The RMT has voiced its growing safety concerns regarding the new trains, claiming that they have been released into service with a significant number of faults. Trains allegedly being sent out to operate that are likely to fail and require a full reset could lead to temporary loss of critical systems, hindering driver communication with signallers.
At the centre of the controversy is the 20-minute 'Aux Off / Aux On' reset process for the Class 810 units. An operational briefing seen by the BBC highlights this issue, which the union claims poses a significant problem.
EMR has refuted suggestions that the Hitachi Rail Class 810 fleet does not meet required safety standards. However, they have acknowledged encountering performance and reliability issues with the Class 810 fleet since its introduction in December 2025. Challenges have also been noted with older Class 222 trains, including toilet, air conditioning, and catering equipment problems.
Eddie Dempsey, RMT General Secretary, has accused EMR of issuing safety notices without consulting union representatives. The union is demanding that the faulty trains be withdrawn from service until all issues are resolved and their safe operation can be definitively demonstrated.
Hitachi Rail confirmed that over a third of the Class 810 fleet has been delivered and that they are working with EMR to implement improvements, including investing in additional testing. Despite this, both EMR and Hitachi Rail have reiterated their commitment to resolving the current issues. The planned strike action is set to impact thousands of passengers relying on East Midlands Railway services over the summer weekends.