:01 BST on 16 September 2026 until 11:59 BST on 17 September 2026. In addition to full strikes, RMT workers
have engaged in industrial actions short of strikes, such as refusing to operate Class 810 trains.
Train Faults and Safety Issues
The union has reported multiple faults in the Aurora fleet, including defective toilets, malfunctioning air conditioning, door problems, loss of communication between drivers and dispatchers, and instances of trains becoming stranded on tracks. Before the strikes, the RMT highlighted that 16 Class 810 trains required a full auxiliary reset, a process that temporarily disables active safety systems onboard.
EMR acknowledges reliability problems but states it has identified no safety-critical faults that prevent compliance with regulatory standards. The operator has met with union representatives six
times and is collaborating with Hitachi Rail, the train manufacturer, to address the issues.
Impact on East Midlands Railway Services
The strike will affect East Midlands Railway’s Intercity services only; regional routes under EMR will remain operational during the industrial action. Service reductions linked to Class 810 reliability problems led EMR to cancel some Intercity trains in July 2026. The company plans to reinstate some of these cancelled services from the end of August 2026.
Official Statements on Dispute and Disruption
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.”
EMR customer experience director Philippa Cresswell commented, “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.” EMR is currently finalizing service plans for the affected dates.
