First look inside East Midlands Railway’s £400 million new bi-mode fleet

East Midlands Railway (EMR) shares a first look at the interiors of their new £400 million Aurora fleet.

The Hitachi built bi-mode trains will transform the experience of customers as they travel on the Midland Main Line when introduced during 2025 and throughout 2026.

Features of the new state of the art trains include more seats and luggage space than EMR’s existing Meridian fleet, modern interiors, air conditioning, free WiFi, power sockets and USB ports at each seat and live passenger information.

EMR sourced and adapted a brand-new seat design for the new trains. Working closely with Derby-based design firm DG DESIGN, it has taken the proven product of a FISA Lean seat and refined it to offer enhanced comfort and support.

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The seat enhancements included increasing the size of cushions, headrests and armrests and making sure that high quality durable materials were used throughout, such as a wool-rich herringbone moquette and leather.

At the same time, it has ensured the seats include all the practical and technological features including power and USB points, generous legroom, coat hooks, well-sized seat-back tables for all airline style seats and space to stow a cabin-bag under each seat as well as generous overhead luggage storage.

There will also be dedicated wheelchair spaces and bicycle storage.

The new Aurora fleet will include a new class-leading Wi-Fi system that uses multiple sim cards to select the best possible signal for customers as they travel to and from the capital.

Customers who want to use their own mobile signal will also benefit from better connections as the trains will be fitted with bespoke glass windows designed to allow signals to pass through.

Rachel Turner, Head of New Trains at East Midlands Railway said: “We’re really excited to share new photos of the interiors of our bi-mode fleet as the fleet progresses through testing and towards being passenger-ready.

“We have worked closely with Hitachi to ensure our trains offer customers the features and comfort they expect from a modern train.