Aurora introduction 3rd December 2025

The introduction of EMR’s new bi-mode Hitachi Class 810 Aurora train fleet has been severely delayed; they were meant to start running in 2022!  Covid interrupted things, of course, and testing identified issues with the first of the new trains that needed extensive rectification.
Promised starts in November 2025 did not happen and it began to look as though the first run would not be until the December 2025 timetable change. However, on 3rd December, Aurora unit number 810010 operated the first public duty for the type, the 07:00 Sheffield to St Pancras (which does not call at Market Harborough).  The same unit later worked the 17:05 St Pancras to Nottingham, calling at Market Harborough at 18:07 and thereby becoming our first Aurora service, and thus our first electric train.  However, the electrification only extends as far as Wigston South Junction, so the train was diesel powered by the time it arrived in Leicester. The changeover from electric to diesel takes place at speed and is almost unnoticeable.  We look forward to more Auroras being introduced into service over the next few months.

Our first Aurora.  Class 810 unit 810010 waits at Market Harborough to depart with the 18:08 service to Nottingham on the first day of service, 3rd December 2025.  It had run electrically from St Pancras (dep 17:05), though switched to diesel as it passed Wigston South Junction on its approach to Leicester.
The white spot to the left of the 'Nottingham' destination display denotes that First Class is at this end of the train.
Photo: Steve Jones

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