Further Strike Action Called Over Safety Concerns With EMR Trains

RMT members working at East Midlands Railway are set to take further strike action over ongoing safety concerns and faults affecting its Aurora Class 810 trains.

The union has announced a 48-hour walkout over the Bank Holiday weekend, on Sunday August 30th and Monday August 31st.

A further 24-hour strike is planned for September 16th if there is no movement in the dispute.

The RMT says members will also continue action short of a strike, including refusing to work on the trains if faults such as a lack of air conditioning, door problems and non-working toilets remain.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union was demanding that the affected trains be taken out of service until the faults are resolved.

He said representatives would remain permanently involved in discussions with EMR and the train manufacturer Hitachi Rail to try to improve the situation.

The union wants the fleet of Aurura trains taken out of service until the faults are resolved.

EMR says it is assessing the impact of the strike action and will publish details of the services it can operate as soon as possible.

The operator insists its Aurora trains meet all required safety standards and says it is working with Hitachi Rail to resolve the issues.

It has acknowledged the disruption the August Bank Holiday strike will cause and says it has held six meetings with the RMT as it works towards resolving the dispute.

Philippa Cresswell, Customer Experience Director at East Midlands Railway, said: “We understand how important it is for our customers to have certainty about their travel plans and recognise the uncertainty and disruption this strike action will cause, particularly over the August Bank Holiday.”

She said further information would be provided once the service plan had been finalised.