Union plans East Midlands Railway strikes over train safety concerns
The RMT union has announced strike action for East Midlands Railway staff due to safety concerns regarding the new Hitachi Class 810 fleet. The union claims the trains suffer from frequent faults that require safety-critical system resets, while the operator maintains the fleet meets all safety standards.
Why it matters
This dispute highlights the intersection of public transport reliability, labor relations, and the safety challenges associated with rolling out new rail technology.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The RMT union said it had been in dispute with East Midlands Railway since April following the rollout of its 810 fleet
A union that represents railway staff has announced plans for its members at East Midlands Railway (EMR) to take strike action over "growing safety concerns the company has failed to address".
The RMT union said it had been in dispute with EMR since April following the rollout of the 810 fleet (Aurora), which it said had been operating with a "significant number" of faults.
It said its members planned to take strike action on Saturday 1 August and the following two Saturdays.
An EMR spokesperson said any suggestion that the Hitachi Rail Class 810 fleet did not meet the required safety standards was "incorrect", and added it continued "to engage in discussions with RMT regarding this dispute".
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