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Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander apologises for unacceptable East Midlands Railway services
Overview
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has apologised for unacceptable East Midlands Railway (EMR) services, which have suffered from months of delays, cancellations, and overcrowding due to problems with the new Aurora (Class 810) train fleet and maintenance issues. Alexander stated that EMR must improve before the company is expected to be renationalised and brought under public ownership via Great British Railways (GBR). EMR has partially restored its timetable levels and expressed commitment to restoring full services, while noting it has not yet been formally notified of the exact transfer date by the Department for Transport.
Key points
- Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described East Midlands Railway's services as unacceptable and apologised to passengers during a visit to Derby.
- Disruptions, including delays, cancellations, and overcrowding, were caused by reliability and maintenance issues with the new Aurora (Class 810) fleet built by Hitachi Rail.
- EMR implemented a temporary reduction in services during the summer, though it increased its Intercity operation to 92% in September and plans to reach 96% in October.
- The government remains determined to proceed with the renationalisation of EMR and other private train operating companies under Great British Railways (GBR).
- Alexander cautioned that renationalisation will not solve issues like staff shortages and punctuality overnight, stressing the need to get infrastructure and rolling stock basics right.
- EMR stated that the Department for Transport has not yet formally notified the company of the specific date for its transfer into public ownership.