RMT Union Threatens Strike Over East Midlands Railway Train Safety

The RMT union is preparing for potential strike action against East Midlands Railway (EMR) over safety concerns regarding the new Class 810 train fleet. While the rail operator maintains the trains meet safety standards, union leadership argues that technical faults and emergency reset procedures pose significant risks to passengers and crew.

Operational Risks and Safety Concerns

The conflict centers on the performance of the Hitachi Rail Class 810 units, which have been in passenger service with East Midlands Railway since December 2025. According to the RMT, the trains are likely to fail and require a full reset which leaves the train with no active safety systems while in operation. The BBC has seen an operational briefing, which informs control, signalling and operations staff about undertaking an Aux Off / Aux On reset on EMR class 810 units, a process that may be required to recover certain faults.

The briefing states: “The process takes approximately 20 minutes and results in the temporary loss of several safety-critical systems, creating an increased risk of an uncontrolled evacuation and removing the driver’s normal means of communication with the signaller.” RMT is demanding that whilst these faults exist and until these trains are shown to be operating properly, they should be taken out of service.

Management and Manufacturer Response

East Midlands Railway has defended the rollout of the fleet, stating that the Hitachi Rail Class 810 fleet entered passenger service after successfully completing all required testing and meeting rigorous safety standards. A spokesperson acknowledged that the fleet has encountered performance and reliability issues in service and confirmed the company is working with the manufacturer to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.

Hitachi Rail maintains that more than a third of the fleet has been delivered. A Hitachi Rail spokesperson stated the company continues to work closely with all industry partners during the entry-into-service phase, implementing improvements and supporting the transition from the existing fleet to new Aurora trains. To address ongoing performance concerns, the manufacturer is investing in additional testing activity at the Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre to improve fleet introduction and delivery of the remaining trains. The spokesperson added: We remain focused on delivering the remainder of the fleet and supporting East Midlands Railway as more new trains enter passenger service.

The RMT Position and Next Steps

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey has criticized the management’s approach, claiming that company officials have bypassed consultation with union representatives. Dempsey stated that RMT reps at EMR had been extremely patient and tried to engage with management.

“The company has even put out safety notices with no involvement, consultation or negotiation with our reps who represent those most at risk.”

Eddie Dempsey, RMT general secretary

EMR has committed to continuing the rollout of the new Class 810 fleet in a controlled manner throughout the rest of the year and 2027. With the union demanding that the trains be taken out of service until they are shown to be operating properly, the path to resolution remains uncertain.

International Context: Labor Actions in Rail

In Taiwan, the Taiwan Railway Labor Union (TRLU) recently announced that 90% of its members signed a call for an overtime ban during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. This followed action on May 1, where the vast majority of Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) staff did not turn up for work to protest Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) plans to turn the TRA into a state corporation. During that action, a minimum service of 18 TRA trains operated, and extra bus and high-speed rail services were organized to meet traveler demand. TRLU officials estimated that 90% of their total membership signed the petition for the holiday action, noting that more train drivers had signed up than for the May 1 protest, which could result in even fewer trains running than the minimal service provided previously.

Sources: bbc.co.uk, taiwannews.com.tw.