Rail workers have staged a protest outside Nottingham station as strike action causes significant disruption to East Midlands Railway services today, Saturday 1 August.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are taking part in a 24-hour walkout as part of a dispute concerning EMR’s new Class 810 Aurora trains.
A banner reading “This strike is all about safety” was displayed outside Nottingham station during a picket on Saturday morning.
The RMT claims EMR has continued to use Class 810 trains that are liable to develop faults requiring a full reset.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the union said: “EMR has been sending trains into service that are likely to fail and require a full reset which leaves the train with no active safety systems, including loss of communication between train drivers, dispatchers and trackside.”
The union further claimed the fleet had failed and required a full reset on at least three occasions during the past week.
The claims have been disputed by EMR, which says the trains comply with the necessary safety requirements.
Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at EMR, previously said: “Any suggestion that the trains do not meet the required safety standards is incorrect.
“The Class 810 fleet entered passenger service only after successfully completing all required testing and meeting the rigorous safety standards required by the independent regulator.”
The dispute began in April following the introduction of the Aurora fleet. The RMT wants the trains removed from passenger service while the faults identified by its members remain unresolved.
EMR has separately acknowledged reliability problems affecting both the Class 810 fleet and the maintenance of its older Class 222 trains. A temporary reduced Intercity timetable has been in place since 20 July while the operator and manufacturer Hitachi Rail work to address the disruption.
Passengers have been advised to travel only if their journey is essential today. EMR is operating a substantially reduced Intercity and Connect timetable, beginning at 07:00 and finishing before 19:00.
One train an hour is scheduled between Nottingham and London St Pancras, with a further hourly service between Sheffield and London. First Class has been temporarily declassified on Intercity services during the strike.
EMR Regional services are not affected and are expected to operate normally. No rail replacement buses are being provided.
Further 24-hour strikes are planned for Saturday 8 August and Saturday 15 August.
RMT members will also take action short of a strike from Sunday 2 August to Friday 7 August, from Sunday 9 August to Friday 14 August, and from Sunday 16 August until further notice. This could result in further short-notice alterations and cancellations.
