Strike called over train safety concerns suspended

Strike action set to take place amid a row involving East Midlands Railway (EMR) over safety concerns with a new fleet of trains has been suspended.

The RMT union has been in dispute with the firm since April following the rollout of the Aurora (Class 810) fleet, which the union said had been operating with a "significant number" of faults.

Union members were set to strike for 24 hours from 12:00 BST on Wednesday but a spokesperson for RMT confirmed the action had been suspended following "substantial movement from management".

EMR previously said "no safety-critical faults have been identified that prevent the trains from meeting regulatory requirements for passenger service".

While the strike has been suspended, action "short of strike" planned for 20 September remains in place "if any unsolicited brake applications occur to stop the train", RMT said.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey praised members for "their continued determination to make sure the Class 810 fleet is only used in safe conditions".

"However, it is disappointing that EMR will not accept simple union demands around unsolicited brake applications and the Aux On/Off failures," he said.

"We all want to ensure a safe railway and RMT members at EMR will remain vigilant in the fight for safety."

Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at EMR, said: "We welcome the suspension of the planned strike action and the opportunity this provides to continue our discussions with the RMT to fully resolve the dispute in a a constructive way."

The action next week was set to be the latest in a series of strikes held by union members over concerns with the Class 810 trains, which were brought into service in December 2025.

In August ahead of earlier strike action, the union said 16 trains had been sent into service that required "a full auxiliary rest, leaving trains with no action safety systems including loss of communication between train drivers, dispatchers and trackside".

EMR disputed the figures and said it had happened twice.

It also said: "We would not introduce a Class 810 into service unless we were confident it could operate safely and in line with our safety management processes."

At the time, Dempsey said: "On top of faulty toilets, broken air con systems and communication and door issues, we are seeing trains stranded on the track and staff are losing confidence in safety levels."

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