Passengers face further wait for new trains

New trains connecting Derby, Nottingham, Leicester and Sheffield with London are facing more delays before they are introduced.

East Midlands Railway's fleet of Class 810 Aurora trains were originally meant to enter service in 2022 but have yet to be used by passengers.

The new trains, which can run using diesel or electric power, have reportedly faced a series of teething problems during testing, with the latest delay initially reported by Rail Magazine.

The firm had previously hoped passengers would see the trains in service from May 2025 but now merely says it is committed to starting the introduction of the Class 810 trains on its Intercity route "as soon as possible".

East Midlands Railway's new Intercity fleet of 33 five-carriage trains is being built by Hitachi Rail in County Durham.

They were ordered to replace diesel trains introduced in 2004 and will run off electric power from overhead lines between London St Pancras and a junction to the south of Leicester.

Diesel engines will power the trains elsewhere on the network.

The Class 810 units are similar to existing trains running on the East Coast and Great Western main lines and promise improved features for passengers including more seats, fresh, modern interiors, air conditioning, free WiFi, plug sockets and better passenger information screens.

The first trains delivered to the operator have been undergoing testing on the UK rail network.

Freelance transport writer Pip Dunn says East Midlands Railway (EMR) is not alone in experiencing teething problems with its new trains.

"The delays of the Class 810s is just another in a long line of new trains failing to enter traffic on a date even close to their intended introduction," he said, adding the delay could have a serious knock-on effect.

"In this case, there is the added issue that some of the Class 222 trains EMR is due to return to their leasing company have already been earmarked for another user, so it is inevitable that one operator is going to be short of the number of trains it needs to fulfil their timetables."

In a statement, EMR told the BBC it was working to bring the new trains into service as soon as possible.

"Testing and validation of the units has commenced and will continue over the summer," it said.

"Following this, we will be able to accept units and begin to train our drivers and train crews".

A spokesman added: "We remain committed to starting the introduction of the Class 810 trains on our Intercity route as soon as possible, with a phased roll-out during 2026.

"In parallel, we are working closely with industry partners to ensure service continuity and minimise the impact on passengers whilst we transition to our new trains".

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