Train cancellations reach crisis point

​“We are sorry to announce that the 09:57 East Midlands Railway service to London St Pancras has been cancelled.  This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.”
We have become all too familiar with messages of this kind over the station tannoy system in recent months.  OK, stuff happens, and there will always be train cancellations, but the situation has now become serious to the point of unsustainable.  The reliability of our train service has reached a point where people are losing faith and are switching to other routes or not using the train.
The basic reason is that, despite valiant efforts by maintenance crews and others to run as many trains as they can, there just isn’t enough rolling stock.
Our new Class 810 Aurora bi-mode (electric + diesel) trains are very late in delivery from Hitachi.  They are also proving unreliable in service.  In addition, one was severely damaged in the tragic accident south of Bedford on 19th June.
Our old Class 222 Meridian diesel units, which have served us well, are reduced in number as five have been transferred away for use by another operator.   Those that remain are being used intensively, to provide as good a service as possible, but this means reduced maintenance downtime (consistent with maintaining safety, of course) and increased in-service failures.  We now have a level of cancellations that is severely denting public confidence in the train service.  The effect on the travelling public is severe, especially when consecutive trains are cancelled.   We also recognise that the frontline staff are embarrassed by all this and can face anger from disgruntled and distressed passengers.
Harborough Rail Users discussed this with EMR back in April, but the situation has got measurably worse since then.  We have now written again to EMR and to Neil O’Brien MP, calling for an apology from EMR, regular information and updates on a recovery plan, and a realistic assessment of how long this situation is expected to continue.
We shall continue to do what we can to press for an early resumption of an acceptable level of service on our line.

Passenger information display, Platform 2, Market Harborough, 7th July 2026
Pictures: Steve Jones