RMT Plans Rail Strikes Over East Midlands Railway Safety Concerns

The RMT union said members at East Midlands Railway (EMR) will strike on Saturday 1 August and the following two Saturdays over growing safety concerns it says the company has failed to address, according to BBC. The union said it has been in dispute with EMR since April after the rollout of the Aurora, or Class 810, fleet, which it says has been operating with a significant number of faults. EMR rejected any suggestion that the Hitachi Rail Class 810 fleet did not meet required safety standards, and said it continues to discuss the dispute with the union. The operator said reliability and maintenance issues with the new trains, and challenges with the older Class 222 fleet, have affected toilets, air conditioning and catering equipment. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the company should take the trains out of service until the faults are resolved.