Reduced train timetable enforced as EMR admits ‘ongoing reliability challenges’ on Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough services

EMR, operated by Transport UK, has announced a ‘temporary reduced’ Intercity timetable from Monday, July 20, after the performance of the new Aurora Class 810 fleet and the maintenance of EMR’s existing Class 222 fleet.

Since before the fatal Bedford train crash involving an Aurora train and a Connect 360 ‘Luton Airport Express service, passengers using trains on the Midland Mainline have reported delays, overcrowding and lack of air conditioning.

Earlier this month, when the Northants Telegraph questioned disruption to services, our reporter was told ‘360 connect services were running as planned’.

Will Rogers, managing director at East Midlands Railway, said: “The performance of the Class 810 fleet has fallen below the levels we and our customers expect, and it is necessary to introduce a temporary reduced timetable while we work with the manufacturer, Hitachi Rail, to improve consistency in service.

“We recognise that this will be disappointing for customers, and we understand the frustration caused when our Intercity services do not consistently meet the standards they rightly expect, which in turn puts our frontline staff in an unenviable position of trying to deliver excellent customer service amidst ongoing reliability challenges.

“We are sorry for the significant disruption and inconvenience these issues have caused our customers, and we are committed to restoring the reliable service they rightly expect.”

Market Harborough MP and regular commuter Neil O’Brien has been campaigning for improvements to train services to and from London St Pancras.

Vocal on his social media, he described the Midland Mainline service as ‘falling apart, with ‘squalid’ trains.

He said: “The toilets don’t work, the doors don’t work, the windows are blown. Too often several carriages have air-conditioning that doesn’t work.

“You end up standing like cattle on a shortened train. And the service is dire. In the last two weeks only half of trains have arrived on time.

“A quarter were late, and fully a quarter were either cancelled or very late (over half an hour).”

In response to the EMR statement, Corby Cllr Mark Pengelly said: “While EMR say this will only affect part of their services it is clear that there are knock-on effects and I am being called on a regular basis about the poor service provided.

“We also need to know if this will also affect the introduction of new rolling stock promised on the Corby, Kettering Wellingborough services later this year.

“I will be writing to the three local MPs asking them to arrange a meeting with the operator to find out why this is happening.”

The introduction of the new Class 810 fleet was designed to provide a ‘smooth transition’ from the Class 222 fleet, with a significant period where both fleets would operate alongside one another under the maintenance of Hitachi Rail.

However, a three-year delay in the first Class 810 trains coming into service, together with ongoing service reliability and maintenance issues across both fleets, has significantly impacted upon EMR’s ability to run a reliable Intercity service.

EMR says the Class 810 fleet meets ‘all required safety standards’ but service reliability has not yet reached the standard the company expects, leaving its frontline teams too often trying to deliver customer service with trains that are ‘not presented in a condition they, or our customers, deserve’.

The stop-gap timetable will be in place until reliability issues affecting both fleets are resolved.

Customers who have already booked a ticket and now find their EMR service isn’t running will be able to travel up to either two trains prior or two trains after the affected service. Customers who decide not to travel can request a full refund.

Further information, including travel advice for customers, can be found here: An important update to our Intercity timetable | EMR