East Midlands Railway - A

East Midlands Railway - A

East Midlands Railway or EMR, legal name Abellio East Midlands Limited is a train operating company in England, owned by Transport UK Group, and is the current operator of the East Midlands franchise.

During April 2019, the franchise was awarded to Abellio; accordingly, on 18 August 2019, EMR took over operations from East Midlands Trains (EMT) on 18 August 2019. Services were divided into three brands, EMR InterCity for long-distance services from London St Pancras, EMR Regional for services across the East Midlands, and EMR Electrics for the outer suburban London St Pancras to Corby service.

As a part of the franchise commitments, EMR placed an order for 33 new bi-mode Class 810 Aurora high speed train sets to replace both the Class 180 and Class 222 units. Furthermore, preexisting Class 170 multiple units would be sourced from other operators to replace the aging Class 153, Class 156, and Class 158 sets.

During early 2020, passenger numbers and ticket revenues collapsed following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the original franchise agreement being initially suspended before being replaced entirely. On 16 May 2021, EMR Connect services between Corby and London St Pancras were launched, permitting EMR to withdraw its last Intercity 125s.

On 19 June 2021, EMR Regional services were cut to enable the timetable to run effectively. EMR was one of several train operators impacted by the 2022-2023 United Kingdom railway strikes. During February 2023, Transport UK Group concluded a management buyout of Abellio's United Kingdom business, which included EMR. In May 2023, EMR withdrew the last of its Class 156 and Class 180 multiple units. During 2024, the EMR InterCity services will transition to the Class 810 Aurora fleet.

East Midlands Railway Overview

East Midlands Railway Franchise(s):

East Midlands

18 August 2019 – 16 October 2030

East Midlands Railway Main Region(s):

East Midlands

Greater London

South Yorkshire

North West England

East Midlands Railway Other Region(s): East of England

East Midlands Railway Fleet Size:

27 Class 222 Meridian

21 Class 360 Desiro

26 Class 158 Express Sprinter

40 Class 170 Turbostar

East Midlands Railway Parent Company: Transport UK Group

East Midlands Railway Reporting Mark: EM

East Midlands Railway Predecessor: East Midlands Trains

Rail Holidays
Rail Vacations

Luxury Trains
Luxury Tours

International Trains
International Tours