East Midlands Railway (EMR) is facing a perfect storm of train fleet issues, with two sets of problems causing ongoing service disruptions for passengers. The operator has confirmed that its new Aurora trains (Class 810s) are not alone in their reliability woes, with the older Class 222 units also requiring additional maintenance support.
The troubles began to surface after the introduction of the Hitachi Rail-manufactured Class 810s into passenger service in December 2025, which was three years behind schedule. Despite this, the fleet has failed to meet expectations, with EMR's Managing Director Will Rogers describing their performance as 'below levels we and our customers expect'. This has forced a revised timetable, cancelling several Intercity services and reducing carriage capacity on others.
The affected routes include London St Pancras to Leicester, Nottingham, Lincoln, Derby, and Sheffield. While EMR hasn't given a timeline for the current changes, they will continue until the company resolves the issues with Hitachi Rail's support. The rollout of the remaining Class 810 fleet is expected to be 'controlled' throughout the rest of 2026 and into 2027.
Hitachi Rail has acknowledged that over a third of the new fleet has been delivered since their introduction in December 2025. A spokesperson for Hitachi Rail confirmed they are working closely with EMR, implementing improvements and supporting the transition from existing trains. The manufacturer is also investing in additional testing at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre to enhance fleet introduction.